Kelly stared at the piece of paper in her hand.
The eagle is watching. Trust no one.
The words seemed to carry an invisible weight.
Her heart pounded.
The symbol at the bottom matched the badge hidden inside her space.
Exactly.
Not a single detail was different.
Outside, another knock sounded.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
"Comrade Kelly?"
The reborn female lead's voice came through the door.
Kelly folded the note immediately.
Then slipped it into her sleeve.
"Stay here," she told the children.
Lu Cheng frowned.
Something about his expression reminded her of a small wolf protecting his family.
"We'll wait for you, Stepmother."
Kelly nodded.
Then walked outside.
The female lead stood in the courtyard.
Smiling as always.
But this time Kelly noticed something strange.
The woman's eyes briefly lingered on the door.
As though she knew something had happened inside.
"As expected," Kelly thought.
"She's not here by coincidence."
The female lead smiled.
"I came to see if you're still going to town."
Kelly remained calm.
"I already went yesterday."
For the first time, surprise flashed across the woman's face.
Then disappeared.
"I see."
The two women looked at each other.
Neither speaking.
Neither backing down.
Finally, the female lead laughed softly.
"Comrade Kelly, you've become very different."
Kelly smiled.
"So have you."
The woman's expression froze for a split second.
Then she left.
Watching her retreating figure, Kelly felt even more certain.
The reborn female lead knew something.
The question was—
how much?
---
That evening, after the children fell asleep, Kelly entered her space again.
The badge appeared the moment she thought about it.
The jade pendant immediately began glowing.
Green light filled the air.
Suddenly—
a map appeared.
Kelly's eyes widened.
The glowing lines formed the outline of a region.
Several mountains.
A river.
And a single red point.
Blinking.
Waiting.
The system appeared.
[NEW CLUE DISCOVERED]
[LOCATION MARKED]
[QUEST PROGRESS: 3%]
Kelly's breathing quickened.
The map was incomplete.
But one thing was clear.
The red point was somewhere near a military district.
Before she could study it further—
the space trembled violently.
A new notification appeared.
[WARNING]
[ANOTHER SCRIPT HOLDER DETECTED]
Kelly froze.
Another Script Holder?
Besides her?
Besides the Thief?
The system flickered.
Then a name slowly appeared.
[IDENTITY LOCKED]
[AUTHORIZATION DENIED]
The screen shattered into fragments of light.
Kelly stood motionless.
Outside the space, far beyond the village—
a military jeep sped through the night.
Inside sat a stern old man with silver hair.
His eyes were fixed on an old photograph.
A baby girl.
Wrapped in a blanket.
Wearing a jade pendant.
The old man's hands trembled.
After sixteen years of searching—
he had finally found a