Chapter 7: The Man Who Investigated Himself
Nobody spoke.
The security footage played again.
And again.
The same impossible image.
A man sitting in the ballroom.
A man holding a champagne glass.
A man surrounded by witnesses.
And at the exact same time…
That same man’s account accessing confidential hospital records.
Ethan Calloway.
His own name.
His own authorization.
His own digital signature.
Lily stared at the screen.
“This doesn’t make sense.””
No one answered.
Because everyone was thinking the same thing.
Ethan slowly approached the tablet.
“Play it again.””
The security officer obeyed.
The footage showed the hospital database login.
The screen displayed the user profile.
ETHAN CALLOWAY.
Time.
Location.
Access granted.
Ethan watched silently.
Then he looked at Richard.
“Can this be forged?””
Richard hesitated.
“Yes.””
Everyone noticed.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“But?””
Richard sighed.
“But not easily.””
“What would someone need?””
Richard looked at the tablet.
“My credentials.””
“And?””
“Your security key.””
“And?””
Richard swallowed.
“Your fingerprint.””
The room became colder.
Lily looked at Ethan.
“Someone had access to everything.””
Ethan nodded slowly.
“Someone close.””
Everyone’s eyes moved.
Not intentionally.
But they did.
To Vanessa.
To Damian.
To Richard.
Three people who had been standing beside Ethan for months.
Three people who knew his life better than he did.
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Ethan looked at her.
“I didn’t say anything.””
“But you were thinking it.””
She stepped forward.
“After everything tonight, you really think I would be that stupid?””
Damian laughed.
“You’d be surprised what people do when they think they’re about to lose everything.””
Vanessa turned.
“You’re the one who tried to destroy him.””
Damian smiled.
“And you’re the one who tried to own him.””
Ethan raised his hand.
“Stop.””
They stopped.
His voice was calm.
But his patience was gone.
“I want the truth.””
He looked at Richard.
“Can we access the hospital records now?””
Richard nodded.
“If they haven’t been deleted.””
“Do it.””
Richard walked toward a nearby laptop.
His hands moved quickly.
Lily watched.
There was something strange about the way Richard worked.
Not like someone trying to help.
Like someone trying to fix a mistake before someone noticed.
Ethan noticed too.
“You’ve done this before.””
Richard froze.
“Done what?””
“Covered something up.””
Richard slowly looked back.
“No.””
Ethan stared.
“You hesitated.””
Richard looked away.
That was enough.
Ethan turned to Lily.
“Do you remember anything else?””
She shook her head.
“I’m trying.””
“Try harder.””
The words sounded harsh.
Immediately, Ethan regretted them.
“I’m sorry.””
Lily looked at him.
“It’s okay.””
“No.””
He looked frustrated.
“I’m asking you to remember something that someone worked very hard to erase.””
Lily was quiet.
Then she said:
“I remember your office.””
Everyone looked at her.
“Before the accident.””
Ethan stepped closer.
“What happened?””
“You were angry.””
“At who?””
She closed her eyes.
“Damian.””
Damian’s expression changed.
“You’re wrong.””
Lily ignored him.
“You had documents on your desk.””
“What documents?””
“I don’t know.””
She pressed her fingers against her temple.
“But I remember one sentence.””
Ethan waited.
“You said…”
Her voice became quieter.
“‘If anything happens to me, release everything.’”
The room went still.
Damian stopped smiling.
Vanessa looked afraid.
Richard whispered:
“Oh no.””
Ethan turned.
“What?””
Richard looked at him.
“You created a dead man’s switch.””
Ethan frowned.
“A what?””
“A system that automatically releases information if you disappear.””
Lily nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
Everyone looked at her.
She looked surprised too.
“I remember setting it up.””
Ethan stared.
“With me?””
She nodded.
“With you.””
Vanessa’s face changed.
“That’s impossible.””
Lily looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because if such a system existed, we would know.””
“No.””
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
“Not if it was hidden.””
Vanessa went silent.
Richard stepped away from the laptop.
“I found something.””
Everyone turned.
“What?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“The hospital records.””
Ethan approached.
“What happened?””
Richard turned the screen.
“The files weren’t deleted.””
“Then?””
“They were altered.””
Lily walked closer.
“What was changed?””
Richard scrolled.
“The accident report.””
Ethan looked.
“The original version is missing.””
