By the second day—
I stopped sleeping properly.
Not because I couldn't.
Because every time I closed my eyes—
I imagined her trapped inside that house.
Alone.
Cut off from everything.
And the worst part?
I still had no way to reach her.
No hidden number.
No secret messages.
No accidental signs.
Nothing.
It was like she vanished overnight.
And honestly—
That terrified me more than her family ever had.
Ryan sat across from me inside my apartment.
Half-eaten takeout between us.
Cold now.
Neither of us touched it.
"You look insane," he said finally.
"Thanks."
"I mean medically."
I leaned back against the couch slightly.
Because he wasn't wrong.
My thoughts hadn't slowed down in two days.
Every possibility.
Every angle.
Every risk.
And every single one led back to the same conclusion.
Waiting wasn't working.
"You're planning something stupid," Ryan said carefully.
Not a question.
A fact.
I looked toward the city lights outside the window.
Rain still hitting the glass softly.
And for the first time—
I said it out loud.
"I'm getting inside."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
"…Inside where?"
I looked back at him.
"The gala."
Ryan stared at me for a solid five seconds.
Then laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because it sounded impossible.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
"That's basically a fortress."
"I know."
"And her father already has security watching you."
"I know."
"You could get arrested."
Still—
"I know."
Ryan rubbed a hand over his face slowly.
"…You really lost your mind."
Maybe.
But honestly?
Part of me didn't care anymore.
Because if her family thought cutting her off would make me disappear—
They misunderstood me completely.
"They're introducing potential marriage candidates at this thing," I said quietly.
Ryan's expression shifted slightly.
Because now he understood.
This wasn't just another party.
This was strategy.
A message.
Replace him.
Erase him.
Move forward.
"You think she'll even be allowed near you?" he asked.
"No."
"Then what's the plan?"
Good question.
Because honestly—
I only had pieces of one.
I stood slowly.
Walked toward the small desk near the window.
Papers scattered across it.
Security schedules.
Guest lists.
Maps of the venue.
Ryan blinked.
"…How long have you been researching this?"
"Since yesterday morning."
"You're terrifying now."
I ignored that.
Because there were more important things right now.
"The gala's being held downtown at the Ashford Grand," I explained.
Large venue.
Private security.
High-profile guests.
Complicated.
But not impossible.
"They'll have cameras everywhere," Ryan warned.
"I know."
"Facial recognition probably too."
"I know."
"And you still think this is a good idea?"
"No."
A pause.
"Necessary doesn't always mean good."
Ryan stared at me quietly after that.
Like he was trying to figure out when exactly I changed.
Honestly?
I didn't fully know either.
I spread the venue layout across the desk.
"There are three public entrances," I said.
"But staff access is here."
I pointed toward the rear service corridor.
"Less attention."
Ryan stepped closer reluctantly.
"…You already mapped the blind spots?"
I stayed silent.
That was answer enough.
He looked genuinely disturbed now.
"…Her father was right about you."
That sentence landed harder than expected.
Because part of me understood what he meant.
Focused.
Calculated.
Dangerous.
Exactly what her father feared.
But the difference?
I wasn't doing this for power.
I was doing it because someone I loved was trapped.
And nobody else was coming to help her.
"I just need to see her," I said quietly.
The honesty of that sentence changed the room instantly.
Because underneath all the planning—
All the strategy—
That was still the truth.
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"…And after that?"
I looked down at the venue map again.
Thinking carefully.
Because this wasn't just about seeing her anymore.
Not completely.
This was about proving something.
To her family.
To her.
To myself.
That I wasn't someone they could erase whenever convenient.
"I don't know yet," I admitted.
That was the first honest uncertainty I'd shown all night.
Ryan noticed immediately.
"…That's the part that worries me."
Fair.
It worried me too.
My phone buzzed suddenly.
Unknown number.
Again.
Ryan noticed my expression instantly.
"…Them?"
Probably.
I answered slowly.
Silence greeted me first.
Then—
A calm male voice.
"You should stop before this escalates further."
My jaw tightened immediately.
Not her father.
Someone close to him.
Security maybe.
A warning.
Or a threat.
Probably both.
"Tell him to give her phone back," I replied coldly.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"She is safer away from you."
That sentence hit something sharp inside me.
Because safety wasn't the point anymore.
Control was.
"You keep telling yourselves that," I said quietly.
Another pause.
Then—
"If you attend the gala, there will be consequences."
There it was.
Confirmation.
They knew.
Or at least suspected.
I smiled slightly despite myself.
Because somehow—
That made me want to go even more.
"Thanks for the invitation," I replied.
Then ended the call.
Ryan stared at me immediately.
"…You're definitely going now, aren't you?"
I looked toward the rain-covered city outside.
Toward the towering skyline where powerful people believed they controlled everything.
Then answered calmly.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"Now I definitely am."
Because the moment powerful people start threatening you—
They've already admitted they see you as a problem.
And I was done pretending I wasn't one.