Lina stared at her phone.
The message remained on the screen.
Unknown: Ask your mother what happened the night your father died.
Her fingers trembled.
She looked at her mother.
"Mom."
Her mother slowly raised her eyes.
"What?"
Lina turned the phone toward her.
The moment her mother read the message, all the color drained from her face.
Adrian noticed.
"You know who sent that?"
Her mother didn't answer.
Lina stepped closer.
"Mom."
Still nothing.
"Tell me."
Her mother looked away.
Lina's voice became softer.
"What happened that night?"
Her mother closed her eyes.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock.
Then she whispered—
"I wasn't supposed to be there."
Lina frowned.
"What?"
"The night your father died."
Her mother sat down slowly.
"I wasn't supposed to be there."
Lina's heart began pounding.
"Then where were you?"
Her mother looked at her.
"At the warehouse."
Adrian's expression changed.
"What warehouse?"
Her mother ignored him.
"Your father had discovered what Daniel was doing. He wanted to confront him."
Lina sat opposite her.
"And you followed him?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I knew Daniel was dangerous."
Her mother clasped her hands together.
"I thought if I went with your father, I could stop them from fighting."
Lina swallowed.
"Did you?"
Her mother shook her head.
"No."
---
Seventeen years earlier.
Rain poured against the warehouse windows.
Lina's father stood near the center of the room, holding a small black briefcase.
Daniel stood several feet away.
"You shouldn't have come here," Daniel said.
"I had no choice."
"You always have a choice."
Her father looked at him.
"Not anymore."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"You took the records."
"I did."
"Give them back."
"No."
"You don't understand what you've done."
"I understand exactly what I've done."
His voice remained calm.
"I'm ending this."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"You think you can just walk away?"
"Yes."
"You have a family."
"Exactly."
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"That's why you should give them back."
"My family is the reason I'm not giving them to you."
Silence.
Then footsteps echoed from the shadows.
Lina's mother appeared.
Her father turned.
"What are you doing here?"
"I followed you."
He shook his head.
"You shouldn't have."
"I wasn't going to let you face him alone."
Daniel looked between them.
"How touching."
Lina's mother stepped closer.
"Daniel, please."
He laughed.
"Please?"
She stared at him.
"Leave us alone."
"You still think you can tell me what to do."
"No."
Her voice trembled.
"I'm asking you."
Daniel looked at Lina's father.
Then at the briefcase.
"What did you do with the records?"
"They're safe."
"Where?"
"I'm not telling you."
Daniel's expression changed.
For the first time, the anger in his eyes became dangerous.
"You've made a mistake."
---
Lina listened silently.
Tears had begun forming in her eyes.
"What happened next?"
Her mother looked down.
"Your father told me to leave."
"But you didn't."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel pulled a gun."
Lina covered her mouth.
Adrian's expression tightened.
"My father was shot?"
Her mother shook her head.
"Not immediately."
She took a shaky breath.
"Your father and Daniel fought."
"The gun went off."
Lina's eyes widened.
"Who was shot?"
Her mother looked at her.
"Daniel."
Silence.
"Daniel was shot?"
"Yes."
"Then how did my father die?"
Her mother began crying.
"That wasn't the end."
---
Back at the warehouse, Daniel lay on the floor.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Lina's father stood frozen.
The gun lay several feet away.
Her mother rushed toward Daniel.
"We need to call an ambulance."
"No."
She looked at her husband.
"What?"
"We can't."
"He's dying."
"I know."
"We have to help him."
"If we call the police, everything comes out."
She stared at him.
"You mean the records."
He nodded.
"The records. The people involved. Everything."
She looked down at Daniel.
"He's still alive."
Her husband picked up the briefcase.
"We have to go."
She stared at him.
"I won't leave him."
"He made his choice."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I won't become like him."
Her husband hesitated.
Then he said quietly—
"Take Lina and leave."
"What?"
"Take our daughter."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to fix this."
---
Lina looked at her mother.
"Did you leave?"
Her mother nodded.
"I took you home."
"And Dad?"
"I thought he would follow."
"But he didn't."
