"What are you saying? Leo's gone? What do you mean?" Luna screamed through tears, grabbing Mark's shirt and demanding an explanation. Mark held both of Luna's hands firmly.
"Get yourself together! We need to go to the hospital now, Luna." Mark pulled Luna's trembling hand, guiding her to follow him. On the way to the hospital, Luna received numerous calls from both moms. The calls kept ringing repeatedly. Luna stared at the phone without saying a word, tears streaming down her face.
"Answer it, Luna. Why aren't you answering?" Mark, who was driving, asked. He pressed the pedal hard, the car's speed exceeding the limit, but he didn't care.
"I... I'm scared. I don't want to hear the news. I'm scared. Leo... Leo isn't dead, right, Mark? This is just a nightmare, right?" Luna's voice broke with sobs that wouldn't stop.
"I don't know, Luna," Mark said, trying to contain his emotions.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Mark pulled Luna's hand towards Leo's room.
"Luna!" Mrs. Anna called her name, followed by Mrs. Serena. Luna's feet felt heavy, and her steps halted. She stepped back, not wanting to go forward. Her whole world felt dark. Is this what it feels like to lose a loved one?
"Luna, you need to be strong. We need to go to find out what really happened," Mark said, pulling Luna's hand. Her steps were weak, and when they arrived, Mrs. Serena embraced her, crying. Luna's reaction was empty as if her entire soul had left her.
"Leo is gone, Luna. He's gone missing."
Those last words brought Luna back to her senses. She broke the embrace, looking between both moms.
"Leo… gone missing?"
Both of them nodded.
Luna sighed with relief, nearly collapsing if Mrs. Anna hadn't caught her.
"Are you okay, Luna?" Mrs. Serena asked.
"I thought he had left this world..." Luna whispered.
Mrs. Serena and Mrs. Anna exchanged glances.
"No, Luna. Leo is still alive. But he's missing. The bed was a mess when we arrived as if there had been a struggle. The two men guarding Leo at the hospital were found dead and murdered. The situation is chaotic now, Luna." Mrs. Serena explained.
"CCTV," Mark said and ran off. Without waiting, Luna immediately ran after Mark. Several police officers were already there when Mark arrived at the security room. He watched the CCTV footage being played by the police, his expression changing. Luna, who had just arrived, frowned. The footage clearly showed a man dressed in black and wearing a mask killing the two men guarding Leo. The murder was so gruesome that Luna turned her face away, unable to watch. Then, another man emerged from the room, pushing an unconscious Leo in a wheelchair. The sight of the man's face made Luna's jaw drop.
"No… No way." Luna couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Ariel." Mark softly uttered the name, clenching his fists in anger. Luna shook her head in disbelief.
"That can't be. Ariel would never do something like that!"
Mark's phone buzzed, signaling an incoming message. He checked it and sighed heavily.
"Luna, listen to me. I need to go find Leo. You stay here with your family."
"No! I want to come with you to find Leo! I can't let Ariel hurt him!" Luna protested, unwilling to sit idly by while Leo's life was in danger.
"Luna!" a voice called out. It was Deeja.
"Don't be stubborn, okay? I understand you want to save Leo, but you'll only be a hindrance if you go. Stay here. Don't make things more complicated, Luna." Deeja held Luna's hand firmly.
"No, I want to go with Mark to find Leo." Luna tried to free her hand from Deeja's grip. Mark and Deeja exchanged a long glance.
"Make sure you come back safely. I won't forgive you if you come back with a scratch." Deeja said, her face revealing the turmoil she was feeling. Mark gave a thin smile.
"Thank you, baby. I'll be back." Mark gently ruffled Deeja's hair before quickly running off.
"Deeja…" Luna pleaded.
"I understand how you feel, Luna. But now isn't the time for you to interfere. Please understand my decision. Mark needs to bring Leo back as soon as possible, Luna. Leo's condition is deteriorating. He needs immediate surgery, or his life will be in danger." Deeja said. Luna stopped struggling.
"You… You're lying, right?"
"Do you think I have time to lie to you? He's in the final stage of cancer, Luna. What do you expect? Surgery is the only option now. He needs to get back to the hospital immediately, or his life is at risk," Deeja explained.
Luna lowered her head, tears falling again. Her phone rang, indicating a new message. Luna wiped her tears and opened the message.
"Who messaged you?" Deeja asked.
Luna glanced at Deeja before looking back at her phone.
"I… I need to go to the bathroom for a moment. Can I?" Luna asked for permission.
Deeja sighed.
"No, Luna. You need to come with me now."
"Please. Just a minute. I really can't hold it."
"Fine. But once you're done, make sure you go to my room. Don't wander off. Understand?" Deeja instructed.
Luna nodded quickly.
"I promise. After I'm done, I'll go straight to your room." Luna quickly walked away, then changed direction towards the parking lot. Eddy was already waiting there. Luna got into Eddy's car.
"Do you really know where Leo is?" Luna asked immediately.
Eddy nodded.
"I overheard Daniel talking to Mr. Mark earlier. You know Daniel is close to Mr. Mark. I'm sure the boss is there."
"But isn't it dangerous for just the two of us to go?" Luna was still worried.
