The next morning, the world felt heavier. Even the sun seemed hesitant to rise, as if it knew my life had just tilted on its axis. I couldn't stop replaying the name — Christopher Vane. My real father.
I skipped breakfast and locked myself in my room, scrolling through every article, every forgotten blog post about him. He wasn't just anyone — he was a cyber engineer who once worked for Hills's tech company, MorgenX Industries. But five years before my mother's arrest, he vanished without a trace.
Halfway through an archived interview, I noticed something strange: Christopher had once mentioned a prototype — a data encryption chip that could "rewrite identity trails." It sounded like nonsense back then, but knowing Hills Morgan, it made too much sense now.
A knock startled me. Uncle Festus peeked in. "Still digging?"
I nodded. "Uncle, what if Mom's not in jail because she ran — what if she was silenced because she found something?"
He frowned. "Be careful what you dig for, Kendra. Hills still has people watching."
That sent a shiver through me. "You mean… here?"
He hesitated, then closed the door behind him. "Let's just say there are things better whispered than said aloud."
Later that night, I went to the study again. I wanted to check the black folder, but it was gone. My chest tightened. Uncle Festus never removed things without telling me. I searched the desk, drawers, even behind books — nothing.
Then my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:
> "Stop looking, Kendra. Some secrets are buried for a reason."
My breath caught. Before I could reply, another message came — this time, with a picture.
It was my mother. In her prison uniform. But the background wasn't the prison I visited. The walls were white, sterile… like a lab.
The timestamp? Last night.
My phone slipped from my hands. "No… that can't be right."
The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. I turned quickly, expecting Uncle Festus.
But it wasn't him.
A tall figure in a gray coat stood by the doorway, face hidden under a hood.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice shaking.
The figure spoke softly, almost regretfully. "Your mother said you'd come looking for the truth."
I froze. "You knew her?"
He nodded. "I worked with her… and with Christopher."
I stepped back. "You're Dr. Mason Lee."
He slowly lowered his hood, revealing tired eyes and a scar running across his temple. "And if you want to save your mother, you'll need to finish what she started."
Before I could speak, he slid an envelope across the desk. "This is the first key. But once you open it, there's no going back."
He turned to leave, pausing at the door. "You've got your mother's fire, Kendra. Don't let it burn you."
And just like that, he was gone.
I stared at the envelope, my heart pounding.
Written across it, in my mother's handwriting, were the words:
"Trust no one — not even Festus."