Santi and Damian rushed to the hospital as soon as they heard that Naia had been hospitalized.

"Why now, Naia? We finally have the proof we need," Damian said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "We know who took your phone and threw it into the lake."

Santi, seated beside him, nodded while scrolling through his phone. "It's a good thing you got that footage from the night before. What we reviewed last night confirms everything," he said, his eyes fixed on the screen.

The night before, as soon as they got home, Santi had asked Damian to contact a friend who might be able to retrieve CCTV footage from around the lake on the night Cana went missing. It had been a long shot, but it paid off. The footage not only revealed the moment when Naia's phone was thrown into the lake, but also the identity of the person responsible. What shocked them most wasn't just the act itself—it was the person behind it. Someone they both knew. Someone the whole town trusted.

"I still can't believe it," Damian said, shaking his head. "We need to tell Naia immediately."

When they arrived at the hospital, they hurried to the front desk to get Naia's room number. They made their way down the hallway. But when they entered the room, they froze. Lying on the bed wasn't Naia—it was Rina.

"What's going on? Where's Naia?" Santi said, his voice with concern.

Rina bolted upright, startled. "We switched. She's upstairs talking to Cana. But... why are you here? Who told you we were here?"

Santi ran a hand through his hair, his expression grim. "We went to your place. Your neighbor said the new girl—Naia—was rushed to the hospital today." His voice lowered, filled with urgency. "We need to talk to her. You said she's with Cana?"

Rina nodded, still puzzled by his unease. "Yes, but what's going on? Why are you acting like this?"

Santi exchanged a glance with Damian. "We need to hurry. She could be in danger," he said.

"Danger? What are you talking about?" Rina's confusion deepened. "Look, we faked the hospital story, okay? Naia's dad showed up out of nowhere, saying he was taking us to Manila today. We had to come up with something to stay. Now, tell me—what's happening?"

Santi didn't reply. Instead, he thrust his phone into Rina's hands. "This will explain everything. Damian," then, turning to Damian, he added, "Let's go find Cana's room!"

"Wait!" Rina called after them, but her words were swallowed by their hurried footsteps.

Her heart raced as she stared at the phone. Reluctantly, she pressed play on the video. The screen lit up, showing a shadowy figure standing by a lake. Rina's breath caught as she recognized the face.

"Doc Ares?" she whispered, her voice trembling. The camera captured him throwing Naia's phone into the water. Her mind reeled. "Why would he...?"

Before she could process what she had seen, Aunt Dina entered the room, her face lined with worry. "Rina, where's Cana?"

Instead of answering, Rina looked at her and asked, "Aunt, do you remember if Doc Ares came to the house the night Naia's phone went missing?"

Aunt Dina frowned, trying to recall. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, he came late that night. He said Prada needed another vaccine shot, so I let him in. I even took him to your room since Prada's cage was there, but you and Naia were already asleep. Why?"

Rina couldn't speak. Her hands shook as she replayed the video on Damian's phone. A cold chill ran down her spine as another figure appeared on the screen. "Sh*t," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Without hesitation, she bolted out of the room, racing after Santi and Damian.

"Rina! Where are you going? And where is my niece?!" Aunt Dina called out, but Rina was already gone, her footsteps fading down the hallway.

The video hadn't just shown Doc Ares. It had also captured Cana, standing at a distance, speaking with him.

***

Naia's head throbbed as she slowly regained consciousness. Her arms felt heavy, likely from the drug that had been injected into her. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and her blurry vision made it hard to make out her surroundings. Yet, through the haze, she could hear a voice in the distance.

"Well, did you sleep well, little lamb?" Cana's voice rang out, cold and mocking. "Why do you always get in the way? First with Margareth's case—you just had to jump in and save me, didn't you? Do you have any idea how much effort it took for me to finally get noticed? But no, you couldn't let me have that moment."

"Cana, what... why are you doing this?" Naia managed to whisper, her voice weak and trembling.

Cana stepped closer, her tone dripping with bitterness. "My brother was right—you should never have come here. It's dangerous for you. But no, you had to insert yourself, acting like the center of attention. You love being in the spotlight, don't you?"

Naia's vision slowly cleared, and she could now see Cana more distinctly. In her hand was a handkerchief and a small bottle containing an unknown liquid. A chill ran down Naia's spine as Cana slipped on a mask and began pouring the contents of the bottle onto the handkerchief.

