ire had been pacing back and forth in Abigail''s hospital room for what felt like hours, her shoes barely making a sound on the tile floor. The tension in the air was thick, and ire''s mind was spinning with questions. Alexander sat on the couch, staring at Abigail, while As ire''s eyes moved to Abigail, whoy unconscious in the hospital bed, her suspicions only grew stronger. Something about the whole situation didn''t sit right with her.


    Matthew leaned casually against the wall next to the door, his arms crossed as he watched ire walk a path into the floor.


    The ident that put Abigail here it didn''t feel like an ident at all. It felt... orchestrated. But by who? Did Abigail have enemies she didn''t know about? And, more importantly, did Alexander know about Abigail''s personal life? ire''s curiosity was bubbling up, and it was clear she wasn''t going to let this rest.


    She nced over at Alexander, who sat on the couch, looking deep in thought. She opened her mouth, her tone calm as usual, not betraying the whirlwind of thoughts inside her head.


    "What do you think about the ident that happened to Abigail?" ire asked, still standing near the foot of Abigail''s bed.


    Alexander turned to face her, a frown creasing his forehead. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice heavy with confusion.


    ire crossed her arms over her chest, her expression as neutral as ever. "I mean, do you think it was just a car ident? Do you really believe there''s no other factor involved?"


    Alexander narrowed his eyes, clearly unsure where ire was going with this. "What are you getting at, ire? I''ve thought about it, but I haven''t seen any reason to believe it''s anything more than a freak ident. Probably some drunk driver, reckless and careless." ire internally sighed. How could he be so oblivious? It wasn''t that a drunk driver couldn''t have been involved, but the chances seemed slim to her. Abigail was careful, meticulous even, especially when she was working. It just didn''t add up.


    "Right," ire said, nodding slightly, though it was clear she wasn''t buying it. She cast a nce over at Matthew, and without saying a word, they both knew what needed to be done.


    ire turned on her heel and headed for the door, Matthew following close behind. Alexander noticed the abrupt exit, his brows knitting together in curiosity, but he said nothing as they walked out. ire''s pace didn''t slow until they were a bit farther down the hallway, far enough from Abigail''s room that no one would overhear.


    Her face, which had been calm and collected moments before, turned serious. "I need you to investigate what happened the night of Abigail''s ident," she said to Matthew, her voice quiet but firm.


    Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Why?"


    "I don''t believe this was just an ident," ire replied, her eyes hard. "As far as I know, Abigail doesn''t have any enemies, but something doesn''t feel right. I need to know if there''s more to this. Who was involved, and what really happened that night." Matthew raised his brows. "What if she has that we both don''t know about?"


    ire thought again for a while then shook her head. "I''m pretty sure she doesn''t have one. Someone like Abigail is quite impossible to have an enemy."


    Matthew was silent for a moment, his eyes searching ire''s face. "You''re sure? You really think someone''s behind this?"


    ire''s lips pressed into a thin line. "I don''t know for sure, but I need to be. And even if she doesn''t have enemies, maybe she''s hiding something. We need to find out what."


    Matthew nodded slowly, though he didn''t seem entirely convinced. "I hope you''re wrong. I can''t imagine anyone wanting to do this to Abigail."


    "Neither can I," ire admitted, her voice softening just a bit. "But that''s exactly why we need to look into it. Because if I''m right..." She didn''t finish the thought, but they both knew what it meant.


    "I''ll dig into it," Matthew said after a moment, his voice steady. "I''ll figure out where she went that night, who she talked to, and what really happened. If there''s anything suspicious, I''ll find it." "Good," ire replied, giving him a curt nod. "And report back as soon as you know anything."


    They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation settling in. Matthew pushed off from the wall, ready to get started, but he paused before heading off.


    "ire," he said, his tone lighter now. "You''re really hoping this is just a crazy hunch, right?"


    ire managed a small, tired smile. "Trust me, I''m hoping I''m wrong more than you know."


    Matthew sighed as he started the long drive back to Cryptonic, his mind buzzing with thoughts. The hospital was far behind him now,


    and it was going to be at least tweet


    hours until he arrived at Cryptonic. ire had practically designed the security protocols for the ce, so it was like walking into his own backyard. With the easy ess he had there, finding out about Abigail''s whereabouts shouldn''t take too long.


    Matthew''s thoughts and the endless miles of road were the only


    ???


    peaceful moments before getting to work, he didn''t mind. Upon reaching Cryptonic atst, he proceeded directly to his workspace. There was no time to waste. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Sitting at his desk, Matthew pulled up hisptop and began the tedious task of tracking Abigail''s phone. If anyone could figure out when and where shest used it, it would be him theputer screen lit up with lines of code, and Matthew''s fingers danced across the keys.


    Meanwhile, back at the hospital, ire sat quietly next to Abigail''s bed. She stared at the still figure on the bed, her mind elsewhere. It was unsettling to see Abigail like this, hooked up to machines, lying so still.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence, and both ire and Alexander were startled. Alexander moved quickly to the door and opened it. Standing there was a police officer, apanied by a nurse. The nurse nced between ire and Alexander before speaking.


    "They''re here to see Abigail''s parents," the nurse informed them softly.


    Alexander, keeping hisposure, replied, "Her parents aren''t here. I''m a close friend of Abigail''s."


    The police officer nodded, acknowledging Alexander. "Would you mind stepping out with us for a moment? We need to talk."


    Alexander hesitated for a split second, ncing back at ire. "Can you stay here with her?" he asked.


    ire nodded, saying nothing but offering a brief, reassuring look. With that, Alexander stepped out into the hallway, following the police officer as they moved further away from the room, far enough that their conversation couldn''t be overheard. Once they were far enough, the officer cleared his throat. "Mr. Alexander, I''m afraid I have some news about the car ident involving Ms. Hastings."


    Alexander''s brow furrowed in confusion and concern. "Go on."


    The officer continued, his tone serious. "We''ve recovered some of Ms. Hastings'' belongings at the scene of the ident. Her phone and her bag, specifically." He handed the items over to Alexander, who took them with a deep frown.


    The officer exined further. "We found themst night. Her bag was inside a garbage can not far from the crash site, and her phone was a few meters away from the car."


    Alexander''s confusion deepened as he processed the information. "Wait... her bag was in a garbage can? What does that even mean? Was it just a random ident, or is there something else going on here?"


    The officer''s expression was grim. "That''s what we''re still trying to determine, sir. However, we have arrested the driver who crashed into Ms. Hastings. He''s currently being held for questioning."


    At this, Alexander''s eyes darkened with fury. His jaw clenched, and his hands tightened around Abigail''s belongings. "I want to see him," he demanded, his voice low but filled with anger.