Dr. Morris fumbled after the question.
Cold sweat soaked through his collar, his fingers twitching as if invisible threads were still wrapped around his nerves. The silence pressed down on him, thick and suffocating.
Truman said, "You wanted to save her. If you can't tell the truth, then we won't."
His voice was calm, almost gentle—but there was something beneath it, something sharp, like a blade resting against the throat without applying pressure yet.
After a few moments, Dr. Morris hesitantly said, "Yes, it was me who did all this."
His shoulders slumped, as though a hidden pillar inside him had snapped.
"I am the one who hypnotized Kite with a blue-flame drug, and through him kidnapped Helen and Selena.
But after that, he suddenly lost control, and he also tied me. And then you guys rescued me there."
His voice dropped, shame and relief twisting together.
Vaelor asked him, "Why did you do it?"
Vaelor's eyes were cold, piercing straight through the trembling man, as if trying to strip away every lie hiding beneath the skin.
Dr. Morris hesitated.
His lips parted, but no sound came—only a sharp breath.
But Truman said, "Aren't you interested in saving Selena?"
That single name struck Morris like a hammer.
Dr. Morris started talking. "It was because Kite's wife, Minsley, told me to do it."
Truman asked, "Are you in any kind of relationship with her?"
"She and I were friends since middle school.
And one day we met again when Kite came for his issue. His wife, Minsley—we met her there again, and we started talking through calls.
But one day, she called me crying, and I asked her about it. She told me that Kite was cheating."
Her tears had been convincing—too convincing.
"I got the idea because Kite introduced me to Selena a few days before."
"So what was the purpose of doing that?" Truman asked.
Morris said, "She wanted a divorce from him, but Kite was not ready to leave her."
Bitterness twisted his tone.
"So the plan was simple. First, we had to make Kite disappear by putting the blue-flame drug in his normal tablet and giving him instructions while dressed as a waiter in that hotel.
Every step was calculated, rehearsed like a ritual.
And after that, I made him wear that dress, and no one would notice when he got out of the hotel.
After that, one week later, we kidnapped both of them, and I was part of the plan, so I also disappeared."
Vaelor asked, "Why didn't you kidnap only one person?"
Dr. Morris said, "If only one person disappeared, there would be fewer chances of suspicion falling on Kite.
And I wanted to free both Helen and Selena, but when Minsley got to know that Selena was the person because of whom Kite cheated on her, she went mad at her."
Truman asked, "So why do you want to save Selena?"
Dr. Morris said hesitantly, "Because I like Selena.
And Minsley wanted Kite's wealth, and she promised to give me a large sum of money.
But now I am surrendering myself."
His voice cracked.
"And I think Kite has lost his senses because Minsley gave him the drugs, and she left Selena with her.
Something has gone wrong—terribly wrong. Please save her."
The plea echoed in the room longer than it should have.
Truman said, "Okay, we will."
Vaelor said, "Well, even if you didn't give the information, we are here to help people."
There was no pride in his voice—only duty.
Augustin told them to proceed to save Selena.
At the Kaspus Bar, two men came in.
The air was thick with smoke and murmurs.
One wore a black traveller's hat and spectacles, with a slight moustache, and the other had white hair and a beard.
Both wore white shirts with brown suit vests.
The man with the hat had a black suitcase in his hand.
They both sat at a table, talking slowly.
Their voices were low, drowned beneath music and clinking glasses.
The hat guy said, "Hey, Mr. Lukman, are you sure we look normal?"
The white-haired guy said, "Yeah, Perun, don't worry. See, all the people are staring at us. It's like they're impressed."
In the traveller's hat, Perun said, "I think so."
Lukman said, "Are you sure the Ricardo person comes here?"
Perun said, "Yeah, he owns this place, but we can't determine the time. I think the bartender might know."
Lukman went straight to the bartender and said, "Hello, I am Arthur."
He gave a sign to Perun, saying he is Raven.
He asked him what the speciality of the place was.
The bartender said, "Yes, sir."
After some minutes, he brought a glass of margarita.
The liquid shimmered under the dim light.
Lukman took a sip of it and said that it felt like he was in heaven.
"Hey bartender, I want to meet your owner. Can I buy this place?" he asked.
Perun was shocked at what he was planning to do.
The bartender said, "The owner will come in the evening. You can meet him then, but I know him—he does not like to sell it."
He said, "Tell my name to your owner—Arthur Conan."
Lukman and Perun went out of the place.
Perun said, "What was that?"
Lukman said, "A fluke.
Now we have to buy some property here before evening under our new identities."
After a long afternoon, they went again to the Kaspus Bar.
The place had transformed.
It was different. There were more people because it was evening. And they were all staring at them.
Because they had already bought a shopping mall, three bars, some shops, and a building in the area.
People were talking about them as if they were some kind of typhoon.
And for some reason, people were also saying that the white-haired man was named Arthur Conan and the traveller-hat guy was named Raven.
And from the entrance, Ricardo made an entrance.
The chatter slowed.
He met with the bartender.