Earlier, Naia, Santi, Rina and Damian had gone to the police station to testify for Garren. They had finally figured out how to prove the fisherman's innocence in Cana's disappearance. Now, they were resting at a nearby plaza, just a short walk from the police station. Rina and Damian had bought food from a stall, while Naia and Santi sat on a bench.

"Finally, Uncle Garren will be free soon," Naia said, stretching her arms as if all their problems were solved. "By the way, Santi, thank you for your help."

"Sure, but we're not done yet," Santi replied. "Remember, even if the fisherman is innocent, the real culprit is still out there. And we still don't know who stole and threw your phone in the lake."

"Yeah, I'm worried about that too. We're back to square one," Naia admitted.

"I think we should ask Cana for more information," Santi suggested. "She's the one who had direct contact with the culprit." Naia was surprised.

"But I thought you didn't want to get involved with them? What changed your mind?" she asked.

"Well, Cana has been kind to me," Santi explained. "It's just Calix I have issues with, because of what happened to my best friend. If it weren't for his sister, I wouldn't have known the truth that day."

"Her sister? You mean Cana?" Naia asked, confused.

"Yes. On the day my best friend died, Cana told me that Calix planned to push him off the rooftop. She warned me that her brother was tired of our bullying and wanted revenge. That day, I saw Calix push my friend. Cana was there too, and I assumed she was trying to stop her brother."

Naia was shocked. "Cana told you that? That Calix would hurt someone?"

"Yes. I can't shake the feeling that Calix is capable of hurting someone. He did it before, and his sister knows it. So, I'm sorry if I assumed that Calix would hurt her sister."

Naia was confused and puzzled. Calix had told her a completely different story. Someone was definitely lying, but who? Could it be Calix, or was it Cana? And if so, why? she asked herself.

Rina and Damian returned with a hotdog sandwich and a fruit fizz. The group discussed their next steps, keeping the conversation brief as it was getting late. As they were about to leave, someone called out to them.

"Hey," Calix said, approaching them.

The group was surprised to see him, especially so soon after his sister had just been found.

"Calix?" Naia exclaimed.

"So you're Calix," Rina said, seemingly pleased to finally meet him.

Calix looked at Rina and calmly asked the group, "Can I talk to you guys?"

"About what?" Naia asked. "Is your sister okay? We heard she was found and is in the hospital."

"She's fine. I'm here to discuss her case," Calix replied.

"What about it?" Santi asked, finally speaking up. Naia was surprised to hear Santi direct the question at Calix.

Calix took a deep breath before answering. "I heard you testified for Uncle Garren. But Cana says he's guilty. How can you be a witness if he's actually guilty?" he asked.

"He's guilty?" Naia said, confused. "No, he's not."

"But my sister said he did it. Her statement contradicts Uncle Garren's," Calix insisted.

"What did she say?" Santi asked.

"She said Uncle Garren prepared her snack, and she got dizzy after eating it. When she woke up, she was blindfolded and heard Uncle Garren's voice," Calix explained.

"That's impossible," Santi argued. "We saw him that day, around the same time Cana went missing."

"What do you mean? Impossible? Are you saying my sister is lying?" Calix asked, disbelief in his voice.

"No, not necessarily. But she could be mistaken. We definitely saw the fisherman at the lake that day. He even called out to us," Santi said, recalling the moment when someone had shouted at them, startling them into running off. It was Garren, the fisherman.

The day Cana went missing, Garren had gone out to the lake around that time, probably to fish. They figured there was a path leading from his back door to the lake, which is why he wasn't seen leaving the house at that hour. He had gone fishing using the backdoor.

"But Cana said..." Calix trailed off.

"Yeah, we know," Santi replied. "But take a look at this." He showed Calix Damian's phone. "See those two shadows leaving the house? It's possible the culprit took Cana while the fisherman was preparing her snack. It could have been someone else who took her."