"Don't worry. Mr. Mark and Daniel are already there. We'll observe them, and if things get bad, we'll call the police," Eddy suggested.
"Okay." Luna agreed with a nod.
Ariel pushed the wheelchair into an old factory warehouse, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"I've brought him here!" Ariel shouted, looking around as if searching for someone.
"Why are you doing this, Ariel?" Leo asked weakly, opening his eyes and realizing his hands were tied and he was unfamiliar.
"Can't you hear me? I've brought him here! What more do you want me to do?" Ariel shouted again.
"What are you doing, Ariel? Why... why am I here?" Leo asked, using all the energy he had to speak. Ariel turned to Leo, his gaze cold and detached, unlike the usual warmth Leo knew. Leo frowned.
"Why are you asking? Can't you see where you are? I brought you here as an exchange for Luna's life," Ariel replied without emotion.
"What? No. You're not the Ariel I know. The Ariel I know would never do this to me." Leo shook his head, unable to believe what he was witnessing.
"The Ariel, you know?" Ariel laughed.
"You might never have known, but this is me, Leo. The Ariel you saw all this time was just a facade. What, you thought I was kind because I sacrificed my love for you? You're wrong, Leo. I never sacrificed anything. It was all part of my plan to get Luna once you die. I only pitied you. I knew you liked Luna for a long time, so I allowed you to be with her, even if it was just for a while. I will get whatever I want in this world, including Luna," Ariel grinned.
"So, you were in cahoots with the murderer? Or you were the one who tried to kill Luna that night?" Leo asked, trying to bait him.
"In cahoots with the murderer? Do you think I'm stupid enough to ruin my life? Like I said, I brought you here under the murderer's orders. He said if I brought you here, Luna would be safe forever. I did it for Luna. You're going to die anyway because of your illness, right? So, it doesn't matter if you die a bit earlier than planned, does it?" Ariel chuckled. Leo closed his eyes.
"You're wrong, Ariel. Even if you bring me here, he will still endanger Luna. You shouldn't trust a murderer, Ariel!"
"I don't care! I just want to save Luna. I won't let Luna die to save you or be killed by this murderer. I'll take Luna far away from you and make her forget you forever…" Ariel said with determination.
"Hey, murderer! I'm leaving this guy for you. I don't care what you do to him as long as you don't touch my Luna. If you break your promise, I'll kill you myself, do you hear?" Ariel said as he walked away.
"Ariel."
Ariel stopped for a moment but didn't turn around.
"I know you're a good man. Like you said, eventually, I will die because of my illness. I don't mind dying earlier because I'm not afraid of death, Ariel. I'm also not mad at what you're doing now because I know you're doing it for Luna. I believe you'll keep your promise to me. If you find Luna, take her far away from here. Make her forget about me and everything. You're more than capable. I believe in you," Leo spoke sincerely.
"Don't lecture me. You're not qualified." Ariel replied, resuming his steps and leaving Leo behind.
Leo exhaled slowly as he heard the warehouse door close.
"I know you're here. Show yourself," Leo said calmly.
"You're quite calm for someone who will die today." A masked man appeared. Leo watched as the man removed his mask, revealing Adam's face. His face and body were identical to Adam's, except for his curly hair, unlike Adam's straight hair.
"Surprised?" The man smiled.
"You... You're Adam's twin, aren't you?" Leo asked, trying to contain the pain in his heart.
"Bingo! My name is Alan, Adam's older brother," Alan replied with a sinister smile.
"I figured. Can we talk now? I have a lot of questions I want to ask you." Leo tried to control his emotions. Seeing Alan reminded Leo of the photos of the victims sent to him, making his blood boil.
Alan pulled out a stiletto knife from his pocket. 
"Talk? Don't you think you're talking too much for someone who's going to die in a few minutes?" Alan licked the tip of the knife.
Leo gave a thin smile.
 "Didn't you hear? I said I'm not afraid of dying. Well, I am going to die from this disease anyway. Before that, I want to hear everything from you. Why did you do all this? Why did you kill people and send those photos to me? And the papers? What's your motive?"
"I can answer your questions. But can I get a guarantee?"
"A guarantee? What do you mean?"
Without answering, Alan stabbed Leo's left thigh deeply. Leo's scream echoed loudly in the warehouse. Alan pulled out the knife, causing blood to gush out. Leo bowed, enduring the excruciating pain.
"If I fail to kill you today, you'll die from blood loss. I know your plan with Ariel, Leo," Alan said, smiling.
"What?" Leo couldn't believe it.
"You think I didn't know Ariel told you about my orders? I knew from the beginning that this was your plan to catch me. And maybe the police are already on their way here or are already here, waiting to surround me." Alan smiled cynically.
"As I promised, I'll answer all your questions. Your first question: why did I do all this? The answer is simple, Leo. This is my hobby."
"Hobby?" Leo shook his head, trying to stay conscious despite feeling like he was about to pass out from the blood loss.
