The Manipulated Villainess

Liam\'s pleasant face turned gloomy at the question. He recalled the news that he heard at the orphanage which was not too bad nor good.

"Aria was indeed taken to that orphanage after your mother passed away. The Director told me that she stayed at the orphanage for three years." Liam takes out a small album and gives it to Aston. "Those are the photos from her time at the orphanage."

When Aston took the album and saw his sister\'s photos in it, his eyes turned red as he was overwhelmed by many mixed emotions. Gently touching one of the photos, he shifted his gaze back to his friend. "What happened to her?" The look that his friend gave him was scaring him. Why did he look at him with guilt and pity?!

"Fourteen years ago, she suddenly disappeared from the orphanage. The Director of the orphanage reported her as missing and the police performed the search." Liam Ryu started. "Then after a few days, they received a call from Aria. She told the Director that she was living happily with a new family and she asked to not search for her anymore. She even sent the Director a photo of herself with one middle-aged woman. Aria seemed to be happy."

For a while, Aston quietly stared at the album and then spoke up. "What happened after that?"

Liam take out his phone and showed him the photo which was sent to the Director. Maybe it was right. Aria looked very happy in the photo with the middle-aged woman. "After that, they stopped the searching because Aria begged them to. Since then, she used to call the Director once each year but she stopped calling 10 years ago. She was 17 at that time."

"The Director note down the number which Aria used to call her. She said that she keeps them just in case. I asked my friend to investigate the number but it was already deactivated 10 years ago, the same year that Aria stopped calling. The information of the owner was also gone with it." Liam informed Aston.

"There is no way to find out her current location. Is that what you believe?" Aston glanced at his friend. He seemed to be downhearted than ever because everything was more messed up than he thought!

"Aston, I will continue with the investigation. I won\'t give up on this." Liam paused for a while and continued, "The Director told me that Aria had a hard time there. It must be why she didn\'t want to return to the orphanage."

"Why? Why would she..." Aston immediately stopped when his family\'s horrendous past crossed his mind. His left hand curled into a fist and he hardly pressed against his forehead. "That scandal followed her to the orphanage. I guess." He uttered.

"Aston, don\'t -"

"My father was not a traitor!" He roughly withdrew his hand from his forehead and the needle which was recently inserted to his veins moved, causing it to blood. "He never betrayed the police forces!" He growled.

"I know that. Please calm down." Liam rose from his seat and wipe off the slight blood next to the needle in Aston\'s vein. "Don\'t worry, Aston. Everything will be revealed someday. Your father will regain the honour that was stripped off of him." Liam calmly reassured his friend.

"When?" Aston muttered. "It\'s been 17 years but whenever someone in the police forces mentioned my late father\'s name, disgust was evident in their faces. To them, my father was a disgrace! He was someone who brought shame to the police forces!"

"Don\'t you know, Liam? After that, I cannot continue to live as his son in this country and I even... I have to abandon my real name and identity!" Aston hissed as he was fuming with anger. Just thinking about all the things that his father went through in his last days made him boiling with rage.

His father was branded as a traitor and he was cursed by his fellow policemen! He was publicly shamed and the whole country shunned him! He passed away right after that, leaving Aston and the other family members in the lowest point of their life!

Liam doesn\'t know what to say to console his friend. Ever since the actor was young, he went through so much because of his parents and his scars were rooted in him deeply. No matter how much time had passed, it was impossible to heal his wounds!

"Things are the same even now. If the people find out that I\'m the son of the late Ethan Min, they will point their fingers at me and curse me, just like they did to my father." Aston muttered as he recalled all the humiliation his father received from the people.

Liam stared at his friend and wondered what to do. As a police officer, he also followed that case ever since he joined the police forces but it was not easy to do that. Besides, almost all the records about the father\'s case were erased, which he finds it really strange.

He strongly believed that Ethan Min was framed by someone but who would do such a thing? He didn\'t have any idea because just like Aston, he was too young when that happened.

Silence fell upon the room for minutes. Aston sat still on his bed with his eyes glued to the album while Liam sat on the bench beside him and worriedly stared at him. It remained like that until the sound of Aston\'s phone ringing broke the silence.

Having no intention to answer the phone, Aston was about to reject the call but when he saw the caller ID, he changed his mind. Swiping the green button, he put the phone next to his ear. "Hello."

There was no response. He blinked when the person from the other line doesn\'t even talk. Usually, that woman always greeted him with a blunt and unpleasant voice. "Hello?" He repeated himself.

Much to his surprise, the call was hanged up from the other line. Feeling troubled by the unusual thing, Aston called the number back but... it was switched off.

With a bewildered face, he immediately decided to call the Chairwoman\'s office. But when he did that, he was told that the Chairwoman didn\'t come to work today!

Aston was sure that Nicole told her that she will be busy the whole day again. She even warned him not to make trouble and not to give her unnecessary calls.

Just within that few seconds, his whole mind was occupied by that little Chairwoman. He had forgotten all the discussion that took place just minutes ago!

He tried calling again one more time but when it was still switched off, he couldn\'t sit still anymore. Did something bad happened to her?! Her life was not that rosy too!

He darted his eyes to Liam and showed him the number. "Liam, I\'m sorry but can you track this number for me? It\'s very important."

Liam who was at a loss for words just minutes ago gave his friend a strange look. What had gotten into him? Wasn\'t he very emotional just minutes ago? But when he saw the serious face of Aston, he quickly replied, "Send me the number."

Liam talked to his friend who was also a detective and find out the information in no time. "The phone was last switched on in the road next to the West Cemetery." He told Aston.

Aston gave a quick thought and when an idea crossed his mind, he looked at his friend again. "Please help me out once more."