I stared at Kael's message.
Don't let them awaken her memories too quickly.
My hands tightened around the phone.
Victor immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
Without speaking, I handed him the device.
His eyes widened slightly.
"He knows."
Kael's father looked troubled.
"More than he should."
I looked at both men.
"No more secrets."
Victor sighed.
"I agree."
"Then start talking."
Kael's father leaned back slowly.
"Years ago, your father saved my son's life."
I blinked.
"What?"
"Kael was very young. Hadrian was already involved in dangerous circles. Things went wrong."
Victor continued.
"Your father protected Kael from becoming part of that tragedy."
"Why?"
"Because he believed children shouldn't pay for adult mistakes."
Silence settled over the room.
"Kael never forgot that," Victor said quietly.
"He made a promise to your father."
"What promise?"
Victor's voice softened.
"To protect both of you if anything ever happened."
I froze.
"Nora and I?"
He nodded.
"Your father trusted him."
Suddenly every warning message made sense.
Every strange appearance.
Every attempt to keep me alive.
Kael wasn't helping me because of The Circle.
He was keeping a promise.
But another question remained.
"If Kael promised to protect us…"
I looked at Kael's father.
"Then why didn't he stop Nora's kidnapping?"
Pain flashed across the older man's face.
"Because he disappeared."
"What?"
"He left three days ago."
My heart skipped.
"He what?"
"No calls. No reports. No contact."
Victor stood up immediately.
"That's impossible."
Kael's father looked exhausted.
"My son has never disappeared before."
Cold fear crept through me.
Because there were only two possibilities.
Either Kael had betrayed everyone.
Or
Something had happened to him too.
Just then, Victor's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
His expression changed.
"What?"
He stood completely still.
"Are you sure?"
Silence.
Then he slowly ended the call.
"What happened?" I asked.
Victor looked directly at me.
"We found Kael's car."
Hope filled me instantly.
"Where is he?"
Victor's answer destroyed that hope.
"The car was empty."
My stomach dropped.
"There was blood inside."
The room fell silent.
Because now two people were gone.
Nora.
And Kael.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, I realised something terrifying.
Maybe Kael wasn't abandoning me.
Maybe someone had removed him.
Because he knew too much.