"Yes, that's right. Hobby. My mother left me because I killed my father. Do you know my mother? The woman who loves you so much. Since I killed my father, I felt a sensation I'd never felt before. Since then, I decided this was my career. Why did I send the victims' photos to you and send you those letters? Because I wanted you to realize that your time was running out. Initially, I thought about killing your beloved woman. What's her name? Luna, right?"
Leo clenched his fists. 
"Don't... don't..."
"What? What did you say?" Alan brought his ear closer to Leo's lips.
"Don't... don't say her name..." Leo said weakly.
Alan laughed.
 "Initially, I wanted to kill her to see you suffer. But after learning about your illness, it wasn't fun anymore if I killed her and you died from your disease. Thanks to your illness, Luna is safe. I deliberately ordered Ariel to bring you here by threatening him to kill Luna. And I also knew that Ariel wouldn't betray you. That's why he told you about my orders before he came to this place. But think about it. The words he said earlier, he really meant them, didn't he?"
"Wh... why me?" Leo asked.
"Why did I want to kill you? The answer is simple, Leo. Because I hate you. You know, my brother Adam is a good guy. He sacrificed himself for you. I know he felt guilty for hitting Luna on the head the night I killed the second victim. Maybe it was also a feeling of guilt. That made me hate you even more. Of all the people, why did he have to sacrifice himself for you? Even I, his own brother, he never did that for me. What's so special about you that everyone likes you?" Alan stabbed Leo's stomach deeply. Leo's scream echoed again in the warehouse.
"Why? Does it hurt? Don't die yet, Leo. You have to see our guest today." Alan smiled while turning Leo's head.
"Presenting our special guest, Luna!"
Leo's eyes widened, seeing Eddy bringing Luna from the back. Her eyes were covered, her mouth was gagged with cloth, and her hands were tightly bound. Alan signaled Eddy to remove the blindfold. Luna's eyes widened. She screamed loudly upon seeing Leo's condition.
"You... You said..." Leo tried to speak, but only blood came out.
"Don't worry, Leo. I brought her here not to kill her. I just want her to see your last moments. This is my mercy for both of you."
Luna screamed loudly. Alan sighed.
"Eddy, take off her gag. Let's hear what she wants to say."
Eddy did as instructed.
"Leo... Leo..." Luna sobbed uncontrollably.
"Any last words for your beloved husband?" Alan mocked.
"Please..." Luna pleaded.
"Please don't hurt him. I'm begging you. I'll do anything as long as you let him go. Please. If... if you want my life, I'll give it. Just please don't take him from me. I'm begging you..." Luna cried desperately.
Eddy suddenly fell to the ground, blood streaming from his head. Red laser dots appeared on Alan's face. He laughed, realizing what was happening. Damn, police. 
Leo signaled Luna to run, but she refused to move. As Luna tried to reach Leo, Alan pointed his gun at her.
"If you move an inch, I'll kill you," Alan threatened, aiming the gun at Luna. Panicked, Luna didn't know what to do. She looked at Leo, who had already freed his hands.
Alan laughed. "Looks like this is the end for us." He cocked the gun, ready to shoot Luna, but before he could pull the trigger, Leo used all his strength to push Alan, causing them both to fall. They wrestled momentarily, and more red laser dots targeted Alan and Leo as they struggled.
Bang! The gunshot echoed loudly. Luna covered her mouth, shocked. Her heart raced, not knowing who had been shot.
"You were my real target, Leo," Alan said, smiling as he stood up, revealing Leo's shirt soaked in blood. Luna screamed and cried.
"And this is my gift for you." Alan aimed the gun at Luna, but before he could shoot, he fell to the ground, his neck pierced by a bullet. Luna ran to Leo, who lay covered in blood, his eyes nearly closed.
"Help! Help!" Luna screamed, cradling Leo's head. She cried uncontrollably.
"This... this can't be happening... You promised... You promised you'd get better for me..." Luna sobbed.
Leo gave a faint smile, coughing up blood several times. 
"Meeting you... has been the happiest thing... in my life, Luna..."
"Don't say anything, Leo. Save your strength. You need to live. I'll do anything to save you. You will survive, I promise. Someone, help!" Luna screamed again.
"Luna!"
Mark ran to Leo and Luna. He was stunned to see Leo's condition. Without a word, he just stood there, watching.
"Luna... you must keep living, no matter what happens," Leo whispered.
Luna shook her head. 
"You will survive. You will survive, Leo. You promised... You promised to fight for me. You can't do this to me..." Luna cried, sobbing. Leo lifted his trembling hand, gently touching Luna's cheek. He gave a faint smile before his eyes closed, and his hand fell. Mark wept his tears silently.
"No. This can't be happening. Leo, wake up. You can't leave me like this. You promised. You can't leave me, Leo... Please, don't leave me. I'm begging you, please open your eyes, Leo. Please... Don't do this to me... please..." Luna's cries were endless.
"Mark, please do something. Leo can't go like this. He has to be okay. No matter what, he can't go like this..."
Mark wiped away the tears that wouldn't stop flowing. He stood there, silent and still, feeling like he was in a dream as he watched his boss being carried away, covered in a white cloth. Is this reality? Has Leo really gone? Luna continued to cry endlessly, pleading and begging for Leo to wake up, but his eyes remained closed tightly. Is this really the end?