“And the replacement?””
Richard looked at him.
“The replacement says you caused the crash yourself.””
Silence.
Ethan stared.
“That’s a lie.””
Richard nodded.
“Yes.””
“How do you know?””
Richard looked away.
“Because I was there.””
Everyone froze.
Ethan’s voice became low.
“You were there?””
Richard closed his eyes.
“I followed you that night.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew you were meeting Lily.””
Lily looked shocked.
“And?””
Richard’s face became filled with guilt.
“And I saw Vanessa arrive.””
Ethan looked at him.
“You saw her?””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
Richard swallowed.
“She argued with you.””
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“That’s not true.””
Richard looked at her.
“It is.””
“You don’t know what you saw.””
“I saw enough.””
Ethan’s eyes moved between them.
“What was she saying?””
Richard hesitated.
Then:
“She told you to sign the documents.””
The room went silent.
Ethan whispered:
“What documents?””
“The transfer agreement.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Richard continued.
“You refused.””
Ethan stared.
“Then?””
Richard’s voice became barely audible.
“Then she said if you wouldn’t give her what she wanted…”
He stopped.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Say it.””
Richard looked at Vanessa.
“She said she would make sure you forgot.””
Nobody moved.
Vanessa looked horrified.
“That’s a lie.””
Richard shook his head.
“No.””
“You’re lying to save yourself.””
“No.””
Richard pointed at Ethan.
“Because after she left, I found him.””
Ethan’s face tightened.
“Found me where?””
“Beside your car.””
A memory flashed.
A road.
Rain.
A woman screaming.
A hand touching his shoulder.
Ethan stumbled.
Lily caught his arm.
“Ethan.””
He looked at her.
“I remember.””
Everyone went silent.
“What?”” Lily asked.
He looked terrified.
Not confused.
Terrified.
“I remember the accident.””
Vanessa’s face drained.
“What do you remember?””
Ethan stared at her.
“You weren’t trying to save me.””
The room froze.
“You were trying to take something from me.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“You came to my car.””
“No.””
“You were holding a folder.””
Her breathing changed.
Ethan continued.
“You asked me where the backup file was.””
Damian’s eyes widened.
“Backup file.””
Lily looked at Ethan.
“The dead man’s switch.””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
Then another memory returned.
A voice.
Vanessa.
Whispering.
“Where did you hide it?””
Ethan looked at her.
“You knew.””
Vanessa took a step back.
“I…”
“You knew about the evidence.””
The tears in her eyes did nothing now.
Because everyone saw what was underneath.
Fear.
Not sadness.
Fear.
Ethan turned to Lily.
“Where is it?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
“You created it.””
“Yes.””
“Then think.””
Lily closed her eyes.
Trying.
Trying to unlock the missing pieces.
Then suddenly, she opened them.
“The necklace.””
Everyone looked confused.
“What?””
Lily stared at Vanessa’s diamond necklace.
“The night before the accident…”
Her voice trembled.
“You asked me why Ethan trusted me.””
Vanessa touched the necklace instinctively.
Lily pointed.
“You were wearing that.””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“No.””
Lily stepped closer.
“The evidence wasn’t in a computer.””
Ethan looked at her.
“Where was it?””
Lily stared at the necklace.
“You hid it where nobody would search.””
A long silence.
Then Ethan slowly understood.
“Inside the diamond setting.””
Vanessa grabbed the necklace.
Too late.
Because everyone had already seen her reaction.
And that reaction was the answer.
Ethan looked at security.
“Take her necklace.””
Vanessa stepped back.
“No.””
The officers moved forward.
Vanessa’s voice changed.
Desperate.
“You don’t understand.””
Ethan stared.
“Then explain.””
She looked at Damian.
At Richard.
At the locked doors.
And finally, at Ethan.
Then she whispered:
“The file isn’t the worst thing you’ll find.””
Everyone stopped.
Ethan frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa’s eyes filled with fear.
“Because the night of the accident…”
She looked at Lily.
“She wasn’t the only person who disappeared.””
Lily froze.
“What?””
Vanessa looked directly at Ethan.
“You didn’t lose three months of memory.””
A pause.
“You lost a whole year.””
And from somewhere inside Ethan’s broken memories…
A name began to return.
May you like
A name that made Lily’s blood run cold.
Because it was the name of the person who had really started everything.
