For several seconds, nobody moved.
I stared at Adrian.
Then at Evelyn.
Then back at Adrian.
—What do you mean, I was there?
Adrian didn’t answer.
—Adrian.
His jaw tightened.
—Sophia, you were thirteen.
—That’s not an answer.
—It’s the reason you don’t remember.
I felt anger rising in my chest.
—Everyone keeps saying I don’t remember.
My father.
You.
Evelyn.
What exactly happened to me?
Adrian looked away.
—Your father didn’t want you to know.
—He’s dead.
The words came out sharper than I intended.
Adrian flinched.
—And I’m tired of protecting a secret that everyone else seems to know.
Evelyn stepped forward.
—Sophia— —No.
I raised my hand.
—You don’t get to explain anything.
You lied to me too.
She lowered her eyes.
Adrian looked at me.
—She’s not the only one.
—You mean you.
He nodded.
—Yes.
I laughed bitterly.
—At least you’re honest about one thing.
Adrian took a step closer.
—Your father asked me to keep you away from the truth.
—Why?
—Because the truth wasn’t safe.
—And now?
His expression darkened.
—Now it’s too late.
A sudden sound came from outside.
A car engine.
We all turned toward the window.
The black car across the street was gone.
Evelyn walked to the curtains.
—They’re moving.
—Who?
—I asked.
She didn’t answer.
Adrian did.
—My father’s people.
I stared at him.
—You said they weren’t behind the messages.
—They’re not.
—Then why are they watching me?
—Because my father knows you found the box.
I felt my stomach twist.
—How?
Adrian looked at the photograph.
—Because someone told him.
—Who?
He hesitated.
—Someone close to Daniel.
Evelyn looked away.
I noticed.
—You know who.
She didn’t respond.
—Evelyn.
She finally whispered: —Yes.
I stepped toward her.
—Who?
Before she could answer, Adrian interrupted.
—We need to leave.
—I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me the truth.
—Sophia— —No.
I held up the photograph.
—My father trusted you.
Adrian’s eyes met mine.
—He did.
—Then tell me what happened that night.
Adrian went silent.
I waited.
Finally, he spoke.
—Your father discovered something about my family.
—What?
—A financial account.
I frowned.
—That’s it?
—It wasn’t just an account.
Money had been transferred for years through companies that didn’t officially exist.
—And my father found it?
—Yes.
—Why would that get him killed?
Adrian looked at Evelyn.
She answered this time.
—Because Daniel wasn’t supposed to see it.
I swallowed.
—What was the money for?
Evelyn hesitated.
—People.
The word made the room feel colder.
—People?
—Your father believed the Blackwood Foundation was being used to pay people to keep certain things hidden.
—What things?
Evelyn looked at Adrian.
—Disappearances.
My heart dropped.
—People disappeared?
Adrian nodded.
—Over the years.
—And my father investigated?
—He wanted to expose them.
I looked at the photograph again.
—Then why was he with you?
Adrian’s voice was quiet.
—Because I was helping him.
I stared at him.
That wasn’t what I expected.
—You were sixteen.
—Yes.
—How could you help him?
—Because I knew things my father didn’t know I knew.
I shook my head.
—This makes no sense.
Adrian stepped closer.
—It will.
—When?
—When you remember.
I felt a sudden pressure behind my eyes.
A flash.
A hallway.
Rain against windows.
My father’s voice.
Don’t let him see you.
I grabbed the edge of the table.
Adrian noticed.
—Sophia?
I closed my eyes.
Another image.
A younger Adrian.
Sixteen.
Standing in a dark hallway.
His face was frightened.
He was holding my father’s old watch.
Someone was shouting downstairs.
Then my father’s voice.
Take her and run.
I opened my eyes.
Adrian was standing in front of me.
—What did you see?
I whispered: —You.
He went completely still.
—Where?
—A hallway.
His expression changed.
—What else?
—You had my father’s watch.
Adrian looked at Evelyn.
She covered her mouth.
