Alya stared at Bima without blinking.
The man she had known only from old documents until now was standing a few yards in front of her, carrying a weapon and blocking the only way out.
Behind Bima, the hospital-room door was locked tight.
Raka was still lying in bed.
Livia stood near the window.
Arka had already raised his weapon.
“Lower your weapon, Bima,” Arka said.
Bima smiled faintly. “You’re still the same as you were back then, Arka. Always thinking you can handle everything yourself.”
“At least I didn’t hide for fifteen years.”
Bima’s smile vanished.
Alya looked at the two of them.
“You all know each other.”
Bima turned toward her.
“Of course.”
“And you all know about my father.”
“More than you can imagine.”
Alya clenched her hands.
“Then tell me.”
Bima slowly walked closer.
“Your father discovered something he was never supposed to find.”
“What?”
“A transaction list.”
Alya furrowed her brow.
“What kind of transactions?”
“Money used to buy people in the justice system. Police officers, prosecutors, judges—even several officials.”
Raka immediately cut in. “Bima.”
“Shut up.”
Bima aimed his weapon at Raka.
“You’ve kept the secret for far too long.”
Alya looked at Raka.
“You knew about this, sir?”
Raka didn’t answer.
Bima let out a short laugh.
“Of course he knew.”
Alya felt the tightness in her chest grow worse.
“Why was my father killed?”
Bima stared at her for a long moment.
“Because he refused to hand over the evidence.”
“Who killed him?”
Bima didn’t answer.
Alya pressed him. “Who?”
“The person you would never suspect.”
The words echoed again.
Just like the earlier messages.
Alya looked at Livia.
The woman remained silent.
Then Alya looked at Arka.
Arka didn’t say anything either.
Finally, her eyes settled on Raka.
Raka turned his face away.
Alya immediately felt that something was wrong.
“Sir?”
Raka looked at her.
“Alya…”
“Did you kill my father?”
The room suddenly fell silent.
Bima smiled.
Livia closed her eyes.
Arka stared at Raka.
Raka let out a long sigh.
“No.”
Alya stared sharply at him.
“Then why can’t you look me in the eye?”
Raka fell silent.
“I didn’t kill your father,” he finally said. “But I was there that night.”
Alya froze.
“Where?”
“At your house.”
“When my father died?”
Raka nodded.
Alya took a step back.
“Why?”
Raka swallowed.
“Because your father asked me to come.”
“What for?”
“He gave me something.”
“What?”
“Evidence.”
Alya stared at him.
“Where is the evidence now?”
Raka didn’t answer.
Bima suddenly laughed.
“You’re still keeping it, of course.”
Alya turned toward him.
“Where?”
Bima looked at Raka.
“Somewhere you’d never think to look.”
Suddenly, sirens sounded outside the hospital.
Bima immediately turned toward the window.
“We’re out of time.”
Arka raised his weapon.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Bima smiled.
“You sure?”
He pressed something in his pocket.
The hospital lights went out immediately.
The entire room was plunged into darkness.
The sound of shattering glass rang out.
Livia screamed.
“Alya!”
Alya felt someone grab her arm.
She struggled to pull free.
“Who is it?!”
“Be quiet!”
Arka’s voice.
Alya followed the pull.
A few seconds later, the emergency lights came on.
Bima was gone.
But Livia had disappeared too.
Alya immediately turned around.
“Livia?”
There was no answer.
Arka ran toward the window.
The window was wide open.
“He took her.”
Alya moved closer.
“Who?”
“Bima.”
“Why?”
Arka looked at her.
“Because Livia is the only person who can prove who killed your father.”
A few minutes later, police filled the hospital.
Alya stood in the hallway, trying to process everything that had happened.
Raka was still in the room.
The doctor had forbidden him from moving around too much because of his gunshot wound.
A police officer approached Alya.
“Miss, we found something.”
“What?”
He handed her an envelope.
“This was found in Mr. Raka’s car.”
Alya looked at the writing on the front.
FOR ALYA, IF RAKA DIES.
Her hands trembled.
She opened the envelope.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Her father’s handwriting.
Alya,
If you’re reading this letter, it means everything has started all over again.
I know you’ll try to find out about my death.
But there’s something you need to know.
I never completely trusted anyone. Not even the person I asked to protect you.
Raka didn’t kill me.
But he is hiding something from you.
Something very big.
If you want to find my killer, look for the first place where I met Livia.
You’ll find the last piece of evidence there.
And Alya…
don’t trust Livia.
Alya read the letter over and over.
Then she remembered something.
The first place her father had met Livia.
She had seen that place before.
In an old photograph.
A small building with a sign whose lettering had almost faded away.
Klinik Harapan.
Alya immediately turned and headed for Raka.
She entered the room.
Raka looked at her.
“What happened?”
Alya held up the letter.
“Why did my father write that I shouldn’t trust Livia?”
Raka fell silent.
“Because your father had a reason.”
“What reason?”
Raka drew a breath.
“Livia wasn’t the first victim.”
Alya furrowed her brow.
“What do you mean?”
“Livia was involved in that case.”
“As what?”
Raka looked at Alya seriously.
“As a witness.”
Alya shook her head.
“She said she was being hunted.”
“She was.”
“Then what?”
Raka looked at the letter in Alya’s hand.
“But she was hiding something too.”
“What?”
Raka was silent for a long time.
Then he said,
“The child we’ve been looking for all this time isn’t just Arka.”
Alya froze.
“Then who?”
Raka looked at her.
“There’s another child.”
Alya’s heart began pounding faster.
“Who?”
Raka hadn’t had a chance to answer when Alya’s phone vibrated.
A message came in.
Unknown number.
If you want Livia to stay alive, come to Klinik Harapan.
A second message appeared a few seconds later.
Come alone.
And don’t bring Raka.
Alya looked at Raka.
Then she looked at her father’s letter.
Look for the first place where I met Livia.
Klinik Harapan.
Everything felt like puzzle pieces finally beginning to fit together.
But before Alya could leave, Raka called out to her.
“Alya.”
She stopped.
“Don’t go.”
“I have to.”
“It’s a trap.”
“I know.”
“If you know that, why are you still going?”
Alya looked at him.
“Because if I don’t go, I’ll never find out who killed my father.”
Raka fell silent.
Alya walked toward the door.
But before she left, she turned around.
“And one more thing.”
“What?”
“If you really are hiding something from me…”
Alya stared deeply into his eyes.
“…I’ll find out everything.”
She left the room.
Raka could only stare at the closed door.
A few seconds later, he reached for his phone and called someone.
“She’s gone.”
The voice on the other end gave a brief reply.
Raka closed his eyes.
“Watch over her.”
Alya, standing in the hallway, didn’t hear the conversation.
She didn’t know that someone was already waiting for her outside the hospital.
Someone wearing a black jacket.
Someone carrying a photograph of Alya as a child.
And on the back of the photograph were the words:
The second child has finally returned.