"Let me go!" Naia cried, her voice growing stronger as she began to regain some of her strength. But before she could scream again, Cana pressed the handkerchief firmly against her mouth. A cloying, sickly-sweet scent filled Naia's senses, and her body began to weaken once more.

Cana leaned closer, her smile twisted and menacing. "You're asking why? Let's just say... I've always hated everyone in this town."

As Naia's vision began to fade, a familiar figure appeared in the corner of her eye. It was Doc Ares, the vet her Aunt Dina had trusted.

"What's going on here?" Ares asked, his expression darkening as he picked up the discarded bottle. "Benzene? Are you trying to kill her?" His voice was sharp and accusing. "We agreed—no killing."

Cana didn't flinch, her tone calm yet defiant. "Relax. A small dose won't kill her. It's just enough to keep her quiet for now."

Ares walked over to Naia, scanning her condition. "I'm sorry, but don't worry, we're not going to hurt you," he reassured her.

Cana glanced at Naia and Ares, her expression unreadable. For a moment, her hardened gaze softened, as if triggered by a distant memory.

Cana grew up with her twin brother, Calix. As kids, Cana was their parents' favorite—the smart, pretty one who seemed to have it all. Calix, on the other hand, was quiet and stayed in the background, never seeking attention or praise.

Everything changed when Calix got sick. His illness shifted their parents' focus entirely to him. Though they tried to treat them equally, Cana couldn't help but feel ignored. The attention she once enjoyed now belonged to Calix, and bitterness began to grow.

At first, Cana tried to be supportive. She helped care for Calix, hoping her efforts would win back her parents' love. But it was never enough. As Calix's condition worsened, Cana felt invisible, like she didn't matter anymore, and that's when her frustration turned into resentment.

Cana started taking it out on Calix. She asked her friends at school to bully him, secretly enjoying how helpless he looked. She pretended to be the victim, acting like she was bullied for being his twin, just to soak up the sympathy and attention. For a while, she thrived on playing both sides—the bully in secret and the hero in front of others. But when Calix recovered, everything changed again. He was no longer sick, and the attention Cana had craved was gone. She was back to being just another sibling, no longer special.

Desperate for attention, Cana spread a twisted rumor. She told Kyle, Santi's best friend, that Calix had been cursed by the Cat King, a figure from local legends. Kyle, who hated Calix, told Santi, and they used it to bully him. The bullying went on for a while until the incident at the rooftop.

Kyle's death was a mystery, with rumors that he had been pushed off the roof. But Cana knew the truth and kept it hidden.

At that moment, Kyle confronted Cana, blackmailing her with the story. He threatened to tell Calix and her parents that the rumors had come from his twin unless Cana gave him money in return. But Cana refused to give in. She was determined to put an end to Kyle's blackmail once and for all, so she decided to frame everyone at the rooftop. She was too clever to be manipulated.

Cana planned to push Kyle, pretending she was being bullied. Santi was there, but he and Kyle were at a distance. When Calix arrived, he pushed Kyle away from Cana without realizing that Kyle was already at the edge. Kyle fell and died. After the incident, Santi's memory became clouded, especially after losing his best friend. He convinced himself the Cat King story was his idea and couldn't tell what was real anymore.

As these memories resurfaced, Cana's lips curled into a sly smile. Ares then turned to leave, "I'll go for now. I just need to make sure Garren stays behind bars. The police should already be investigating him to find out what he's done," Ares told Cana as he left the room.

Cana nodded to herself. Yes, that was the only reason they were working together—to make sure Garren paid for what he had done. She watched Ares leave, and as she did, a new memory began to surface—how everything had led to this. A cruel smile spread across her face as she turned back to Naia, who was still barely conscious.

"Still awake? You're stronger than I thought," Cana said with a mocking smile. "But don't worry, I won't hurt you. If you think I'm behind all this, you're wrong. You're the one who got in the way, Naia. If Garren escapes, it's your fault." Her voice grew angry. "I'm keeping you here so you don't do anything stupid."

Naia wanted to scream, but her body was too weak. She couldn't understand what she was hearing. They framed Garren? But why? He was always kind. They shouldn't have done this to him. If he had done something wrong, what could it have been? Naia's mind raced with questions as her consciousness slipped away. What had Garren done?