Nobody moved.
Michael Vale's words hung heavily in the room.
The people who are coming for you now.
Lina stared at him.
"What people?"
Michael didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward the window and carefully lifted the edge of the curtain.
Two black cars remained parked outside.
Their engines were running.
"They found you faster than I expected."
Adrian stepped beside him.
"Who are they?"
Michael looked at him.
"You really don't remember me?"
Adrian frowned.
"No."
Michael studied his face.
"You were a little boy."
Adrian's expression changed.
"What?"
"I used to visit your family."
"Why?"
"Because your father worked with mine."
Lina looked between them.
"So our fathers knew each other?"
Michael nodded.
"They did."
Her mother suddenly spoke.
"Michael, you shouldn't have come here."
He turned toward her.
"I had to."
"You promised."
"I know."
"What happened to keeping them away from this?"
Michael's expression softened.
"I tried."
Lina stepped forward.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not standing here."
Everyone became silent.
She looked at Michael.
"I want the truth."
Michael nodded.
"Then you deserve it."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small envelope.
He handed it to Lina.
She looked at the front.
Her father's handwriting.
Her hands began shaking.
"Where did you get this?"
"Your father gave it to me the night he died."
Lina stared at him.
"You were there?"
"Yes."
"Then you know what happened."
Michael looked down.
"More than you realize."
Lina opened the envelope.
Inside was a single folded letter.
She unfolded it.
Her father's handwriting filled the page.
Her eyes moved slowly across the words.
Then she stopped.
Her face changed.
"What?"
Adrian asked.
Lina couldn't speak.
Michael looked at her.
"What does it say?"
She handed him the letter.
He read it.
His expression darkened.
Adrian took the paper.
Lina's father had written:
If anything happens to me, don't trust anyone who claims to know the truth.
Below it was another sentence.
Especially Michael.
Adrian slowly looked up.
Lina's eyes widened.
"You said my father trusted you."
Michael didn't move.
"He did."
"Then why would he write that?"
Michael took a breath.
"Because he knew I would have to betray him."
Lina stepped backward.
"What?"
"I didn't have a choice."
Her mother whispered, "Michael..."
He looked at her.
"Tell her."
Lina turned toward her mother.
"Tell me what?"
Her mother began crying.
Michael answered.
"Your father asked me to help him disappear."
Lina's heart pounded.
"What?"
"He knew Daniel was coming after him. He wanted you and your mother protected."
"But he died."
Michael nodded.
"Yes."
"Then why did he need you?"
"Because someone inside the organization was helping Daniel."
Lina's eyes widened.
"Who?"
Michael looked toward the door.
"We never found out."
A loud bang came from downstairs.
Everyone froze.
Adrian immediately moved toward Lina.
Michael reached inside his jacket.
Her mother whispered—
"They're inside."
Footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Slow.
Heavy.
Getting closer.
Adrian looked at Michael.
"How many?"
"At least three."
"How do you know?"
Michael's expression hardened.
"Because I've been running from them for seventeen years."
Another bang.
The lights suddenly went out.
Lina gasped.
"Mom!"
"I'm here."
Adrian reached for Lina's hand.
"I've got you."
Michael whispered.
"We need to move."
"Where?"
"Basement."
Lina shook her head.
"No."
Michael looked at her.
"That's the only way out."
They hurried downstairs.
The house was completely dark.
Outside, rain began falling.
Lina held Adrian's hand tightly as they moved through the hallway.
Then—
A flashlight appeared at the end of the corridor.
"Stop!"
Everyone froze.
Michael pushed Lina behind him.
A man stepped into view.
"Michael."
Michael stared at him.
"I thought you were dead."
The man laughed.
"That's becoming a popular rumor."
Lina recognized him.
The man from the black car.
He was holding a phone.
On the screen was a picture of Lina and Adrian.
"You've made this difficult."
Michael stepped forward.
"Leave them out of this."
"They're already in it."
The man looked at Lina.
"She has something we need."
Lina instinctively touched her pocket.
The flash drive.
The man's eyes followed the movement.
"There it is."
Adrian stepped in front of Lina.
"You aren't getting it."
The man smiled.
"You really don't understand."
"What?"
"This isn't about the girl."
His eyes shifted to Adrian.
"It's about you."
Adrian froze.
Lina looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
The man smiled.
"Ask your father."
Adrian's face went pale.
"My father is dead."
"Is he?"
Silence.
Adrian stared at him.
"What did you say?"
The man turned toward the exit.
Before leaving, he looked at Lina.
"Open the drive."
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
---
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Adrian looked at Michael.
"Is my father alive?"
Michael said nothing.
"Answer me."
"I don't know."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"You just said you knew everything."
"I said I knew what happened seventeen years ago."
"Then tell me!"
Michael looked at him.
"Your father disappeared."
Adrian stared.
"When?"
"The same night Lina's father died."
Lina's heart sank.
"Why?"
Michael looked between them.
"Because they were both trying to protect you."
"Me?"
He nodded.
"You and Lina."
Adrian looked confused.
"Why would our fathers protect us?"
Michael sighed.
"Because your families were connected."
Lina shook her head.
"Connected how?"
Michael hesitated.
Then finally said—
"Your fathers were investigating the same organization."
Lina's eyes widened.
"What organization?"
Michael looked toward the window.
"The Blackthorn Group."
Her mother immediately covered her mouth.
Adrian frowned.
"What is that?"
Michael's voice dropped.
"A network of powerful people who have been operating for decades."
"And Daniel?"
"One of them."
Lina looked down at the flash drive.
"And what's on this?"
"Proof."
"Proof of what?"
Michael looked directly at her.
"Names."
Lina's stomach twisted.
"Whose names?"
"Everyone involved."
Adrian looked at the drive.
"Then why hasn't anyone found it?"
Michael gave a grim smile.
"Because your father hid it somewhere nobody would think to look."
Lina frowned.
"Where?"
Michael looked at her.
"With you."
She froze.
"What?"
"Your father didn't trust anyone else."
Michael pointed toward the necklace around Lina's neck.
"The key is inside that."
Lina touched the necklace.
Her mother's eyes widened.
"No..."
Michael nodded.
"Yes."
Lina slowly removed it.
She had worn it almost her entire life.
Her father had given it to her when she was a child.
She had always thought it was just a necklace.
Michael looked at it.
"Open it."
Her fingers trembled.
She searched the pendant until she found a tiny seam.
With a little pressure—
Click.
The pendant opened.
Inside was a tiny black memory card.
Lina stared at it.
Her father had hidden everything inside something she carried every day.
Something no one would think to search.
Adrian looked at her.
"What are you going to do?"
Lina closed her fingers around it.
For the first time since everything had begun—
She wasn't afraid.
"I'm going to find the truth."
Michael nodded.
But before anyone could move—
Lina's phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Unknown: You found it.
Her heart stopped.
Another message followed.
Unknown: Now you have 24 hours.
Lina stared at the screen.
Unknown: After that, Adrian dies.
She looked up.
Adrian noticed her expression.
"Lina?"
She couldn't speak.
Because somewhere outside—
Someone was watching them.
And they knew exactly where they were.