Eight o'clock in the evening.
"Elliana... save me..."
On the phone, Elliana Lyle heard the sound of wind whistling, Tiana Harris's gasping pauses, and her obvious sobbing tone.
Her heart tightened instantly, startling her to break free from Norman Bennett's embrace and sit up, quickly asking, "Tiana, what happened? Where are you?"
...
―――Half an hour earlier.
Tiana Harris had arranged for Shawn Lyle to stay at the largest hotel in the small town, intending to return to the hospital ward to care for her comatose grandmother.
"Tiana!"
Just as she was about to leave, Shawn Lyle suddenly grabbed her, the force almost knocked her off balance.
"Uncle Shawn, what's wrong?" Due to the sudden loss of her balance, she asked in a somewhat panic-stricken manner.
Shawn Lyle just stared at her, with hints of emotion in his eyes. This discovery made Tiana feel uneasy, even developing a trace of disgust she hadn't realized before towards him.
