“What should you do if you see us doing our jobs?” the woman asked though they couldn't see her clearly because of the beams of light that messed with their eyes that caused temporary blindness.

“Don't you dare!” Ferrer commanded, his gun still pointed forward, trying to blink his eyes to give it clarity. He and Raine heard the clattering of tools all around them and Raine knew that whoever saved her life before is not present at that very moment anymore. And for those three days that passed, the search for that mysterious shooter was just stopped for reasons she doesn't know.

After putting on gloves and tying her hair up into a bun, the insane woman took one of the tools she had—a dissecting scissor — and then leaned down towards one of the unconscious police officers. “Hi, there, mister,” said her with a grim smile on her crimson lips.

It was finally then that Raine finally realized the face—it was Molly.

The world seemed to pause around her as if she was transported into a different place running in a paused time. She found herself standing inside her memory where she recalled her time when she first saw Mrs. Beatrice Suarez and her family.

At the moment she said to Zane that she will leave him alone at that time for a while back at the province to look around, she didn't leave him. Instead, she secretly followed him, listening to their conversation. The two were standing in front of her—exactly where she saw them in front of the house back at that time.

“She was already expecting us when we arrived,” she whispered to herself that only she could hear at the moment.

“Come in,” said Mrs. Suarez.

“There was a faint smell of lavender that wafted from the air as I slipped inside the opened gate and went towards the side of the house where a window is present—however, it was shut along with the others,” she continued.

“I warned Betty she was a bad influence,” said the late Mr. Aaron Suarez who was talking about Amara.

“The poor girl was out of her depth here, love. I only wanted her to feel at home,”—said Mrs. Betty and then continued—“I thought there’d be two of you. Where’s the young lady?”

“She was expecting me more than Zane,” said Raine.

To see what was going on because of the clatter she heard, she decided to appear back towards the gate where she rang the doorbell.

“I thought you weren’t coming, ma’am,” Betty remarked to her back then. Raine paused her with a swiss of a hand and stared at her whole body—scanning for clues under her purple rubber slippers, green shirt, and dark blue pants.

Right handed based on how she opened the gate two times for Zane and her. Had eyebags—probably stayed up late. Has a thin body, probably malnourished or underweight. Walks fast but casually. Her movements are gentle and while she handed the coffee, there were no shaky hand movements.

“A rose petal. A single red rose petal. But what I don’t understand is why he’s turning such a small, trivial thing into something so big,” said Betty.

“It sounds genuine that she doesn't know about the meaning of those words,” Raine said.

“I’ll prepare the guest room upstairs for you. You can sleep there. And yes, you two may stay for the night,” Mrs. Betty had replied.

Accepting them instantly was another suspicious act.

“As her friend, she confided in my wife about these things. My wife would then tell me, and we agreed to keep it between ourselves—away from all those nosy people,” Aaron had spoken.

“Amara trusting her… It seems that she's sincere,” said Raine.

“You should see it at night. Weird things happen—screeching sounds, broken glass, even though nothing’s been touched, and shadows by the window that vanish the moment you blink,” Betty had said.

But there were no such things reported to her by Detective Inspector Ferrer. It was completely normal. “Why? Why would she lie?”

“Now those red letters received—ours was a blood written paper there's a single rose petal…” she spoke, then eyes widened with disbelief. “Could the letters be a threat?”

And then came a flash of the memory of the DNA result from the blood-stained letter she and Raine received. The results lead to a person with no record at the police even though they took samples from the ones they interviewed. But, as she and her team dug deeper, they figured out it was from the young girl who went missing ten years ago—Hailey Gomez.

She blinked, forcing herself to focus. Molly crouched beside the unconscious officer, knife poised to shred his uniform.

“Molly, stop! Drop the knife!” Raine’s voice rang out.

Raine tightened her grip on the tranquiliser, hesitation flickering in her mind. She couldn't afford to fire recklessly—the drug's effects were unpredictable, differing with each person. One misstep could spiral into chaos.

“Have you heard of Hailey Gomez?” Raine pressed.

Molly froze, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Are you planning to shoot me, Professor?” she sneered as Raine took a deliberate step closer to her.

Unbeknownst to Raine, a sinister whisper slithered through her mind, directing her every move. “Go on, then… shoot me!” she dared.

“Why are you doing this?” Raine demanded, her grip tightening on the weapon.

Molly's laughter rang out. “What's the matter, Doctor? Forgotten your code of ethics? You'll lose everything—your job, your credibility, even that pathetic excuse for an investigator's role you cling to.”

Is she trying to manipulate me? Raine's thoughts raced, her eyes narrowing as she studied Molly's every move.

