Tom's eyes narrowed as he listened to the desperate voice on the phone. "Who is this, and how do you know my name?" he asked, putting the phone on speaker.
The voice trembled. "It's Andrew Daniels. I know you think I'm the mastermind of $LÅZENGER, but I'm not. I keep receiving threats from them. My wife and kids were kidnapped last night... I don't know how. We were all together at the dining table, then I stood up to go wash my hands. By the time I returned, they were gone."
Andrew's voice cracked. "Before then, he or she has been threatening me, saying they would expose me. Please help me... someone's coming... just... help me... please."
The call abruptly disconnected. Tom tried calling back, but the line was suddenly nonexistent.
Hart's brow furrowed. "Okay, what was that about?"
Tom shook his head. "I have no idea, Michael."
Hart's eyes narrowed. "So, if Andrew is innocent, who's behind it all?"
Tom's expression was skeptical. "I don't know, but I still don't believe him. There are so many evidences against him. He's trying to fool us."
Hart's voice was thoughtful. "I don't think so. He sounded scared and genuine. I think we should help him or at least hear him out."
Tom nodded. "Fine, we'll go see him, but we'll take security, just in case."
Hart agreed. "No problem."
Just then, Shawn walked into the room, a bright smile on his face. He walked over to hug his father.
"Good afternoon, Dad," Shawn said, smiling.
"Hey, son, how was school today?" Hart asked, releasing Shawn from the hug.
Shawn's eyes sparkled. "It was nice." He replied and embraced Tom whom he haven't seen in a long time since his wife's accident and he wondered why.
As Hart stepped back, a paper slipped out of his pocket, fluttering to the ground. Tom's eyes locked onto it, his expression tense. Shawn instinctively bent to pick it up, but Hart quickly beat him to it.
"Come on, go freshen up now," Hart said, forcing a smile as he watched his son leave the sitting room,
Tom's voice was low and urgent. "You need to be careful, Michael. He shouldn't find out about $LÅZENGER, at least not yet."
Shawn's brow furrowed, his mind racing with questions. What was $LÅZENGER? And why was Tom so adamant that he shouldn't know?
With a growing sense of unease, Shawn entered his room, locking the door behind him. He retrieved the paper from his bag, his eyes fixed on the cryptic symbol.
As he sat on the floor, staring at the image, his thoughts drifted to Mia. He had forgotten to return her handkerchief. Shawn tossed the handkerchief onto his bed, his mind whirling with questions and uncertainties.
Shawn's anger and hurt boiled over as he processed the revelation about his dad. "So, Dad knows what happened to Mom, he lied to me!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking with emotion.
In a fit of rage, Shawn hurled his phone across the room, shattering the flat-screen TV. Fortunately, Julie wasn't home at the moment, or she would have scolded him.
As Shawn struggled to calm down, a soothing voice whispered in his mind. "Breathe in, then out, calm down, Shawn. Mama's here."
The thought of his mom sent Shawn crashing into a wave of grief. He burst into tears, wishing she was there to comfort him. Only she knew how to calm him down when he was angry.
As he thought of her, Shawn's emotions intensified. He began to throw things around the room, his anger and sadness boiling over. In the chaos, he grabbed Mia's handkerchief, ready to hurl it across the room.
But something stopped him. He remembered Jack sniffing the handkerchief earlier and decided to do the same. As he inhaled the sweet scent, Shawn's anger began to dissipate.
"Wow, it smells sweet," he whispered, his eyes closing as he continued to sniff the handkerchief.
Shawn's back slid against the bed, and he sat down, still clutching the handkerchief. Suddenly, he jolted back to reality, realizing what he was doing.
"What the hell was that, Shawn? I can't believe I was sniffing a girl's hankie," he muttered, his face flushing with embarrassment.
Shawn's mind recoiled in horror. He couldn't fall in love again, not after the heartbreaks he had endured with Sarah and Tania.
Shawn's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the unusual silence. He had expected Julie to come running into his room, concern etched on her face, after the loud crash of the TV. But there was nothing. No frantic footsteps, no worried voice calling out to him.
A faint furrow creased his brow as he wondered, "Maybe she's not home?" It was possible, he thought. Julie might have gone out with friends or run some errands, leaving the house eerily quiet.
Shawn's gaze drifted around his room, taking in the scattered remains of his tantrum. He let out a deep sigh, feeling a twinge of guilt for losing control. He knew he needed to calm down and clean up the mess. But for now, the silence was a welcome respite.
Shawn's gaze drifted out the window, his mind consumed by thoughts of the delicate handkerchief. He had been holding onto it for far too long, and the weight of it was starting to bear down on him.
"I have to return her handkerchief before things get out of hand," Shawn muttered to himself, a sense of determination creeping into his voice. "(Sighs) We're meeting at Jaden's today."
With a newfound sense of determination, Shawn headed back to the sitting room to inform his father about his plans.
"Dad, I made new friends today," Shawn announced, trying to sound casual.
His father's face lit up with a warm smile. "Really? You're finally coming back to your old self."
Shawn nodded, feeling a pang of guilt for not being entirely truthful. "Yeah, I guess. They're coming later at five to pick me up. We have an assignment to do."
His father's expression turned cautious. "Hmm, okay, but be careful because you don't know them."
Shawn reassured him. "I will. Please let me know when they arrive."
His father's curiosity was piqued. "Who exactly is arriving?"
Shawn replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Jaden, his dad, and Mia."
His father's eyes narrowed slightly. "Okay. Who's Mia, by the way?"
Shawn's response was quick and emphatic. "Like I said earlier, a friend."
His father's voice was laced with a hint of skepticism. "Is she just your friend, or...?"
Shawn's face flushed, and he quickly interjected. "She's just a friend, Dad. I'll be in the garden."
As Shawn turned to leave, his father's voice stopped him. "Okay, just a friend, but are you sure you want to go to the garden? You haven't gone there ever since..."
Shawn's expression turned cold, and he cut his father off. "I know, but I've moved on. I don't want to talk about this again."
Shawn walked into the garden, the familiar scent of blooming flowers and fresh grass filling his senses. It had been a long time since he'd set foot in this garden, a place where memories of his mother lingered.
Ever since her disappearance, Shawn had avoided the garden, unable to bear the pain of remembering the happy times they'd shared together. But then he'd met Tania, his first girlfriend, and they'd spent countless hours playing and hanging out in the garden.
However, their relationship had ended in heartbreak when Tania moved to Hong Kong and returned with another boy. Shawn had waited for her, only to realize she'd moved on.
His second girlfriend, Sarah, had entered his life, and Shawn had fallen deeply in love with her. He'd done everything to make her happy, but little did he know she had an actual boyfriend. She'd accepted Shawn out of pity, and he'd discovered the truth on the night of Mr. Steve's wedding.
The memory of that night still seared his mind. He'd caught Sarah and her boyfriend having sex, and the pain had been overwhelming. Sarah had tried to explain, telling him she could still continue to date him if he wanted, but Shawn's anger and hurt had boiled over.
He'd pushed Sarah, and the scene had attracted everyone's attention. Mr. Steve had been furious, and Hart had thrown Shawn out of the party. The humiliation and pain still lingered.
As Shawn stood in the garden, memories of his mother flooded back, and he felt the sting of tears. But before he could break down, he was interrupted by a voice.