Ethan stood in the middle of his café, staring at the empty spot on the counter where the letter had been. The envelope was gone — no sign of a break-in, no damage, nothing.
He checked the CCTV, but the footage between midnight and 3 a.m. was missing.
Lena arrived minutes later. When he told her, she looked terrified. "He's here," she said. "I can feel it."
Ethan nodded. "Who is he, Lena? Tell me the truth now."
Lena sat down slowly, hands shaking. "His name is Derek Vaughn. I used to work for him in New York. At first, he was kind… then controlling… then dangerous. He never liked hearing no. I escaped. Changed cities, names, everything. But maybe he never stopped looking."
Ethan was silent for a while, then said, "You're safe here. I promise."
But both of them knew that wasn't completely true.
That night, Lena stayed at Ethan's place. He gave her the bedroom and stayed up, watching the door. At 2:40 a.m., his phone buzzed.
*Unknown number. One message: "Found you."*
Ethan looked out the window. Across the street, a man in a black coat stood under a flickering streetlight — smiling...
Want chapter 4.. It's warning for Ethan..
Read ASHEN DAWN
and. A GAME LIKE SQUID GAME S1