"No."
Her voice broke.
"I waited all night."
Lina felt tears roll down her cheeks.
"What happened to Daniel?"
Her mother looked away.
"When I went back the next morning..."
She stopped.
"He was gone."
Lina frowned.
"Gone?"
"Yes."
"But you said he was shot."
"He was."
"Then how did he disappear?"
"I don't know."
Lina stared at her.
"You don't know?"
Her mother shook her head.
"That's what scared me."
---
Adrian finally spoke.
"So everyone believed Daniel died?"
Her mother nodded.
"Yes."
"Who reported the accident?"
"Someone found your father's car near the bridge."
Lina's face changed.
"Wait."
She looked at her mother.
"His car?"
"Yes."
"But you said he went to the warehouse."
"He did."
"Then why was his car at the bridge?"
Her mother went silent.
Lina slowly stood.
"Mom..."
Her mother couldn't meet her eyes.
"You said Dad died in an accident."
"I know."
"But if his car was at the bridge..."
Lina's voice trembled.
"Then someone moved it."
Adrian looked at her.
"Exactly."
Her mother covered her face.
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of whoever did it."
Lina's heart pounded.
"You know who killed him."
Her mother slowly lowered her hands.
"No."
She hesitated.
"But I know who was there."
Lina's breathing stopped.
"Who?"
Her mother looked toward the window.
"Daniel wasn't alone that night."
---
Lina's phone buzzed again.
Everyone froze.
She looked down.
Another message.
Unknown: Now ask her about the second car.
Lina's eyes widened.
She looked at her mother.
"What second car?"
Her mother stood suddenly.
"No."
"Mom?"
"We have to leave."
"Why?"
"Now."
She grabbed Lina's arm.
"We can't stay here."
Adrian moved toward them.
"What happened?"
Her mother looked at him.
"They know."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Another sound came from outside.
A car engine.
Then another.
Lina looked toward the window.
Two black cars were parked outside.
Her mother pulled the curtains shut.
"They found us."
Adrian stepped toward the door.
"Stay here."
Lina grabbed his arm.
"No."
"I'll check."
"No, Adrian."
She shook her head.
"You don't understand."
Her voice trembled.
"Whoever sent those messages knows everything."
Adrian looked at her.
"Then we need to find out who they are."
A loud knock interrupted them.
Everyone froze.
Three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Lina's mother whispered—
"They've come."
The front door opened.
A man's voice echoed through the house.
"Mrs. Hart."
Lina's blood ran cold.
The same voice.
The same calm tone.
But this time, there was something different about it.
Recognition.
Her mother knew him.
"Who is that?" Lina whispered.
Her mother looked at her.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Someone your father trusted."
Footsteps approached.
Then a man appeared at the doorway.
Lina stared at him.
She knew that face.
She had seen it before.
In the photograph.
Standing beside her father.
But this wasn't the young man from seventeen years ago.
This was someone older.
Someone who had spent years hiding.
He looked directly at Lina.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
Lina stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
The man looked at her mother.
Then at Adrian.
Finally, he looked back at Lina.
"My name is Michael Vale."
Lina's heart stopped.
Vale.
Adrian's surname.
Adrian stared at the man.
"Wait..."
Michael looked at him.
And his expression changed.
"Adrian."
Adrian's face went pale.
"You know me?"
Michael nodded slowly.
"Of course I do."
Lina looked between them.
"How?"
Michael's voice dropped.
"Because your father wasn't the only person who disappeared that night."
Adrian stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Michael looked at Lina.
Then said the words that changed everything—
"Your father and my brother were connected long before you were born."
Adrian froze.
"My brother?"
Michael nodded.
"Yes."
He looked toward the photograph in Lina's hand.
"And Daniel Hart wasn't the man your father was trying to escape from."
A pause.
"He was the man your father was trying to protect you from."
Lina's eyes widened.
"Then who was he protecting me from?"
Michael's expression became grim.
"The people who are coming for you now."
Outside, the sound of another car stopped.
Michael looked toward the window.
"They're here."
And this time—
Nobody in the room knew who was coming through the door.