Calix studied the grainy footage, his expression a mix of confusion and doubt. Could his sister really be mistaken? Naia, on the other hand, was considering a different possibility. Perhaps Cana wasn't mistaken—maybe she was bluffing. But the question was, why? She wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Was it possible she had been threatened? she wondered.

Naia finally spoke up. "Can we visit your sister? We'd like to talk to her," she said, knowing this was the only way to know the truth.

"Yes, sure, but only one person can visit at a time," Calix replied.

"Then can I visit her?" Naia asked. She really wanted to speak to Cana herself and also confirm something else.

"Sure. Maybe tomorrow," Calix agreed. "But my sister told me to ask you to stop being a witness. I think I should tell her that she might be mistaken and that someone else might be responsible."

The group was about to agree when Naia interrupted. "I don't think you should," she said, surprising everyone. "Let's keep it among ourselves for now. Your sister is still in shock, and telling her she might be wrong could upset her. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow." she added.

Naia decided to keep the information from Cana for the time being, especially since she suspected Cana might be lying, possibly out of fear or under threat. However, she knew she couldn't keep it a secret forever. If she told her best friend, Santi and Damian might eventually find out, and the news would spread. So, Naia decided to investigate on her own for now.

"Alright, I'll tell her you'll visit tomorrow," Calix said.

"Great! For now, let's head home. My aunt might be back anytime soon," Naia said.

"Yes, that's right. I almost forgot about Auntie Dina," Rina said, clearly panicked.

"Calix, meet me at the hospital lobby at 9 AM. I'll be there," Naia instructed, and Calix nodded in agreement. "Santi, Damian, I'll update you once I've spoken to Cana," she added.

The group agreed, and they all bid farewell. Rina and Naia headed home, only to find that Auntie Dina and Grandma had already arrived, along with Naia's dad.

"So, where have you two been?" Auntie Dina asked sternly as soon as they entered the house. "I told you not to go out, yet you still did." It was clear she was angry.

"Auntie, I'm sorry. Please let us explain," Naia pleaded.

"No more explanations, Naia. Your aunt has already told me everything. You're going back to Manila with me tomorrow morning," Naia's dad said firmly.

"But, Dad," Naia protested.

"And Rina, you're coming with us too. Your parents are worried sick," Naia's dad added, his tone firm. Rina couldn't argue with him—she respected him too much.

"Yes, Uncle," Rina replied quietly.

"After dinner, go to your room and rest. We'll leave early tomorrow morning," Naia's dad said.

With that, Naia and Rina quietly retreated to their room. Naia gently closed the door behind them, a heavy sense of defeat settling over her. But she knew she couldn't leave tomorrow. She still needed to talk to Cana and get answers.

"Ugh, Santi and I haven't even had a proper date yet and we're going back to Manila already. What are we going to do?" Rina fretted.

"We need to figure something out," Naia said, determined. "I still need to talk to Cana, and we haven't found out who took my phone yet."

"What should we do? Should we call Damian, Santi, or Calix for help?" Rina asked, feeling anxious.

"No, we can't ask them. Aunt Dina might get mad at them and Dad. You know how they are," Naia replied.

"So what's the plan then?" Rina asked, eager to know what Naia has in mind.

Naia furrowed her brow, deep in thought, determined not to let this opportunity slip away. A sly smile slowly spread across her face as an idea began to form.

"I know what we can do!" she said, her voice low as she leaned in to whisper to Rina. Rina's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yeah, that could work!" Rina exclaimed, a spark of hope in her voice.

"We just need to fine-tune it, and it'll be fine. Got it?" Naia said confidently. Rina nodded in agreement, ready to move forward.

THE next morning, just as Naia had planned, she faked a severe stomachache. She was rushed to the emergency room and admitted to the same hospital where Cana was, playing the part of someone convincingly ill. Her father, worried sick, canceled their trip home so Naia could rest.