Before she could finish the thought, Molly's voice cut through. “Take one more step, and I’ll crush his skull.” Her grip on the unconscious officer tightened.

Raine didn’t flinch. Her voice turned cold, steady. “Go ahead. You’ll only end up behind bars, throwing away any chance of finishing your college programme.” She took another measured step forward. “And Mendez? He despises me—I couldn’t care less. But this stops now, Molly!”

Molly's brow twitched. “Oh? And why’s that?”

“Because you’ve already lost.” Raine’s tone shifted, soft yet cutting, like silk over steel. “You haven't seen it yet, but you will. All that rage, all that bravado—it’s hollow. It reeks of someone dancing to another’s tune.” Her gaze sharpened. “But deep down, you’ve known that all along, haven’t you?”

Molly’s grin faltered, the faintest flicker of doubt creeping into her eyes. “You don’t know anything,” she spat, though the crack in her voice betrayed her.

“Am I wrong?” Raine asked. “If you had any real control, you wouldn’t need threats. People in control don’t bark orders, Molly.”

“I’m not shouting!” Molly snapped, her voice rising in defiance.

Raine tilted her head. “Not out loud, perhaps. But inside? You’re screaming. And waving that knife around? That’s not power—it’s fear. Like a frightened child, desperate for attention.” Her gaze flicked to the unconscious officer, sharp as a blade. “You’re trembling. Go on, I dare you—perform that ‘surgery’ with a steady hand.”

“Shut up!” Molly’s voice cracked, her grip on the knife faltering.

“No, you shut your mouth, young lady,” Raine replied. “You feel it, don’t you? That gnawing truth. You’re not in control. How pathetic... how weak.” She leaned closer. “That’s why you’re hesitating. You know as well as I do—you can’t do it.”

Molly froze, her lips thinning into a grim line.

“There it is,” Raine said softly. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Her gaze bore into Molly’s, unrelenting. “That hesitation—that’s doubt. And it’s clawing at you, isn’t it? Keep going, and imagine what guilt will do to you when it finally sinks in.”

“I said shut up!” Molly snapped, but her voice wavered as her hands began to shake.

Raine’s expression hardened. “Make me,” she challenged. “But you won’t. Because if you do, you’ll prove me right—that you’re nothing more than a scared little girl, letting herself be controlled like a puppet on strings.”

“Stop it!” Molly’s breath hitched, her eyes darting frantically, like an animal cornered with no escape.

“You know how this ends, don’t you?” Raine tilted her head, her smile razor-thin. “You get caught. You get blamed. And no one will care if someone else pulled the strings. They’ll point to you. Say it was your fault. You’ll be the one in cuffs, Molly. Your bright future snuffed out. Tell me, how does murder look on a résumé?” Her gaze hardened, calculating, as though weighing Molly’s every breath. “But there’s still a way out.”

Molly’s grip on the knife faltered as her eyes darted to Raine, wariness clouding her face. “What way?”

“Drop the knife,” Raine murmured. “Before you cross a line you can’t uncross.”

For a moment, the room seemed frozen. The only sound was the faint, shallow breaths of the unconscious officers.

“Be smart, Molly,” Raine pressed. “You don’t want this pinned on you. And... tell me about Hailey. Who is she?”

Molly’s gaze flicked to the officer, then back to Raine. Uncertainty clouded her face, creeping in like a shadow.

“Do it, Molly, or you’ll die,” the eerie, distorted voice hissed in her mind. It coiled around her thoughts, commanding, relentless.

"Everybody just shut up!" Molly screamed, her voice echoing like a crack of thunder.

The blade fell, clattering against the tiled floor as blood splattered in crimson streaks.

It pooled quickly, staining the once-pristine surface.

"Molly!" Raine's horrified cry broke through the silence, her eyes wide with shock. The inspector stood frozen, his disbelief mirroring hers as the scene unfolded.

Ferrer rushed to her side, kicking the knife aside with a swift motion. He tore a strip from his black shirt and pressed it firmly against Molly's wound. "Raine, call an ambulance! Now!" he ordered, his voice urgent.

Raine’s hand trembled as she fumbled for her phone. Her breath caught as she dialled for backup, her mind racing with panic.

Molly’s screams pierced the air, her blood soaking through the makeshift bandage. “Molly, tell us how to open this up,” Raine urged.

“I... I don’t know... I…” Molly gasped, her words trailing off, confusion and pain clouding her eyes.

“Save your breath, young lady. Just keep breathing,” Ferrer urged, his voice firm yet compassionate as he applied pressure to the wound.

“So I was right! You are being controlled by someone!” Raine shouted, her frustration boiling over as she knelt beside Molly.

