Chapter 9: The Door That Should Have Stayed Closed
I couldn’t move.
Inside my house.
The words repeated in my mind.
Someone had been inside my home.
Someone had watched.
Someone had listened.
Someone had been close enough to steal pieces of my life without me knowing.
“Daniel,” I whispered.
“Yes?””
“Can you tell when it happened?””
“I’m checking now.””
I looked around Tasha’s living room.
At the family photos on her shelves.
At the quiet space where Noah was drawing upstairs.
A normal moment.
A normal day.
Except nothing felt normal anymore.
Marcus stood.
“I need to tell you something.””
I turned.
“What?””
He looked ashamed.
“When your father died, Evelyn wasn’t the only person with access.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Who else?””
Marcus didn’t answer immediately.
That was enough.
“Marcus.””
He sighed.
“Me.””
The room went silent.
Tasha looked shocked.
“You?””
Marcus nodded.
“Your father gave me temporary access.””
My anger rose.
“And you didn’t think to mention that?””
“I couldn’t.””
“Why?””
“Because he made me promise.””
I stepped closer.
“You keep saying promise like it excuses everything.””
“It doesn’t.””
His voice cracked slightly.
“But your father was terrified.””
“Of who?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Someone inside the family.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
The answer came too quickly.
Because part of me already knew.
And I didn’t want to accept it.
“Who?””
Marcus opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
My phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered immediately.
“What did you find?””
His breathing was heavy.
“Nia, I found the original access point.””
“Where?””
A pause.
Then:
“Your old family house.””
I froze.
“The house my father lived in?””
“Yes.””
“That was sold years ago.””
“I know.””
“Then how?””
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“Because someone has been maintaining a hidden server connected to that property.””
My heart pounded.
“Who owns it?””
Silence.
Then:
“Evelyn.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The answer I feared.
The woman who had access.
The woman who lied.
The woman who said she was protecting us.
But then I remembered her face when Daniel mentioned another person having access.
She looked scared.
Not guilty.
Scared.
“Daniel.””
“Yes?””
“Can you tell if Evelyn accessed the system?””
“I checked.””
“And?””
“No.””
That surprised me.
“No?””
“No.””
He continued.
“The last access wasn’t Evelyn.””
“Who was it?””
A long pause.
“Nia, I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
“The person who accessed the system used credentials that only your father had.””
I felt the room spin.
“That’s impossible.””
“Yes.””
“Because he’s dead.””
Daniel didn’t respond.
And that silence scared me more than an answer.
Later that evening, I returned home with Marcus following behind.
I didn’t want to be alone.
Not anymore.
The house looked exactly the same.
But it felt different.
Every shadow.
Every sound.
Every room.
I walked into the living room.
The red toy car was still sitting on the rug.
The same place where everything started.
Then I noticed something.
The toy car had moved.
I stopped.
I knew I left it near the couch.
Now it was near the fireplace.
“Nia?”” Marcus asked.
I raised my hand.
“Don’t.””
I walked closer.
My heart pounded.
Someone had been here.
I turned the toy car over.
A tiny piece of paper was taped underneath.
My hands shook as I removed it.
Only one sentence.
*Your father wasn’t the only one who knew the truth.*
I looked up.
Marcus was staring at the paper.
“What?””
I handed it to him.
His face changed.
Because he recognized the handwriting.
“Marcus?””
He swallowed.
“Nia…”
“Whose handwriting is that?””
He looked at me.
May you like
And whispered:
“Your father’s.””