While her father was out buying supplies for Rina and himself, Naia and Rina put their plan into action. Rina took Naia's place in the hospital bed, pretending to be asleep under the sheets. Meanwhile, Naia slipped out unnoticed to meet Calix and finally talk to Cana. The plan worked perfectly, and Naia was able to meet Calix and visit Cana's room.

"I'll go get some food," Calix said, stepping out of the room and leaving Naia alone with Cana.

"Sure, take your time, brother," Cana replied, her voice soft and innocent, as if she hadn't deceived a soul.

As Calix left, Naia quietly sat in the chair beside Cana's bed. "Hi," she said.

"You're always finding me in the hospital, aren't you? It's almost ironic. Always appearing unwell," Cana responded, playing the victim with a sad smile, her words dripping with false vulnerability.

"It must have been really tough, what you went through," Naia said kindly. "How are you coping up now?" she asked.

Cana slipped back into her pitiful act, her expression somber. "It was traumatic," she said, her voice weighted with emotion. "I'm glad you've never had to experience something like that." She paused for a moment before she added, "I'm still trying to recover. I felt so betrayed."

Naia, somewhat convinced by her demeanor, asked cautiously, "I heard your uncle Garren was the one who did it?"

Cana looked at her, her face a mix of disbelief and hurt. "Yes, he did. And I heard you're testifying for him?" she asked, sounding confused and upset.

"That's why I came here," Naia said. "I wanted to ask how sure you are about that day."

"I'm sure it was him," Cana said firmly, but her voice broke as tears started to fall. She really is good at this, deceiving people. "Don't you believe me? You sound like my brother. Look at what happened to me!" she cried.

"I'm sorry," Naia said gently. "I'm just trying to understand. Maybe what you went through has affected your memory. Sometimes, our minds get things mixed up, especially when it reminds us of something from the past."

"What are you trying to say?" Cana asked, her irritation evident.

Naia took a deep breath. "What I mean is that sometimes our past experiences influence how we remember things. Do you remember the incident on the rooftop with your brother back in elementary school? Can you recall what really happened that day?" She watched as Cana's expression shifted, clearly caught off guard.

"What are you talking about? What does that have to do with this?" Cana asked, very confused.

"That day on the rooftop—didn't Calix protect you from the bullies? Isn't that what happened? Maybe what you went through back then is affecting how you see things. Maybe the pain you went through somehow shaped how you're processing things now. Fragments of memory can sometimes create scenarios that... aren't entirely real." Naia explained.

"So you're saying I'm crazy?" Cana asked, her voice rising with anger, her eyes flashing with fury.

"No, please don't think of it that way," Naia said quickly. "I'm just trying to understand everything. Really, Cana, you're the one who had the encounter with the culprit. Were you being threatened? Is that why you're trying to pin this on Uncle Garren? Please, tell me."

A few moments later, a nurse entered, likely to give Cana an injection. He walked toward them, holding a syringe.

Cana, who had been visibly furious, now began to calm down, her expression shifting into something more composed. "Good guess, Naia, but sadly, that's not what happened," she said, flashing a sly smile.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naia asked, confused.

"Well, you're right about one thing—it wasn't Uncle Garren, that old bastard. He didn't abduct me and take me hostage. It wasn't his doing, but you're wrong about one thing, I'm not scared," Cana said, then laughed.

"C-Cana, what are you talking about?" Naia asked, stunned to see this side of Cana.

"I wasn't abducted. I planned it all," Cana said, her voice cold.

Naia felt a sharp sting as the syringe pierced her arm. Her eyes widened in realization—the nurse who had entered wasn't just a regular medical staff member, but an accomplice, someone who had been part of the scheme all along.

She glanced quickly at the nurse, who was now injecting the syringe into her. She recognized him. She couldn't be mistaken. "Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. But before Naia could get an answer, she suddenly felt dizzy, her vision blurring. The world around her spun, and in an instant, she lost consciousness.