Chapter 9: The Voice From The Past
Nobody moved.
The speakers above them crackled.
Then the voice came again.
“Renee, if you’re hearing this, it means you made it back.””
Renee’s face went completely still.
Noah looked up.
“Who is that?””
She didn’t answer.
She couldn’t.
Because she knew.
Elijah looked at her.
“Renee?””
Her eyes filled with disbelief.
The voice continued.
“I know you’ll want answers.””
A pause.
“Everyone will.””
Marcus looked around the room.
Trying to find the source.
Trying to understand.
The stranger looked uncomfortable for the first time.
Vanessa noticed.
“You didn’t know about this?””
He ignored her.
Renee stared at the speakers.
“How?””
Her voice was barely a whisper.
The recording continued.
“The first thing you need to know is this…”
The ballroom held its breath.
“I wasn’t the target.””
Elijah frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Renee looked at him.
Then the voice said:
“The person they wanted gone was Elijah.””
The room exploded with shock.
Elijah stepped back.
“No.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Noah looked between them.
“Dad?””
Renee’s face changed.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The crash.
The missing evidence.
The memory loss.
Someone had wanted Elijah erased.
Not her.
Marcus looked at Renee.
“You didn’t know?””
She shook her head slowly.
“No.””
The stranger near the door moved.
“We need to leave.””
Marcus turned.
“You knew.””
The man said nothing.
That was enough.
Elijah stared at him.
“You knew I was the target.””
The stranger looked away.
“I knew there was a plan.””
“And you let it happen?””
The man’s silence answered.
Elijah stepped forward.
“You watched my family fall apart.””
The stranger looked at him.
“You were never supposed to survive with your memory.””
Noah’s eyes widened.
Renee immediately pulled him closer.
Elijah’s face became cold.
“You tried to kill me.””
The man smiled faintly.
“I tried to prevent something worse.””
Nobody believed him.
Especially not Elijah.
The voice from the speakers continued.
“Renee, if you found this recording, you need to find the envelope.””
Marcus looked around.
“What envelope?””
The voice continued.
“It contains the final proof.””
Vanessa whispered:
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
Renee turned.
“What do you know?””
Vanessa looked terrified.
“I thought it was destroyed.””
Elijah stared.
“What was destroyed?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Renee stepped closer.
“What envelope?””
Vanessa looked at her.
“The one that proves who started everything.””
The room went silent.
Marcus searched the stage area.
Then stopped.
His eyes landed on Noah’s award table.
On the small box holding the ceremony materials.
Renee noticed.
“What?””
Marcus walked toward it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He opened the box.
Inside was an envelope.
No name.
No label.
Just a date.
The date of the crash.
Noah watched.
“Why was it there?””
Nobody answered.
Marcus picked it up.
Then froze.
Because written on the back were four words.
*For Noah. When ready.*
Renee’s breath caught.
Elijah looked at her.
“Who wrote that?””
She stared at the handwriting.
Her face changed.
Because she recognized it.
A person who knew her.
A person who knew Elijah.
A person who knew Noah.
Someone they trusted.
Renee whispered:
“This isn’t possible.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Who wrote it?””
She looked up.
May you like
And said the name that made Elijah’s entire body go still.
“Me.””
