Chapter 99: Spare key
"Why’s that so?" Anna blinked, genuinely puzzled by Betty’s sudden decision to skip class.
This morning, Betty had gone to school as usual only to be swarmed the moment she stepped into the building. Students had crowded around her, bombarding her with questions about Anna, how she had stood up to Theo, and how they could get her to protect them too.
Betty had brushed past them, ignoring the chatter, but now she wasn’t sure she wanted to face that attention again so soon.
"Haha, Sis, it’s nothing serious," Betty forced a smile, fiddling with the strap of her bag. "I just... decided to study from home today."
Her attempt at casualness only made Anna narrow her eyes.
"Betty," Anna’s voice turned firm, "tell me are you still being picked on by that Theo guy? If yes, then say yes. I’ll be standing on his chest demanding answers."
Her eyes blazed like fire, and Betty actually gulped at the heat behind them.
"A-ah, Sis, Theo didn’t do anything! In fact, no one did," Betty stammered. "I’m telling the truth."
She wasn’t lying. After Anna’s warning, Theo and his gang hadn’t dared to so much as look her way. In fact, the moment they saw her in the hallways, they’d scurried off like frightened mice, hiding wherever they could.
"Then what is it you’re hiding?" Anna pressed, her brows furrowing deeper. Her gaze was unwavering now, a mix of suspicion and concern.
Betty hesitated, her fingers twisting together behind her back. She didn’t want to tell Anna, but under that steady, almost chilling stare, she finally sighed in defeat.
"Big Sis... did you know that you were recorded? And now... you’ve turned into a sensation. Not only in our academy but also on the internet," she muttered, watching Anna’s expression carefully.
Anna’s face softened a little. "Is that so?" she asked, skeptical but calm. "What else are they saying about me?"
Betty blinked, thrown off by her reaction. She’d expected panic or at least irritation but Anna was unnervingly composed. Then she remembered how one of her classmates mentioned that the video had been taken down almost immediately. No one had a backup. That thought had given Betty some relief, but it clearly didn’t surprise Anna.
"Big Sis, now they all want you to be their guardian," Betty said, her lips twitching into a small pout.
Anna blinked. "G-Guardian?" she echoed, looking both incredulous and amused.
"Hmph," Betty huffed, her brows knitting. "But I told them they can’t have you. Because you’re mine."
"..."
Anna stared at her for a beat, torn between laughing and crying at the absurdity. "Guardian, huh..." she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Still, a small warmth settled in her chest at Betty’s protectiveness.
"By the way, Sis... did you know your video was taken down from the internet?" Betty asked, tilting her head. Maybe Anna’s calm came from already knowing.
"Yes. Daniel worked on it even before I knew it was live," Anna replied with casual nonchalance, though the way Betty’s eyes suddenly gleamed made her wary.
"What?" Anna asked, crossing her arms, already sensing something suspicious brewing in that mischievous head of hers.
Betty leaned forward, her grin wide and far too knowing. "Big Sis... does that mean your husband likes you?"
Anna froze mid-breath, blinking at her as though she had just spoken in an alien language. Then, after a long pause, her lips twitched, and a humorless scoff escaped her.
"Ha? What? No! He—he can’t."
Betty tilted her head, utterly unconvinced. "But his actions say otherwise," she said in a sing-song tone, shrugging as if stating a universal truth.
Anna’s jaw slackened. She stared at her little sister in disbelief, torn between laughing and burying her face in her hands. "His actions?" she echoed weakly.
"Yes! Think about it," Betty said, eyes sparkling as she counted on her fingers. "He took down the video before anyone else could see it, he’s constantly checking on you, and he even shows up whenever you’re in trouble. That’s totally what a man in love does!"
Anna nearly choked on air. "That’s what a stalker does, Betty."
Betty giggled, shaking her head. "You can call it whatever you want, Big Sis, but in every romantic novel I’ve read, this is exactly how it starts."
Anna stared at her, momentarily lost for words, before sighing in surrender. "You’ve been reading too many of those books."
Betty’s only response was an unapologetic smile.