—She remembers.
—Not everything —Adrian said.
I stared at him.
—What happened next?
He didn’t answer.
—Adrian.
He looked at me.
—You were hiding upstairs.
My heart began pounding.
—Why?
—Because someone had entered the house.
—Who?
—We didn’t know.
—And my father?
Adrian’s eyes darkened.
—He told me to get you out.
—Did you?
—Yes.
I shook my head.
—Then why don’t I remember leaving?
Adrian’s voice became quieter.
—Because you never left.
Silence.
—What?
—We were stopped.
—By who?
He looked toward the door.
—My father.
I couldn’t breathe.
—Your father was there?
—Yes.
—At my house?
Adrian nodded.
—He came looking for the file.
I stared at him.
—And my father?
Adrian closed his eyes.
—He gave it to him.
I felt tears burning my eyes.
—No.
—Sophia— —No.
My father would never give him something that could hurt people.
—He didn’t.
Adrian looked at me.
—He gave him a fake file.
Evelyn nodded.
—The real one was hidden.
—Where?
Nobody answered.
I looked at Adrian.
—You know.
He shook his head.
—No.
—You’re lying.
—I’m not.
—Then why did my father tell you to protect me?
Adrian looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
—Because the real file was never meant to be found.
I frowned.
—Why?
—Because it contains something much more dangerous than financial records.
—What?
Adrian looked at the black envelope.
—Names.
I didn’t understand.
—Whose names?
—People who were involved.
—Blackwoods?
—Some.
He paused.
—But not all.
Evelyn walked toward the door.
—We have to go.
This time I didn’t argue.
Something about the way she said it made me listen.
Adrian opened the door and looked into the hallway.
Empty.
We followed him down the stairs.
The university apartment building was strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
We reached the lobby.
The security desk was empty.
I stopped.
—Where’s the guard?
Adrian looked around.
—He should be here.
Evelyn whispered: —Keep moving.
We stepped outside.
The night air was cold.
Cars passed along the street.
Students laughed several buildings away.
Everything looked normal.
But I knew better now.
Normal was an illusion.
We walked two blocks before Adrian stopped beside a small café.
—We’re safe here.
I looked at him.
—How do you know?
—Because my father doesn’t own this place.
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then my phone vibrated.
Another message.
I opened it.
This time there was no text.
Only a photograph.
My hands went cold.
It was a picture of my father.
Standing outside our house.
And beside him…
me.
Thirteen years old.
I stared at the screen.
—That’s impossible.
Adrian took the phone from my hand.
His expression changed.
—Where did they get this?
Evelyn looked over his shoulder.
She immediately stepped back.
—Oh God.
I looked at her.
—What?
She pointed at the photograph.
—Look at the date.
I zoomed in.
October 14.
Six years ago.
The night my father died.
My breath caught.
But there was something else.
Someone had written a message across the bottom of the photograph.
Four words.
YOU WERE NEVER THE TARGET.
I looked at Adrian.
—Then who was?
He stared at the photograph.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.
—Your father.
A car suddenly turned the corner.
Its headlights flashed across the street.
Adrian grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the café wall.
The car slowed.
Then stopped.
Nobody spoke.
A door opened.
Footsteps approached.
Evelyn whispered: —Don’t move.
The footsteps stopped only a few meters away.
Then a man’s voice spoke from the darkness.
—Sophia Bennett?
Adrian looked at me.
The stranger continued: —Your father left you something.
I held my breath.
—Something he never gave to the Blackwoods.
A pause.
Then the man added: —And he told me to give it to you when Adrian finally found you.
Adrian’s face went pale.
—That’s impossible.
The stranger laughed quietly.
—You really don’t remember, do you?
I looked at Adrian.
He didn’t move.
The stranger stepped into the light.
And I recognized him.
He had been standing beside my father in the photograph.
The same photograph I had found in the box.
The man looked directly at me.
—Hello, Sophia.
He smiled.
—I’ve been waiting six years to meet you again.