The man outside my window smiled.
I couldn't breathe.
I knew him.
His name was Victor.
He had worked for my father for as long as I could remember. He was always around during family gatherings, business meetings, and even trips outside the country.
My father trusted him.
I had trusted him too.
Adrian noticed my expression.
"You know him?"
I nodded slowly.
"He's one of my father's men."
Adrian's face hardened.
"Then we have a problem."
Downstairs, voices suddenly erupted.
A crash followed.
Lily screamed.
I grabbed her hand.
"Stay with me."
My father rushed into the room.
"Everyone downstairs. Now."
"What happened?"
"Victor has disappeared."
I stared at him.
"But I just saw him outside."
My father's face changed.
"Where?"
I pointed toward the window.
He looked outside.
The car was gone.
Only the two guards remained near the gate.
My father immediately pulled out his phone.
"Find Victor."
I stepped closer.
"Father, what does Victor know?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
He looked at me.
"Not everything needs an answer."
"Then why was he watching my window?"
He didn't respond.
Adrian stepped forward.
"Because he knows about the recording."
My father looked at him sharply.
"How did you know?"
"Because he wouldn't risk coming here unless he wanted something."
My father's jaw tightened.
Then Lily spoke.
"Maybe he already has it."
Everyone turned toward her.
"What?" I asked.
She pointed at my laptop.
"The recording."
I rushed to it.
The file was gone.
My heart stopped.
"No."
I searched the computer again.
Nothing.
The memory card was still inside.
But the video had disappeared.
Someone had deleted it.
My father stared at the screen.
"Who had access to this room?"
I looked at everyone.
My mother was missing.
My uncle was downstairs.
Daniel had been in the house.
Adrian had been beside me.
And Victor had been watching us.
Then I remembered something.
Before the lights went out the previous night, Daniel had been standing near the study.
I turned toward him.
"Daniel."
He looked at me.
"What?"
"Were you in my room earlier?"
"No."
"You've never touched my laptop?"
"No."
I stared at him.
He looked nervous.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because everyone keeps lying to me."
He stepped closer.
"I didn't delete anything."
"Then prove it."
He reached into his pocket.
Something fell to the floor.
A small silver key.
My father immediately recognized it.
"Where did you get that?"
Daniel froze.
"What?"
My father picked it up.
"That key belongs to the old warehouse."
Silence.
I looked at Daniel.
"Why do you have it?"
He swallowed.
"Because I went there."
"When?"
"Last week."
"Why?"
He looked at my father.
"Because I was looking for answers."
My father stepped toward him.
"You had no right."
Daniel's voice suddenly rose.
"Neither did you!"
Everyone went silent.
Daniel looked at me.
"I went to the warehouse because I wanted to know why my father died."
My heart sank.
"Your father died?"
He nodded.
"Three days after the fire."
I stared at him.
"What?"
"Everyone said it was an accident."
His eyes filled with anger.
"But it wasn't."
He looked at my father.
"My father was murdered."
My father's expression changed.
Daniel continued.
"And I finally found out who killed him."
I whispered, "Who?"
Daniel looked directly at me.
"Victor."
My blood ran cold.
Before anyone could respond, my phone vibrated.
One message.
Stop searching for the truth, or your mother dies next.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Come to the old warehouse alone. Midnight.
My hands began shaking.
There was one final line.
Bring Adrian.
I looked at him.
He had already seen the message.
His expression was grim.
"We're going."
My father stepped forward.
"No."
Adrian looked at him.
"This time, you're not stopping us."
I looked toward the dark window.
The nightmare had begun ten years ago.
And tonight…
I was finally going back to where it all started.