Lina couldn't move.
Her mother's words echoed through her mind.
They've found us.
That man was supposed to be dead.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
"Mom..." Lina whispered. "What are you talking about?"
Her mother released her hands and walked toward the curtains.
She pulled them shut.
Then she checked the front door.
Locked.
She checked the windows.
Locked.
Only then did she turn back to Lina.
"You shouldn't have seen that photograph."
"But I did."
"I know."
"Who is he?"
Her mother closed her eyes.
For a moment, she looked like someone carrying a memory she had spent years trying to bury.
"His name was Daniel Hart."
Lina's breath caught.
"Hart?"
Her mother nodded slowly.
"He was your father's older brother."
Silence.
Lina stared at her.
"My... uncle?"
"Yes."
"But I've never heard of him."
"That was the point."
Lina shook her head.
"I don't understand."
"You weren't supposed to."
Her mother's voice cracked.
"Your father and Daniel were very different men. Your father wanted a quiet life. Daniel wanted power. Money. Control."
She paused.
"And when your father refused to become part of his business, Daniel became dangerous."
Lina's heart pounded.
"What business?"
Her mother looked away.
"Things that could have destroyed our family."
Lina stepped closer.
"What happened to him?"
Her mother swallowed.
"Years ago, there was an accident."
"An accident?"
"A car went off a bridge."
Lina stared at her.
"And he died?"
"We were told he did."
The way she said it made Lina's stomach turn.
"You don't believe he died."
Her mother looked at her.
"No."
Before Lina could ask another question, the sound of a car door closing came from outside.
Both women froze.
Lina slowly looked toward the window.
Her mother grabbed her wrist.
"Don't."
"But—"
"Don't look."
Her voice was firm.
Lina listened.
For the first time in her life, she could hear genuine fear in her mother's voice.
---
Adrian was halfway to Lina's house.
He had called twice.
No answer.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Something was wrong.
He didn't know what.
But he knew Lina.
And the way she'd sounded on the phone wasn't normal.
He increased his speed.
Then his phone rang.
Ethan.
Adrian answered.
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"On my way to Lina's."
A pause.
"Why?"
"She said someone was in her house."
Ethan's voice immediately changed.
"What?"
"I'll explain later."
"Adrian, wait."
"What?"
"I saw something."
Adrian frowned.
"What?"
"Vanessa."
"What about her?"
"She left school with someone."
Adrian's grip tightened.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Where are they?"
"I followed them for a while, but I lost them."
Adrian exhaled sharply.
"Ethan, I don't have time for this."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"Then be careful."
The call ended.
Adrian stared ahead.
Something about everything felt connected.
The messages.
The photograph.
Vanessa.
The strange man.
Lina's fear.
None of it made sense.
Yet.
---
Inside the house, Lina's mother whispered.
"You need to leave."
"What?"
"Go upstairs. Take whatever you need."
"Mom, I'm not leaving you."
"You have to."
"No."
"Lina."
Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
"I've spent years protecting you from this."
She touched Lina's cheek.
"I can't lose you now."
Lina shook her head.
"Then tell me everything."
Her mother hesitated.
"I don't have time."
"Then make time."
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Lina's mother immediately pulled her behind the kitchen wall.
They waited.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then—
Three knocks.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Lina's heart raced.
Her mother covered her mouth.
The knocking stopped.
A few seconds passed.
Then a man's voice came through the door.
"Mrs. Hart."
Lina's eyes widened.
Her mother went completely still.
The voice came again.
"I know you're in there."
Lina's mother whispered one word.
"Daniel."
---
Outside, Adrian pulled up near the house.
He noticed the black car immediately.
It was parked across the street.
Windows tinted.
Engine running.
Adrian slowed.
Something felt wrong.
He didn't get out.
Instead, he watched.
The black car suddenly pulled away.
Adrian memorized the license plate as it disappeared down the road.
Then he rushed toward Lina's house.
He knocked.
"Lina!"
No answer.
"Lina!"
The door opened suddenly.
Lina's mother stood there.
Her face was pale.
"Where is Lina?"
"She's upstairs."
Adrian stepped inside.
"What happened?"
Her mother stared at him.
"You need to take her somewhere safe."
"Why?"
"Because this is bigger than you think."
Adrian looked toward the stairs.
Then back at her.
"Who is after her?"
Her mother's eyes filled with fear.
"Daniel."
Adrian frowned.
"Who is Daniel?"
She whispered—
"Lina's uncle."
---
Lina stood frozen upstairs.
She had heard everything.
Her uncle.
A man she had never known existed.
A man who was supposed to be dead.
And he had just come to their house.
Her bedroom suddenly felt unfamiliar.
She walked toward the window.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She looked outside.
The street was empty.
But something caught her attention.
A small object sitting on the windowsill.
A black envelope.
Her name was written on it.
LINA.
Her hands trembled as she picked it up.
She opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Five words.
You look just like him.
Lina stopped breathing.
Underneath those words was a photograph.
Her father.
Standing beside Daniel.
Both men were smiling.
But Lina noticed something else.
On the back of the photograph was a date.
A date from seventeen years ago.
And beneath it—
A message.
Ask your mother why your father really died.
Lina's eyes filled with tears.
"No..."
The photograph slipped from her fingers.
Her father had died when she was young.
She had always been told it was an accident.
A tragic accident.
Nothing more.
But now—
Everything she believed about her family was beginning to fall apart.
The bedroom door opened.
Adrian stood there.
"Lina?"
She turned toward him.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Adrian..."
He immediately rushed to her.
"What happened?"
She handed him the photograph.
He looked at it.
His expression changed.
Then he looked at her.
"What does this mean?"
Lina shook her head.
"I don't know."
Her voice broke.
"But I'm going to find out."
Adrian gently took her hand.
"You don't have to do it alone."
She looked at him.
"I know."
Downstairs, Lina's mother suddenly shouted.
"Lina!"
They both froze.
Then came another sound.
The front door slammed open.
Adrian pulled Lina behind him.
Footsteps entered the house.
Slow.
Calm.
Unhurried.
A man's voice echoed from downstairs.
"I've waited a long time for this."
Lina's blood ran cold.
Adrian looked at her.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Lina—"
"I'm not hiding."
The footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs.
Then stopped.
A tall man's shadow appeared on the wall.
And finally—
Daniel Hart stepped into view.
Older than the man in the photograph.
But unmistakably the same person.
His eyes settled on Lina.
A faint smile appeared.
"Well..."
He tilted his head.
"Look how much you've grown."
Lina stared at him in disbelief.
"You were supposed to be dead."
Daniel smiled.
"That's what I wanted everyone to believe."
Behind him, Lina's mother stood trembling.
Daniel looked at her.
"It's been seventeen years."
Her voice was barely audible.
"Why are you here?"
Daniel's smile disappeared.
"Because you took something from me."
Lina frowned.
"What?"
Daniel looked directly at her.
"You."
The room fell silent.
And Adrian stepped forward.
"Stay away from her."
Daniel slowly turned toward him.
For the first time, his expression changed.
He looked amused.
"So..."
His eyes moved between Adrian and Lina.
"You're the boy."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
Daniel smiled.
"Interesting."
And somewhere outside—
A second black car pulled up.
This time, Vanessa stepped out.
She looked toward the house.
Then at the man waiting beside the vehicle.
"Is she inside?"
The man nodded.
Vanessa smiled.
"Good."
She looked at the house.
"Then let's finish what we started."