’If only she knew how cunning that man can be,’ Anna thought grimly, her mind flashing back to Daniel’s unreadable eyes, his subtle manipulation, and the way he always seemed ten steps ahead. Like a chess master who already knows every move you’re about to make.
"Anyway," Anna said quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from Daniel, "since you’ve decided to skip class, how about we go meet Shawn? It’d be better to plan things together instead of me racking my brain alone."
Betty’s eyes lit up immediately. "Okay, Big Sis!"
Anna smiled faintly at her enthusiasm, though her mind was already racing ahead—toward the investigation, toward Kathrine’s disappearance, and the feeling that something much bigger was at play.
***
After some time, both Anna and Betty stood outside Shawn’s apartment door, exchanging increasingly bewildered looks as the man inside continued to ignore their persistent knocking.
"Didn’t you say he’s been home all this time?" Anna asked, her brow furrowing as she rapped on the door again. "Then why isn’t he opening it?"
Betty blinked, equally confused. "He... should be. He told me yesterday he was going to stay in until he found a clue about your sister."
Anna crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "Then unless he’s suddenly gone deaf, there’s no reason he should be ignoring us."
But then something seemed to click for Betty. Her eyes widened as she snapped her fingers. "Ah! Big Sis, it’s fine don’t worry!"
Anna arched a brow. "And why exactly shouldn’t I worry?"
"Because I have this." Betty grinned and proudly held up a small key, dangling it between her fingers like a magician revealing a trick.
Anna’s mouth parted in disbelief. "You have a spare key to his apartment?"
"Mhm! Brother Shawn gave it to me just in case he ever locked himself in and refused to open the door," Betty said cheerfully, already fitting the key into the lock before Anna could object.
"Great," Anna muttered under her breath. "Now I’m starting to question what kind of man gives spare keys to a teenage girl."
The lock clicked, and the door swung open with a faint creak.
The moment they stepped inside, a thick, musty scent of coffee, old papers, and exhaustion greeted them. The curtains were tightly drawn, casting the room in dim shadow.
"God, does this boy ever see the sun?" Anna complained, marching toward the window and yanking the curtains open in one sharp pull.
Sunlight flooded the room, spilling across the cluttered floor. Papers strewn everywhere, empty mugs stacked near the desk, and an open laptop blinking a standby screen. But one thing was missing.
"Uh... where is Shawn?" Anna muttered, scanning the space with a growing sense of unease.
Betty frowned. "That’s strange. He was right here yesterday working on your sister’s case. He barely even looked up when I brought him food."
Anna’s eyes landed on the empty plate resting on the table, utensils cleaned and stacked neatly beside it.
’If he ate everything... then where did he go?’ Anna’s thoughts ran wild as her eyes swept across the messy apartment once more.
But before she could form another theory, the faint creak of a door broke through the silence followed by the soft sound of dripping water.
The bathroom door slowly opened.
And out stepped Shawn.
Freshly bathed. Hair damp and tousled. A towel hung dangerously low around his hips, beads of water tracing down his chest as he ruffled his wet hair with one hand.
For a moment, time froze.
"Woah..." Betty’s eyes went comically wide, her jaw dropping to the floor as she gawked, utterly mesmerized. "B-Big Sis... he’s sparkling!"
Anna’s brain short-circuited. She blinked twice, her mind trying to process what she was seeing. She had expected a half-dead researcher buried under files, not... this Greek statue come to life.
’Dear heavens above, what did I just walk into—’
Then she snapped out of it. Her eyes darted toward Betty, whose innocent face was still plastered with awe, and instinct kicked in.
"Betty!" Anna hissed, lunging forward to cover the girl’s eyes with both hands. "Don’t look!"
"But Big Sis—he’s glittering!" Betty squealed, trying to peek through Anna’s fingers shamelessly.
"Stop talking!" Anna barked, her face heating. She turned sharply toward Shawn, glaring. "And you damn it, Shawn! Why would you step out of the bathroom wearing just a towel?"
Shawn froze mid-step, water still dripping from his hair. For a second, he just stood there, wide-eyed, muscles taut, as though he’d been struck by lightning.
And then-
"Ahhhhh.. why in the world are you two here!"