The train disappeared into the distance. Ava remained frozen on the platform, her eyes fixed on the tracks.

No. No...

Her breathing became uneven.

She dropped to her knees beside her suitcase and tore open her handbag.

Her purse, her wallet, her passport, the train ticket... everything was there.

Everything...

Except William's envelope.

"No..."

She searched again, this time with trembling hands. It wasn't possible. She had checked only moments ago.

Around her, impatient commuters brushed past without a second glance.

A railway attendant paused nearby.

"Miss, are you alright?"

Ava looked up, her face pale.

"My... my documents." The words caught in her throat. "I think they've been stolen."

The attendant frowned sympathetically.

"Would you like me to call station security?"

Ava lowered her gaze. For a long moment, she didn't answer. Then she gave a slow shake of her head.

"No."

The attendant hesitated. "If you're certain..."

"I am."

He nodded politely before walking away.

Ava remained motionless until he disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did she quietly pick up her suitcase and leave the platform.

She didn't head for the station exit; instead, she walked calmly towards the ladies' restroom.

Once inside, she entered the last cubicle and locked the door with a click. Silence followed as Ava waited one minute... then two. No footsteps came, and no voices lingered outside. Satisfied she was alone, she unbuttoned the inside pocket of her coat.

Her fingers slipped beneath the lining, a faint smile appeared.

Slowly, she withdrew a thick brown envelope.

The seal was untouched..William's elegant handwriting remained exactly as before:

For Ava. Open only when necessary.

She looked at it for several seconds before exhaling softly.

"You warned me they would come."

Her voice was steady now.

"So I made sure they found exactly what they were looking for."

Earlier that afternoon, after William's warning call, she had noticed a small stationery shop opposite the café.

She had bought another brown envelope of the same size.

Using old newspapers from the café and a stack of advertising flyers, she had matched the weight as closely as possible.

The real envelope never returned to her handbag.

Instead, she had hidden it inside the concealed pocket sewn into the lining of her coat, a pocket her late father had taught her to use whenever she travelled with important documents.

The fake envelope had remained in her bag... Patiently waiting to be stolen.

Ava reached into another pocket and removed a small black tracking device no larger than a coin.

She smiled faintly.

"I hope you enjoy your prize."

She opened the tracking application on her phone. A single blinking dot moved steadily across the city. The fake envelope was travelling north... Very quickly.

Her eyes sharpened.

"So..."

She whispered to herself,

"Where are you taking it?"

The blue dot continued moving until it finally slowed... Then stopped.

A warehouse district on the outskirts of the city.

Ava zoomed in on the map. It was an abandoned shipping depot. Her heartbeat quickened.

"They're not even checking what's inside."

That meant only one thing:

Whoever had ordered the theft expected the envelope to be genuine.

Ava immediately took several screenshots of the location before slipping the tracker back into her pocket.

She wasn't foolish enough to go there alone. Not yet.

First, she needed to know exactly who she was dealing with.

Her phone vibrated. The call was from William Carter.

She answered immediately.

"Mr. Carter."

His voice sounded strained, but calmer than before.

"Are you safe?"

"Yes."

"And the envelope?"

Ava allowed herself a small smile.

"The real one is with me."

Silence.

Then William laughed; not loudly, just enough to betray genuine relief. "I suspected you might do something clever."

"You expected them to steal it." Ava reminded him.

"I expected them to try." William's tone grew serious again. "Did they?"

"They succeeded." Ava replied, then paused before continuing. "At stealing the fake one."

For the first time since they had met, William sounded genuinely impressed. "You made a decoy?"

"I had twenty minutes and a stationery shop." Ava said.

William chuckled. "Your husband always said you could solve problems faster than anyone he had ever met."

The unexpected compliment caught Ava off guard. "He said that?"

"Many times." William confirmed.

Her smile faded. "He doesn't remember saying it now."

"No." William's voice softened. "But memory and truth are rarely the same thing."

Ava glanced at the blinking dot on her screen. "They've taken the fake envelope to an abandoned shipping depot on the northern outskirts."

William fell silent. When he finally spoke, his voice had lost every trace of warmth. "I know that place."

"You do?" Ava wasn't surprised at all.

"It's not abandoned." William said.

Ava frowned. "What is it?"

William answered with quiet certainty. "It's one of the Kingston family's oldest private warehouses."

A cold chill swept through Ava. "The Kingston family?"

"Yes." William paused. "And only three people still have unrestricted access to that property."

"Who?" Ava asked seriously.

William took a slow breath.

"Evelyn Kingston..."

He paused again.

"Sophia Monroe..."

Another pause.

"And..."

Before he could finish, the call abruptly disconnected. Not because of poor reception, someone else had answered the line.

A deep, unfamiliar male voice spoke only four words:

"We've found Mr. Carter."

The line went dead.