Chapter 13: The hidden file
832 Words
Serena barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the photographs.
The anonymous messages.
The letter claiming Isabella was alive.
Damien's haunted expression.
By sunrise, she had given up trying to rest.
She quietly slipped out of bed and walked into Lily's room.
The little girl lay sprawled across the mattress, hugging her stuffed bunny with one tiny arm.
A smile tugged at Serena's lips.
No matter how complicated life became...
Lily remained her safe place.
Serena kissed her daughter's forehead.
"I'll always protect you."
Lily smiled in her sleep.
"You promise?"
Serena's heart melted.
"I promise."
---
The smell of coffee filled the kitchen.
Damien stood by the counter wearing a simple gray sweater, pouring two cups.
He looked up when Serena entered.
"I thought you might need this."
She accepted the mug.
"Thank you."
For several seconds, they stood in silence.
Then Damien spoke.
"I'm taking Lily to the park today."
Serena frowned.
"You are?"
He nodded.
"I've been working too much."
"I owe her some time."
The words sounded sincere.
Serena studied him carefully.
There were dark circles beneath his eyes.
His shoulders looked heavier than usual.
For the first time...
He looked like a man carrying the weight of the world.
"That would make her happy," Serena said quietly.
A faint smile crossed Damien's face.
"I know."
---
Blackwood Global...
Ethan sat alone in his office.
The morning sunlight illuminated dozens of files spread across his desk.
Every file carried the same symbol.
A black raven.
Helen entered carrying another folder.
"We finished searching the abandoned warehouse."
"Find anything?"
She placed a flash drive on the desk.
"This was hidden beneath the conference table."
Ethan picked it up.
"No fingerprints."
"They wiped everything."
He inserted the drive into his laptop.
A single encrypted folder appeared.
Helen frowned.
"Can you open it?"
Ethan reached for his phone.
"I know someone who can."
---
An hour later...
The company's cybersecurity expert finally broke the encryption.
One video file appeared.
Its title made Ethan's blood run cold.
PROJECT GLASSHOUSE
He clicked Play.
The screen flickered to life.
A meeting room.
Several men in expensive suits.
Faces blurred intentionally.
Voices distorted.
Then...
One sentence cut through the static.
«"If Blackwood refuses to cooperate, we'll use the woman."»
Ethan leaned forward.
The recording continued.
«"And if that doesn't work..."»
Another voice answered.
«"We'll use the child."»
The video suddenly ended.
Helen stared at the blank screen.
"They were talking about Serena..."
Ethan slowly shook his head.
"No."
"They were planning this years ago."
---
Meanwhile...
Serena sat on a bench in the park, watching Damien chase Lily across the grass.
"Daddy!"
Lily laughed as Damien pretended he couldn't catch her.
"You run too fast!"
"No!"
"I'm a superhero!"
Damien finally scooped her into his arms.
"I surrender."
Lily kissed his cheek.
"I win!"
Serena couldn't stop watching them.
If Damien was pretending...
He deserved an award.
No one could fake that kind of love for a child.
Could they?
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She opened the message.
«Look under Damien's driver's seat before sunset.»
Nothing else.
No explanation.
She looked toward Damien.
He was helping Lily climb the slide.
Should she ignore the message?
Or...
Should she finally start following the clues?
---
That evening...
Damien parked the car outside their apartment.
"I'll carry Lily."
She had fallen asleep on the drive home.
Serena smiled.
"I'll get her backpack."
Damien carefully lifted Lily from her car seat and carried her inside.
The moment the apartment door closed...
Serena's eyes drifted toward the driver's seat.
Her pulse quickened.
She opened the car door.
Knelt beside the seat.
And reached underneath.
Her fingers brushed against something.
A small black USB drive.
Exactly where the message said it would be.
She stared at it.
Whoever was sending the messages...
Knew Damien's car.
Knew where he hid things.
Knew Serena would be alone for these few moments.
The realization sent a chill down her spine.
She slipped the USB drive into her pocket before quietly entering the apartment.
---
Later that night...
After Damien and Lily had fallen asleep, Serena sat alone in the living room.
Her laptop rested on the coffee table.
Hands trembling, she inserted the USB drive.
One folder appeared.
FOR SERENA ONLY
She hesitated.
Then clicked.
A document opened.
It wasn't a video.
It wasn't a photograph.
It was a financial report.
Page after page of hidden transactions.
Offshore accounts.
Fake companies.
Shell corporations.
Most of the names meant nothing to her.
Until she reached the final page.
At the bottom...
One signature.
Damien Cross.
Serena's heart shattered.
She whispered to herself,
"What have you done...?"
Before she could read another word...
A floorboard creaked behind her.
She slowly turned around.
Someone was standing in the darkness.
Watching her.
And the voice that broke the silence wasn't Damien's.
It was Ethan's.
"Close the laptop."
His tone was calm.
"But don't let anyone know you've seen those files."
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