As night approached, Juliette rose from her lying position. Peace had not come to her at all. Her heart was racing, and her palms began to sweat coldly. She glanced at her phone-brought by one of her colleagues-with a fearful gaze. After all, now was the time for Master D to send a message about the second game.
Juliette looked at the IV drip attached to her hand and closed her eyes. Luckily, Leo was eating at the cafeteria, giving Juliette time to rest peacefully.
Setting all that aside, Juliette wondered whether the psychopath knew she was in the hospital or not, but upon further thought, Master D surely knew everything related to her. So, it was very likely the psychopath knew she was in the hospital. Juliette hoped Master D would show some leniency by postponing this crazy game and allowing her to rest, but hope was just hope.
Just as Juliette thought that her phone sounded like a message notification, instantly, her breathing became labored, and her chest tightened. Yet, she forced herself to check the message on her phone. She tried to think positively, hoping it was a message from her mother. Still, Juliette could only surrender when she saw it was from a private number. She tapped the notification to open it.
Juliette had gathered all her strength and resolve, but a panic attack overwhelmed her as the message opened. She fought hard to calm herself so that the nurse on duty wouldn’t come rushing over because of something that had happened to her.
Juliette closed her eyes and counted slowly from one to ten. Once her emotions had calmed and the panic subsided, she opened her eyes and read the messages on her phone individually.
‘A place most valuable to you. Holding the most beautiful memories you’ve ever experienced. A place where many applauses are heard.’
‘What does this mean?’ Juliette blinked in confusion. Where was the place Master D was referring to? She had places filled with beautiful memories, but surely Juliette couldn’t visit them individually, could she? And a place where many applauses are heard,’ wasn’t that confusing? Juliette let out a frustrated sigh and placed her phone on her lap. For a moment, she thought deeply. The three points that made up the clues to the next location were utterly confusing.
Juliette didn’t understand why that psychopath wanted all these games and riddles. Didn’t he get a headache thinking about all these plans for Juliette? Juliette shook her head quickly, and with courage, she replied to Master D’s message.
‘I can’t do it. I can’t go anywhere.’
Not long after, her phone rang, and Juliette’s breath caught as she realized Master D was calling her. Juliette swiped the green button with trembling hands and brought the slim device close to her ear. “Hello?”
“Kitten. You must do what I command.”
With a trembling voice, Juliette replied, “I can’t. Please give me more time.”
“You only have four hours to reach the next location, or do you want me to do something to your beloved mother?”
“Why? Why are you doing this? Stop it, I beg you… don’t touch my mother. Please, give me time. I can’t just leave the hospital. There are many nurses watching over me.”
There was a pause. Juliette hoped the man would consider her words for the sake of humanity, as she had already signaled that she was unwell. “You can. You’re a smart woman, kitten.”
“I beg you…”
Juliette’s voice weakened, and suddenly, the sharp sound of the phone being hung up abruptly pierced her ears, leaving nothing but silence, confirming that the man had cut the call without mercy.
Juliette sobbed, pulling the phone away from her ear. She looked at the screen and saw that the call had been disconnected, and the conversation had ended. It signified that her plea had been ignored, and Juliette had to find a way to leave the hospital.
Four hours.
How on earth was Juliette supposed to reach the place the man wanted in four hours? And she didn’t even know the exact location he was referring to. Juliette tapped her fingers on her phone screen and stared out the window. She remained silent for a long time, lost in thought, trying to solve the riddle the psychopath had sent her.
1. The most valuable place.
Juliette had many valuable places. For example, the playground, where she and her parents last had fun together, the park, and the lake, where she and her father went fishing. There were so many other places.
2. Holding the most beautiful memories.
Weren’t all the places valuable to her filled with beautiful memories? Each one had its special significance. Even the place where she first met Leo or their first date. All of them held such wonderful memories.
Juliette tugged at her hair in frustration and glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes had passed. The time she had spent trying to solve the psychopath’s riddle.
3. A place where many applauses are heard.
Weren’t there many places like that? A stadium, an opera house, a theater, and many more.
But where? Should she search for it on Google? What keywords should she use? A place where many applauses are heard? The search results would probably be similar to her thoughts, even if Google’s answers were accurate. She idly typed the phrase into the search engine, and the results didn’t match her expectations, so Juliette closed the Google window and placed her phone back on her lap.
She let out a heavy sigh and grabbed her phone again. With her thoughts wandering, Juliette didn’t even realize that she had reopened her phone and tapped on the gallery button. She lazily scrolled through the photos in the gallery, completely unaware of how much time she was wasting.
Juliette kept swiping through the photos until she opened an album she had made specifically to store photos of herself and Leo. She began looking at the pictures of herself and Leo individually. Still, her movements stopped when she saw a photo from two years ago. It was when she and Leo attended a concert at Radio City Music Hall. Instantly, Juliette’s heart raced. That place fit all the clues in Master D’s message, but Juliette didn’t feel too relieved just yet, as it might not be the place Master D meant.
With that thought in mind, Juliette continued scrolling through the gallery, hoping to find another location as a backup. Sure enough, Juliette stopped scrolling and stared at a picture she had taken three years ago. A photo of herself and Leo in front of a place that held Juliette’s most cherished memories.
…