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Maja gazed at the illuminated screen with a sigh of relief. As she was about to get into the car, she

remembered that Ian’s phone was still in the clutches of a woman named Audrey. She turned to face

her adversary. Audrey hadn’t expected Maja to be so loaded. Renting space on that little screen wasn’t

cheap. When Ian had splurged to rent a billboard for a month, it had stunned their circle of friends, and

now here was Maja, pulling the exact same power move. Jealousy churned within Audrey as she

caught Maja’s gaze and puffed out her chest defiantly. Maja approached, snatching Ian’s phone from

her grip. Audrey’s face flushed with anger. “Hey! What gives you the right to snatch my phone?” “That

phone isn’t yours. It seems Ian left it behind for some reason, and you just happened to pick it up,”

Maja retorted. Audrey lunged to reclaim it, but Maja pushed her away effortlessly. “Have you no

shame? Robbing someone so audaciously!” Audrey exclaimed, her voice rising with fury. But Maja was

already sliding into her car. Back in Middle Island, many knew of Ian, and with a casual inquiry, Maja

could learn of his past deeds. However, when it came to his whereabouts, no one had a clue. Left with

little choice, Maja found a place to stay and brought along Quentin and Patric. From the moment they

arrived, Patric was sulking, sitting in the yard playing with the dirt, his mood as muddy as his hands.

Maja’s heart sank when she noticed the track marks on his wrists. She tried to ignore it and headed

inside, but just then, Patric spoke up. “Maja, I wanna go home.” She felt the same yearning, but she

brushed it off, urging him to come inside soon.

Exhausted, she collapsed onto the sofa in the living room, her only option now to wait for Ian to make

contact. Pulling out Ian’s phone, she tried his birthday as the unlock code – no luck. Then, on a hunch,

she entered her own birthday, and the phone unlocked. This was a new phone Ian had bought in

Middle Island. It was practically empty, save for a few unknown call logs. She tried calling the most

recent numbers, but nobody answered. Quentin, sitting beside her, showed concern. “Maja, you look

beat. Maybe you should get some rest.” She had rented a quaint villa for six months, a sanctuary for

them to regroup. Nodding, she started upstairs when suddenly, the phone rang. A strange man’s voice

came through. “Sir, just to confirm one last time, do you really want to go through with this? Returning

there means giving up everything you’ve got. This new identity won’t allow you to be with Ms.

Pennyfeather, either. Isn’t she pregnant?” Maja’s body tensed, an impulse to demand answers surged

within her. But her voice would give her away, so she ended the call and texted instead. [Why can’t you

be with Maja?] No reply came. When she tried to call back, the phone was switched off. Anxiety

gripped her. Could it be that Ian, unable to find her, had taken matters into his own hands? Standing at

the foot of the stairs, she heard Quentin speak again. “Who was that on the phone? Did that Ian guy

get in touch?” She shook her head, her brow furrowed with worry. “I need to find him fast. If anyone

comes looking for me at this villa, let me know. And keep an eye on Patric out there. He’s not in his

right mind, and I’m worried he might wander off.”