Chapter 3 HE FOUND ME

The message remained on Karen's screen. SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. For several seconds, Karen didn't move. Rain continued beating against the windows of the car while his driver waited quietly in front. "Sir?" Karen slowly lifted his eyes. "Who sent it?" "We're trying to trace the number." Karen looked back at the message. There was something deeply wrong about it. Only a few people knew what had happened three years ago, and some of those people were dead. His jaw tightened. "Find them." "Yes, sir." Karen opened the car door. Cold rain immediately hit his face. "Sir," his driver called. "Shouldn't we wait?" Karen stopped. "Wait for what?" "We don't know if it's really her." Karen looked toward the police station. "I know." Then he walked into the rain. Inside the police station, Cindy couldn't sit still. She had been staring at the front door for almost ten minutes. Daniel noticed. "He's not here yet." Cindy looked at him. "How do you know?" Daniel hesitated. "He hasn't entered." "That doesn't mean he's not here." Daniel frowned. Cindy looked toward the window. The rain outside made it difficult to see anything clearly. "He could be outside." "Cindy—" "He could be watching." Her voice trembled. Daniel sighed. "We have officers outside." Cindy laughed bitterly. "You don't understand." "Then help me understand." Cindy opened her mouth, but nothing came out. How could she explain something she couldn't remember? She pressed her hands against her forehead. "I don't know why I'm afraid of him." Daniel watched her carefully. "I don't remember him hurting me. But I remember being afraid." "Fear can stay with us even when memories disappear." Cindy looked at him. "Then why do I remember his face?" Daniel didn't answer. "Why do I remember his voice?" She looked down at her hand and stared at the wedding ring. "And why..." Her voice became quieter. "Why do I remember him smiling?" Daniel frowned. "What?" Cindy quickly looked away. "Nothing." She didn't want to explain it. She didn't want anyone to know that somewhere inside her broken memories was an image of Karen smiling at her. It made everything more confusing. The man she remembered smiling didn't look like someone she should fear. But another part of her remembered blood, darkness, and a locked door. Cindy suddenly stood. "I need some air." Daniel immediately shook his head. "No." She stared at him. "Why?" "Because we don't know what happened to you." "I'm inside a police station." "And you're frightened of someone." Cindy folded her arms. "You're treating me like a prisoner." "I'm trying to protect you." Cindy laughed without humor. "Everyone keeps saying that." Daniel looked at her. "What do you mean?" Cindy froze. Everyone keeps saying that. Where had those words come from? Suddenly, a memory appeared. A woman's voice. Soft and calm. "We're trying to protect you, Cindy." Cindy turned around quickly. The room spun. "Are you okay?" Daniel asked. Cindy didn't answer. She was somewhere else. A white room. Bright lights. Someone standing beside a bed. A woman. Cindy couldn't see her face. "You have to forget." Cindy gasped. Then the memory disappeared. She grabbed the edge of the desk. Daniel rushed toward her. "Cindy!" She pulled away. "Someone told me to forget." Daniel stared at her. "What?" "Someone..." She pressed her fingers against her temples. "They said I had to forget." "Forget what?" "I don't know." Daniel looked concerned. "Maybe you should see a doctor." "No." "Cindy—" "No!" Her voice echoed through the station. The front door suddenly opened. Cindy stopped breathing. Daniel turned around. A man stood in the doorway. Tall. Dressed completely in black. Rainwater dripped from his hair and coat. For a moment, Cindy couldn't see his face. Then he stepped inside. And she saw him. Her heart stopped. Karen. The room became silent. Cindy couldn't move. Karen couldn't either. For three years, he had imagined this moment. He had imagined finding her. He had imagined seeing her again. But none of those imagined moments had prepared him for reality. She looked thinner. Paler. Her hair was wet and messy. There was fear in her eyes. Fear of him. Karen felt something inside him tighten, but his face remained calm. Cindy took one step backward. Karen immediately stopped walking. "Hello, Cindy." His voice. The moment she heard it, her body reacted. Her breathing became uneven. Her fingers curled. Her heart raced. "No." Karen's eyes changed slightly. "Cindy—" "Don't come closer." Karen stopped. "I'm not going to hurt you." She laughed. It was a terrified sound. "That's what everyone says." Karen's expression became unreadable. Everyone. The word stayed in his mind. Who else had she been with? Where had she been? He wanted answers. Thousands of them. But looking at her now, he couldn't ask. Not yet. Daniel stepped forward. "Mr. Vale?" Karen looked at him. "Officer." "She is frightened." "I can see that." Cindy's eyes moved between them. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here." Karen looked at her. For the first time, their eyes met properly. Cindy felt something strange. A painful pressure inside her chest. She knew him somehow—more than she wanted to. Karen slowly spoke. "You disappeared." Cindy shook her head. "I escaped." Something flashed across his face. Pain, or anger. She couldn't tell. "From me?" he asked. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. Cindy swallowed. "Yes." Silence. Karen looked at her for several seconds. "Do you remember why?" The question caught her off guard. Cindy stared at him. "I..." She couldn't answer. Karen noticed. His eyes dropped briefly to her hands and then to the blood on her clothes. "Do you remember anything?" Cindy immediately became defensive. "I remember enough." "Do you?" Her eyes narrowed. Karen took a slow breath. "I'm not trying to upset you." "You came here." "Because the police called me." "You found me." Karen looked at her. "I've been looking for you for three years." Cindy shook her head. "Why?" The question hurt more than it should have. Karen looked away for a moment, then back at her. "Because you're my wife." Cindy laughed. "That doesn't answer my question." Karen was silent. Daniel watched both of them. The tension in the room had become impossible to ignore. Cindy looked directly at Karen. "Why did you look for me?" His voice became quieter. "Because I loved you." Cindy froze. The words entered her mind, but something inside her refused to accept them. She shook her head. "No." Karen's eyes darkened. "No?" "You can't love someone and make them afraid of you." Karen didn't respond. His silence frightened her. "See?" Cindy pointed at him. "You don't even deny it." Karen looked at her. "I don't know what you remember." "I remember enough." "Then tell me." Cindy stopped. Karen took one careful step forward. Cindy immediately stepped back. He stopped again. "Tell me what I did." She stared at him. A memory appeared. Blood. A locked room. A scream. Karen standing in front of her. Her eyes widened. "You..." Her voice shook. Karen waited. "You were there." His expression changed. "Where?" "There was blood." Daniel immediately looked at Karen. Cindy continued. "You were standing there." Karen's jaw tightened. "What else?" "You were..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't remember." Karen didn't look relieved. He looked afraid. Cindy opened her eyes. "Why are you afraid?" Karen's eyes met hers. "I'm not." "You're lying." Karen said nothing. Cindy suddenly noticed something. Karen wasn't alone. Two men stood outside the station, both dressed in dark clothing and watching. She immediately stepped closer to Daniel. "Who are they?" Karen looked behind him. "My security." "Security?" Cindy laughed nervously. "Or bodyguards?" Karen looked at her. "Both." Daniel's expression hardened. "Mr. Vale, perhaps your men should wait outside." "They are outside." Cindy stared at Karen. Something about the two men made her stomach twist. She suddenly remembered another man. Someone with a scar on his face. Someone standing in a dark hallway. She gasped. Karen noticed immediately. "What is it?" Cindy backed away. "No." "Cindy?" "No!" Her hand moved toward her head. The memory became stronger. A hallway. The scarred man. A gun. Karen shouting. Then— A gunshot. Cindy screamed. Everyone froze. Daniel rushed toward her, but Cindy pushed past him. She ran straight toward the back of the police station. "Cindy!" Daniel shouted. Karen moved, but stopped himself. He could have reached her. He was faster. But the terror in her eyes made him freeze. "Don't follow me!" she screamed. Then she disappeared through the hallway. Daniel turned toward Karen. "Don't move." Karen's eyes remained fixed on the hallway. "She's terrified." "I know." "Then give her space." Karen slowly looked at him. "Officer, my wife has been missing for three years." Daniel didn't respond. Karen continued. "She arrives at a police station covered in blood with no memory of where she has been." Daniel's face became serious. "I understand." "No." Karen's voice dropped. "You don't." The officer stared at him. Karen looked back toward the hallway. "I don't know what happened to her." For the first time, Daniel saw something beneath Karen's controlled expression. Fear. Real fear. Karen's phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out. Another unknown message. His eyes moved across the screen. Then his entire body became still. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME FOR HER. A second message arrived. SHE WAS SAFER WHEN SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER YOU. Karen's expression darkened. Then a photograph arrived. Karen stared at it. His face lost all colour. Daniel noticed. "What is it?" Karen didn't answer. Daniel stepped closer. "Mr. Vale?" Karen slowly lifted his eyes. "Find Cindy." Daniel frowned. "What?" "Now." "Why?" Karen looked toward the hallway. His voice was low, and for the first time, there was panic in it. "Because we're not the only ones looking for her." Meanwhile, Cindy stood alone in a small storage room. She had locked the door. Her hands were shaking as she pressed her back against the wall. Karen was here. He had found her. She closed her eyes. Why did seeing him hurt? Why did part of her want to believe him? Her phone suddenly rang. Cindy froze. She slowly looked down. The phone. She didn't remember owning it. She reached into her bag and found the device. The screen showed: UNKNOWN CALLER. Cindy stared at it. Then answered. "Hello?" For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then a woman's voice whispered: "Don't trust Karen." Cindy stopped breathing. "Who are you?" The woman didn't answer. Cindy gripped the phone. "Who are you?" The voice became quieter. "You escaped once, Cindy." Cindy's eyes widened. "You won't escape again." The call ended. Cindy stared at the phone, her heart pounding. Then someone knocked on the storage-room door. Cindy jumped. "Cindy?" Karen's voice. She covered her mouth. "Cindy, open the door." She didn't move. "Cindy." His voice was calm. Too calm. "Please." Cindy stared at the door, then at the phone. The mysterious woman had told her not to trust Karen. But Karen was the only person who had been searching for her. She closed her eyes. "Go away." There was silence. Then Karen spoke softly. "I'm not leaving." Cindy's eyes filled with tears. "Why?" Another silence. This time, longer. Then Karen answered: "Because I already lost you once." Cindy stood completely still. Her hand slowly moved toward the door. But before she could unlock it, her phone vibrated. One final message. ASK KAREN WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE ROOM. Cindy looked at the screen, and her blood turned cold. She slowly looked toward the door. Karen was standing on the other side. Waiting. And suddenly, Cindy knew one thing. Someone was lying. She just didn't know who.