Ferrer’s voice remained steady, though his eyes betrayed his concern. “Raine, you might just find a way to open the door. We're losing oxygen, too, with every passing second.” He struggled to keep his composure, his hands working swiftly to stabilise Molly.

“Molly, tell me who Hailey is,” Raine pressed.

Ferrer’s tone grew sharper, his patience thinning. “Raine, we’ve got three others with us, and we’re locked in this room with chemicals and an injured person. This isn’t a good situation.” But Raine’s gaze never wavered from the young woman.

“Tell me who she is,” Raine insisted, her eyes fixed on Molly with a relentless focus.

“She’s... She’s my...” Molly began, but the voice cut her off with a sharp command.

“Zip your mouth, Gomez!” the voice thundered inside her head, silencing her.

Molly’s face contorted in anguish as she cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Stop! I said stop!” she sobbed. “She's... She's my sister... My younger sister, Professor.”

Raine’s expression softened with understanding. “I knew there was a connection,” she murmured, a small but knowing smile tugging at her lips.

“Raine, you’re being unprofessional! Stop that, will you?” George snapped, his voice laced with frustration.

Raine ignored him, her gaze still fixed on Molly. “Why would you do this? Who commanded you?” she pressed, urgency creeping into her voice.

“Raine!” George’s tone grew louder, his piercing gaze locking with hers. “We need to focus.”

Molly’s breath came in shallow gasps, her eyes darting away from Raine’s relentless gaze.

“Molly, just tell me who commanded you!” Raine urged, her voice breaking with frustration as Molly’s tears continued to fall. “Tell me!”

Before Molly could respond, a sudden flash of light cut through the room. All eyes turned towards the door, which creaked open slowly. Mrs. Jessica appeared in the doorway, her expression one of concern. Her gaze swept over the fallen officers and, landing on Molly, widened in horror. “Who—? What happened?” she gasped, her eyes locked on the bloodied scene before her.

“Stay back for a few minutes, madame!” Ferrer called out, his voice urgent as he gestured for Mrs. Jessica and the newly arrived rescue team to step away. “There were fumes here that can cause hallucinations.”

The rescuers quickly followed his instructions, allowing the air inside the basement to clear. They opened every door and window in the house, and as Aaron had predicted before his death, curious onlookers had already gathered outside. The police escorted Mrs. Jessica and Vincent out, followed by Allie and the other analysts.

“Molly!” Raine’s voice remained persistent, her focus on the young woman.

“It was—” Molly began to speak again, but her words faltered as she collapsed, unconscious.

The rescuers, dressed in full protective gear, entered swiftly. They lifted Molly onto a stretcher, then moved on to the three other fainted companions, finally tending to Raine and George.

“I’m fine,” Raine insisted, trying to shake off the concerned rescuer as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders to help her walk.

“You always say that, ma’am,” the man replied, his voice laced with gentle exasperation. “But I’m afraid you really can’t ignore this. If you do, I’ll be the one losing my job.”

Raine sighed, rolling her eyes before nodding in reluctant agreement. “Fine, you can assist me. But just remember, I’m fine,” she said with finality.

They ascended the creaky wooden stairs from the basement, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

As she passed the house, a faint scent of roses lingered in the air, sending a shiver down her spine. By the time they reached the front door, she halted, her eyes scanning both the interior and the exterior.

“What’s wrong?” the rescuer asked.

“Raine, are you alright?” Allie asked, her gaze fixed on her. “What happened down there?”

Her mind went blank, as though bracing for an inevitable turn of events. As they climbed into the ambulance, a peculiar unease settled within her. By the time the checkups were complete that evening, a sudden realization flickered in her mind.

“We must investigate Molly further,” she said, her voice steady as she turned to Ferrer, who was preparing to leave the room and make his way down the hospital corridor.

“You’re fortunate she’s well,” George replied, his tone grave, not once meeting her eyes. “Had she died from your carelessness, you’d be answering questions at the station by now. She remains unconscious, however. Let’s hope this is all unrelated to your foolishness.”

“Someone’s controlling her, and I need to find out who that person is!” Raine declared, her voice firm as she hurried after her cousin, who seemed intent on avoiding her.

“We’ll be going separate ways for now. Ms. Gomez needs rest,” George replied coolly.

“You know what you should do?” Raine retorted. “Investigate Hailey instead of tying this mess into even more knots.” Without waiting for a response, she brushed past him, her stride purposeful.

“Then what are you planning to do, huh?” George demanded.

“See the other one,” Raine replied curtly. “And you’re right—I’ll head to the station tonight.” Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode off to hail a cab.