Beneath the Hidden Price

CHAPTER 08: The Cost of Silence

Jade walked through the door, her face pale, clutching Alora’s repaired phone tightly in her hand. Her expression was vacant, almost numb, which immediately set off alarm bells for the others. The atmosphere in the room shifted, tension filling the space as they all turned to look at her.

Nica was the first to break the silence. “Jade... did you find something on Alora’s phone?” she asked softly, her voice filled with worry.

Jade hesitated, her lips trembling as she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, her head lowered, and her body shook as tears streamed down her face. She started to cry, her sobs filled with a mix of grief and guilt.

The group erupted into a mix of panic and confusion, each person trying to make sense of what was happening. “Jade, what’s going on? What did you see?” Valentina asked urgently, stepping forward with concern in her eyes.

“What does this mean? Is Alora okay?” Shawn added, the panic in his voice rising.

Before things could spiral out of control, Mikko raised his hand, silencing the others. “Give her a moment,” he said firmly but gently. “Let her speak when she’s ready.”

The room quieted down, and for a while, the only sound was Jade’s quiet sobbing. Nica moved closer to her, gently placing a hand on her back, trying to offer some comfort as they all waited in an anxious silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Jade wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath, looking up at the group with her tear-streaked face. Her voice cracked as she finally spoke. “Alora... she left that night because someone wanted to tell her... about the secret I’ve been hiding from her,” Jade said, her voice breaking as more tears fell.

She buried her face in her hands, unable to continue for a moment. Nica sat beside her, rubbing her back as she tried to calm her down, but Jade’s sobs continued. The others exchanged confused and worried glances, completely in the dark about this supposed secret.

“What secret?” Nica asked gently, her voice low, almost afraid to push too hard. “What were you hiding from Alora?”

Jade looked up at Nica with teary eyes but couldn’t bring herself to answer immediately. The weight of whatever truth she was carrying seemed too much to bear. The room was filled with uncertainty and fear, the group left wondering what Jade had been keeping from her sister—and whether it had something to do with why Alora had disappeared.

“What could it be...?” Mikko muttered under his breath, the mystery growing deeper.

Jade's sobs filled the room as she struggled to get the words out. "Our parents had a huge debt... and even in their last breath, they were trying to pay it off. But after they were gone, they left me with that burden. A huge responsibility—taking care of Alora and dealing with those relentless debt collectors."

Her voice cracked as she continued, "I tried so hard. I worked three jobs, just to make sure I could pay in time... but as Alora grew, so did the expenses. I couldn't keep up anymore. I begged them to give me time, just until I could get hired full-time at the restaurant."

She wiped away her tears, but they only kept falling. "But that night... that night they took Alora away from me."

Her fists clenched, and her voice turned bitter with guilt. "It’s my fault... I failed her."

Mikko, silent up until this point, finally spoke. "If I had stayed with Alora that night... maybe they wouldn't have taken her." His words hung heavy in the air, but Jade shook her head, fresh tears streaming down her face, unable to bear the weight of her own guilt.

In the midst of their confusion and worry, Ivan spoke up, his voice steady but grim.

“I heard everything,” he said, sitting up straighter despite the lingering pain in his body. The others turned toward him, surprise and concern in their eyes.

Jade, her face still streaked with tears, looked at Nica as if seeking support. Nica took a breath and asked, “Do you know who the debt collector is, Jade?”

Jade hesitated for a moment, her expression filled with dread. “No... I don’t know for sure,” she replied softly. “But I know they’re dangerous.”

Before anyone could respond, Ivan interrupted, his voice filled with urgency. “It was my uncle,” he revealed, anger simmering beneath the surface. “He’s the one behind Alora’s disappearance.”

The room fell silent, everyone’s eyes widening in shock and confusion. Jade stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat. “What? Your uncle? Does that mean... you know where Alora is?”

Ivan nodded, his face dark with guilt. “Yeah... I know. After I was unconscious that night, I woke up on our couch, and I didn’t understand why. But then, when I heard about Alora going missing, things started to click. At first, I didn’t put it all together... until yesterday.”

“What happened yesterday?” Nica asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Ivan took a deep breath, wincing from the bruises that still pained him. “When I got home, I found my uncle sitting in the yard, drinking. He called me over, acting strange. He started asking me some weird questions, hinting at things about Alora. At first, I didn’t get it, but then it hit me. He was talking about what happened to her.” Ivan’s voice grew tight with anger. “He ordered his bodyguards to hurt me because I was trying to help you, Jade.”

Everyone looked at Ivan in disbelief. Jade stepped forward, her voice shaking. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I didn’t know at first,” Ivan said, his tone heavy with guilt. “But once I realized what he had done... I couldn’t stay quiet.”

Valentina stood there, trembling. “This is insane,” she whispered. “How could he do something like that?”

Nica, eyes wide, faced Jade again. “If Ivan knows where Alora is, we have to act fast.”

Jade, wiping away her tears, nodded resolutely. “If you know where Alora is, Ivan, you have to take us to her.”

Ivan nodded solemnly. “I will. But we need to be careful. My uncle won’t let her go easily.”

END OF CHAPTER!

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