The boy watched, confused, as if the room had turned into something dangerous and alive.
The founder finally spoke.
“On the night Anna was fired… there was a second person in this store.”
Everyone leaned in without realizing it.
Even the manager.
The founder turned the paper around.
A name was written in bold ink.
But before he could say it aloud—
a phone rang.
Loud.
Sharp.
Someone in the crowd answered it instinctively… then went pale.
“It’s… corporate headquarters.”
The store manager grabbed the phone, listening.
Her face drained of color.
“What do you mean… shut down the investigation?”
The boy looked up.
“What investigation?”
The founder’s hand slowly lowered.
His voice dropped into something almost broken.
“They’re still watching this.”
A pause.
Then—
BOOM.
The front glass doors of the store locked automatically.
Security shutters began descending.
People panicked.
“Why are we locked inside?!”
The founder turned to the boy, urgency rising in his eyes for the first time.
“They didn’t just ruin your mother’s life…”
He grabbed the boy’s shoulders.
“…they’ve been waiting for you to appear.”
The boy’s eyes widened.
“Me…?”
And then—
from the speaker system above the shattered crystal floor, a calm voice echoed through the store.
Cold. Controlled.
Familiar.
“Hello, Anna’s son.”
