Meanwhile, back in the surveillance room of the venue, tension hung thick in the air.

Multiple screens flickered at once, each displaying different angles of the press conference hall. Reporters moved about, adjusting their cameras, whispering among themselves, unaware of the storm brewing behind the scenes.

Anna stood with her arms crossed, her eyes glued to the screens. Beside her, Daniel leaned slightly forward, his jaw tight, while Officer Clement observed everything with trained precision.

"You think he is among them?" Clement asked, his voice low but sharp as his gaze moved from one screen to another.

Every face. Every movement.

Every detail.

He missed nothing.

And yet... nothing stood out.

For someone who had spent years tracking Collin, memorizing every detail about him, Clement knew how dangerous that was. Collin was not just another criminal. He was meticulous. Calculated.

He never left room for error.

Which was exactly why this felt wrong.

Clement narrowed his eyes at one of the screens, zooming in on a group of reporters adjusting their microphones. Normal. Too normal.

"That’s the problem," Anna finally spoke, her tone steady but laced with frustration. "If he’s here, he won’t look suspicious."

Clement glanced at her briefly.

Anna’s gaze did not leave the screen.

"It won’t be his face that gives him away," she continued. "Or his posture. Not even the way he walks."

Daniel frowned slightly. "Then what are we looking for?"

Anna exhaled slowly.

"Nothing obvious," she admitted. "Because Collin doesn’t make obvious mistakes."

Her fingers tightened slightly against her arm.

"If anything, he would have prepared for this. A disguise. A different identity. Something that blends him perfectly into the crowd."

Clement hummed under his breath, his eyes scanning faster now.

They had anticipated this.

After Norma announced the press conference, they had deliberately ensured open access to all media outlets. Every journalist, every cameraman, every staff member had been allowed in without restriction.

It was a risk.

But also a trap.

Because they were certain of one thing.

Collin would not miss this.

"This is exactly the kind of moment he lives for," Daniel muttered, his eyes darkening. "Watching everything unfold. Watching people fall."

Anna gave a faint nod.

"He would want to see it with his own eyes," she said. "Norma taking the blame. The public believing it. The system doing exactly what he wants."

Clement’s gaze hardened.

"And once that happens..." he added.

"He moves on," Anna finished quietly.

To his next target.

The thought alone sent a chill through the room.

Clement leaned closer to the console, switching between camera feeds more rapidly now. Entrance points. Exit doors. Blind spots.

Nothing.

Not a single slip.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face.

"He’s here," he said firmly. "I can feel it."

Anna did not respond immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on one particular screen, watching as a reporter adjusted his glasses before speaking into the camera.

Normal.

Everything looked normal.

Too normal.

"That’s what bothers me," she finally said.

Clement looked at her.

"If we can’t find him..." she continued slowly, her voice tightening just a fraction, "it means he’s already ahead of us."

Silence followed.

Because they all knew what that meant.

Collin was not just hiding.

He was watching.

And worse—he was waiting.

"Any update from Ethan?"

Anna’s voice cut through the silence, calm but edged with urgency as she turned to look at Daniel. There was something in her gaze, something knowing, as if she already anticipated the answer but still hoped to be proven wrong.

Daniel met her eyes for a brief second before shaking his head.

"No," he said, the single word carrying clear disappointment.

Anna’s expression tightened.

That was not good.

If Ethan had found something, he would have informed them. The lack of response could only mean two things. Either he was still searching... or he had already found Kathrine and was dealing with something far worse. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Neither option brought comfort.

Her fingers curled slightly at her sides as a flicker of unease passed through her chest. For a brief moment, the fear she had been suppressing threatened to rise.

Kathrine.

The thought alone was enough to make her chest feel heavy.

But Anna quickly pushed it down.

Ethan was with her.

And if there was one thing Anna was certain about, it was this.

Ethan would never let anything happen to Kathrine.

No matter what.

"He’ll bring her back," Anna said quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

Daniel did not respond, but the tension in his posture remained.

Clement, on the other hand, glanced between them before returning his focus to the screens.

Time was slipping.

And they could not afford to fall behind.

