Chapter 4

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

I tried calling Maverick next. The result was exactly the same.

My voice trembled as I looked at the officer beside me. "Sir, what's going on? Why can't I reach either of them? Who have I been working for these past six months?"

The officer handed me a cup of hot water and spoke in a calmer voice.

"Mr. Clarke, please try to stay calm. Based on what we know so far, your situation is very unusual. But we don't have any direct evidence that this is fraud or any other crime. Your salary payments and Social Security records are genuine. The project files you worked on are also real Synapse Future materials. So far, no one has caused you any direct harm."

"But they faked the employee housing and the medical exams. They even used the company's name. Isn't that illegal?" I asked anxiously.

The officer nodded.

"Those things are definitely suspicious, but we need more evidence before we can reach any conclusions. We've already recorded Gavin's and Maverick's information and phone numbers. We'll also send officers to investigate the apartment building and the medical clinic you mentioned. But there's a good chance they've already realized something is wrong. If we move too quickly, we might alert them."

He paused before continuing.

"I suggest you go home and continue living your life as usual. Don't do anything reckless. If they contact you again or ask you to do anything unusual, let us know immediately. That could give us the lead we need to continue the investigation. We might even be able to catch whoever is behind all of this."

After thinking it over, I realized the officer was right.

"So what should I do now?"

The officer gave me one final instruction.

"Keep going to work as if nothing has happened. If they ask about today, just tell them the police were simply verifying your identity and that everything was fine."

I nodded and memorized his instructions. Even so, I couldn't stop worrying.

The moment I got home, I lay in bed, tossing and turning. I kept replaying every detail of the past six months in my head.

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became.

Finally, I sent Gavin a message. "Mr. Leonard, I'm not feeling well today. I'd like to take a couple of days off. I'll work on the project remotely from home."

As soon as I hit send, I stared at my phone with sweaty palms.

About 30 minutes later, Gavin finally replied.

"No problem. Your health comes first. Get plenty of rest. The project isn't urgent, so don't force yourself to work. Remember to take your medicine, drink plenty of water, and let me know if you need anything."

After reading his message, I felt even more uneasy.

Over the next few days, I didn't make any rash moves. Every day, I sent Gavin a message to let him know I was doing fine. Sometimes I even brought up the project's progress, pretending I knew nothing.

His replies stayed as warm and caring as ever. Every now and then, he'd ask how I was feeling and remind me to get more rest. I couldn't find a single flaw in his behavior.

But my fear kept growing.

I started paying attention to everything around me. I constantly felt like someone was watching me.

Whenever I went out to buy something, I'd instinctively look over my shoulder to see if anyone was following me.

When I was home, I repeatedly checked that all the doors and windows were locked.

I even kept my phone in my hand all the time, afraid I'd miss a call from the police.

The police called me twice over the next few days. They told me they had investigated both the apartment building and the medical clinic I had mentioned.

What they found shocked me. There were no so-called employee apartments in that building. The apartment where I had been living had been rented under a fake identity. The lease had lasted exactly six months. And it had been canceled the day after I asked Gavin for leave.

By the fifth day, I couldn't stand waiting any longer.

I packed my things and was about to leave. Just then, someone knocked on my door.

"Who is it?"

I asked cautiously, already preparing myself for the worst.

"It's me. Gavin."

He had actually come.