When She Fell || ONC 2025

Chapter 15

Kiara collapsed onto her dorm bed with an exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. Music practice had drained every last ounce of energy from her, but the moment she locked eyes with Ryna, she knew rest would have to wait.

"I found something," Kiara said, pushing herself up.

Ryna, who had been absent-mindedly scrolling through her phone, perked up. "About what?"

Kiara sat cross-legged on the bed, her brows furrowed in thought. "The notes. The way they were left... I've been thinking about it all day, and I think we've been looking at this the wrong way."

Ryna straightened. "Explain."

"We have been getting these messages at different times and places," Kiara said. "But think about it, there is a pattern."

Ryna frowned, studying them. "How do you mean?"

"The first one—I got it at the mall where I was with you and Liam. The second—Nathan found it inside his house and car. The third—you got it in your purse, after your date with Liam" Kiara pointed out.

Ryna's frown deepened. "So... what does that mean?"

Kiara exhaled sharply. "It means whoever is leaving these notes isn't some shadowy figure lurking in the dark. They were around us. Close. Watching our every move."

Ryna processed this, her lips parting slightly. "You think.. someone we know... is.. involved?"

Kiara nodded. "And if we trace it all back... it leads to one person." 

Kiara's mind was already running through the possibilities, but every road led back to one answer. A sickening, undeniable truth. 

Liam.

Ryna inhaled sharply as the realization hit her too. "No..." she whispered, shaking her head. "That can't be right."

Kiara didn't say anything. She knew how much Ryna didn't want to believe it.

But the fire incident wasn't a coincidence. Neither was the art gallery attack. Someone had been orchestrating these events from the shadows. And while the person in black remained a mystery, one thing was clear—there were two people involved in Nathan and Jamie's case.

Ryna clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I— I just don't understand. Why? Why would Liam do something like this? What does he gain from any of this...and more-over.. why now only.. why didn't he do anything earlier?"

Kiara hesitated before speaking. "Maybe... it's not just him."

Ryna turned to her sharply.

Kiara sighed. "Think about it. What if someone else was pulling the strings? Someone who wanted to use Liam as a pawn?"

Ryna's expression hardened. "Like who?"

Kiara hesitated, but Ryna beat her to it. "Nathan's ex."

The room fell into silence. It made sense. Too much sense.

But why? Why would she kidnap Nathan's brother? What kind of twisted logic did that serve? How did any of this connect? Why was Liam helping her? And most of all.. why now?

Kiara glanced at Ryna, who was staring at the floor, lost in thought. Her face was unreadable, but Kiara knew the truth was tearing her apart. "You okay?" she asked softly.

Ryna swallowed hard, forcing a smirk. "I'm fine." 

Kiara squeezed her hand gently. "I know this hurts, Ryna. I know you don't want to believe it."

Ryna inhaled shakily. "Liam never asked for my trust," she muttered, more to herself than to Kiara. "So I guess I can't be mad that he broke it. He isn't bound to anything."

Kiara didn't believe her, but she didn't push. She knew how much trust meant to Ryna. And the betrayal she had just faced? That was something she'd have to process on her own. After all, Liam never asked for her trust. So could she really blame him for breaking something he never promised to hold?

--

Meanwhile, Nathan—

Nathan leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his desk, fingers interlocked as he stared at the team of employees gathered before him. His patience was wearing thin.

"Let me get this straight," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "We've checked the CCTV cameras. We've questioned every employee who had access to those files. We've gone through the security logs. And you're telling me we still have nothing?"

His head of security, a middle-aged man named Carter, shifted uncomfortably. "Whoever did this was careful. There's no footage of any unauthorized access. The person knew where the cameras were. Knew how to avoid them."

Nathan's jaw clenched. "That's not possible. Someone stole those documents. Someone inside this company betrayed me. And I want to know who."

His employees exchanged uneasy glances. No one dared to speak. Nathan exhaled sharply, pushing back from his chair and standing up. "Dismissed."

One by one, they filed out, murmuring amongst themselves. Carter hesitated. "We'll keep looking, sir."

Nathan didn't respond. He just stared at the empty doorway long after they left, his mind racing. Who could have done this? And why?

His phone vibrated on the desk. He snatched it up, eyes narrowing at the screen.

Liam (5 missed calls, 13 texts unread).

Nathan exhaled sharply. Liam hadn't picked up a single one of his calls. His messages were vague and evasive. Nathan had thought Liam was just being his usual flaky self, but now? Now he wasn't so sure.

Something wasn't right.

His thoughts were interrupted by another call. He checked the ID.

Kiara.

He picked up immediately. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, sounding tired. "I—I was gonna come over, but I have a lot of work to finish. Can we talk later?"

Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, sure. It's fine."

"Are you okay?" Kiara asked, voice laced with concern.

Nathan let out a humorless chuckle. "Just peachy."

Kiara sighed. "I'll check in later, okay?"

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Yeah. Talk later."

As the call ended, Nathan stared at his phone for a moment. Then he turned his attention back to his desk, where files and reports lay scattered.

He had no choice but to wait. But for how long?

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