Anna took a slow breath, steadying herself as her gaze sharpened once more. The brief moment of vulnerability vanished, replaced by determination.

It was time.

With that thought settling firmly in her mind, Anna straightened slightly and exchanged a knowing look with Daniel and Clement.

No more waiting.

If Collin was here—they were going to find him.

***

[Back to the hideout]

Ethan stood still for a moment, his brows drawn together as he tried to make sense of everything Kathrine had just revealed.

The idea itself sounded absurd.

Impossible.

Yet the look in her eyes told him she was not lying.

"That’s not possible," Ethan muttered, more to himself than to her. His mind raced, trying to find logic where there was none. "If he was the one who killed everyone... then how did he recall it? How does someone remember something that hasn’t even happened in this lifetime?"

Kathrine shook her head slowly.

"I don’t know either," she admitted, her voice quiet but firm. "But now that he does... he’s even more dangerous than before."

A faint shiver ran through her.

The memory came uninvited.

Flames.

Pain.

Helplessness.

She could still feel it, as if her body remembered what her mind wished to forget. The way Collin had looked at her... cold, merciless... as he left her to die.

As he burned her alive.

Kathrine’s fingers trembled slightly before she clenched them into a fist, forcing herself back to the present.

"We can’t think about that right now," she said, pushing the fear aside with visible effort. "We need to stop Norma from addressing the press."

That was what Collin wanted.

And if they were too late—

Ethan looked at her, the conflict in his eyes fading as determination took over. He gave a short nod.

"You’re right."

Without wasting another second, he moved closer, gently supporting her as she tried to stand.

"Easy," he murmured, his hand steady at her arm.

Kathrine pushed herself up, her legs still weak from everything she had endured. The moment she put her weight down, the world seemed to tilt slightly.

Her vision blurred.

And before she could steady herself—

She stumbled.

"Careful."

Ethan reacted instantly, his grip tightening as he caught her before she could fall. His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer to keep her upright.

"You’re in no condition to walk," he said, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.

Kathrine frowned faintly, trying to steady her breathing.

"I’m fine," she insisted, though her voice lacked strength.

Ethan gave her a look.

A look that clearly said he did not believe her.

"You almost drowned," he said bluntly. "You’re not fine."

Kathrine opened her mouth to argue, but the dizziness that followed made her falter again.

That was enough.

Ethan exhaled sharply before making a decision.

"Alright, that’s it."

Before she could react, he bent slightly and lifted her into his arms.

Kathrine’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Ethan—"

"No," he cut her off, his voice leaving no space for protest. "We don’t have time for this."

Her hands instinctively gripped his shirt as he adjusted her in his hold, making sure she was secure.

"If we’re going to stop Norma," he continued, his gaze hardening with resolve, "then we’re doing it fast."

Kathrine stared at him for a moment before her resistance slowly faded.

There was no point arguing.

Not when every second mattered.

She let out a small breath, her head resting lightly against his shoulder as she nodded.

"Then let’s go," she whispered.

Ethan did not respond.

He simply tightened his hold on her and walked out of the hideout without looking back.

Because now—

There was no more time to lose.

***

Meanwhile, seated quietly among the reporters, Collin remained perfectly still, his presence blending seamlessly into the crowd.

From the outside, he was just another journalist.

Unremarkable.

Forgettable.

Exactly how he preferred it.

But beneath that calm exterior, his sharp eyes missed nothing.

The moment the announcement echoed through the hall, his attention snapped toward the entrance.

And then—

He saw her.

Norma.

A slow, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"So, you finally came," he murmured under his breath.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

The moment everything would fall into place.

But then—

His gaze shifted.

And the smile faltered, just slightly.

’Hugo’

Collin’s eyes narrowed as he watched him walk in alongside Norma, his presence immediately setting off alarms in his mind.

"What is he doing here?" he thought, his expression remaining neutral despite the sudden shift in his thoughts.

Hugo was not supposed to be part of this and yet here he was walking alongside Norma.

Collin’s fingers tapped lightly against his knee, his mind already working through possibilities.

’This isn’t how it’s supposed to be’