Dun—
"Hello? Dad?" I asked, trying to make sure he was listening.
"Yes? What happened, Ariadne?" Monsieur Thomas replied, his voice steady.
(Note: "Monsieur" or "M." is the French equivalent of "Mr.")
"I hope you're not busy," I added, a little hesitant.
"Of course not. But tell me—what happened? Why call me so urgently, when you know I'm here?" he asked, his tone laced with caution.
"Ugh! So you haven't seen the news or read the paper yet?"
"Why? Is something important written in it?" Thomas asked, confused.
"Of course! You know about the YAYA Company, right?"
"Ohhh… So this is about Crimson Night revealing her face publicly and declaring herself Chairperson of the company, isn't it?" he guessed.
"Not just that," I said sharply, "I've heard that the Boss takes over the positions of dead business leaders and runs the show from the shadows. Am I wrong, Mr. Oak?"
"Oh dear…" he sighed. "You may not know one thing: we only tell half the truth to new members to protect ourselves. So yes—you're half right, and half wrong. The Boss does control everything… but not by taking the positions. Instead, the heads are the ones who hold them, while the Boss remains behind the curtain, pulling strings. Got it?"
"Ugh… f*ck this organisation!" I muttered under my breath.
"Oh really, Ariadne?" he replied—but the voice changed.
It was no longer Thomas's voice.
Instead, it shifted… into a familiar female tone.
"Or should I say… our betrayal, Dark?"
"Thug!" I gasped.
"Surprised?" Crimson Night mocked. "Feeling bad for yourself? And for Northern Dark? Well, don't worry—we'll be fully exposing you both soon. So enjoy your little bubble of secrecy tonight… because tomorrow, we'll enjoy eavesdropping, peeking into your secrets, and maybe even playing a few games against you. Fun, isn't it?"
I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm.
"Yes, Crimson Night… or should I say Elena Berge? Your identity's already out. You've shown your face to the world as Chairperson of YAYA. Now let's see who wins… and who falls."
I said it confidently—but my heart thudded in fear.
"Oh, little Dark… this was all intentional. Understand?" she replied coolly.
"I already know, Ms. Berge. And your intentional game… will bury you deep. Got it, Crimson Night?"
I didn't realize the call was on speaker, loud enough to echo into the hallway.
"Ha! Yes, yes, I gotcha!" she laughed.
"And that day you rescued the neighbor's daughter? Quite an actionable strategy, I must admit."
I blinked. "Oh… thanks."
"Or perhaps… that neighbor's daughter was none other than Monsieur Oak's biological daughter? Right?"
I froze.
"Wait… what?"
She continued, smugly, "Nancy Oak. That's her name. Don't worry—no more need to lie to us, Dark. Because tomorrow, we'll have everything we need on you and him. Stay safe. Bye!"
The call ended.
I stood there, wide-eyed. My breath caught.
Shocked.
Speechless.