I couldn’t sleep.

Not because I was afraid of Margaret.

Not because of the threats.

Not even because of the secrets waiting inside that computer.

I couldn’t sleep because of one sentence.

“Why should Michael have never trusted you?”

Margaret’s words kept repeating in my head.

She wanted me to believe something.

She wanted to create doubt.

That was what she had always done.

She controlled people by making them question themselves.

But this time was different.

Because this time…

The person she was trying to hurt was my son.

And I would not let her use Dustin the way she had used everyone else.

I sat at the kitchen table in Thomas’s office apartment.

The USB drive was still there.

The locked file was still waiting.

And beside it was the letter from Michael.

The letter that told Dustin he was loved.

The letter that proved he never abandoned him.

I picked it up again.

I read the words slowly.

I did not leave you.

Those words mattered.

Because for seven years, my son had carried a question he was too afraid to ask.

Why did my father leave?

Why didn’t he want me?

And now the answer was different.

His father wanted him more than anyone knew.

He just wasn’t allowed to come home.

But there was still something bothering me.

Margaret said Michael never should have trusted me.

Why?

I had never betrayed him.

I had never helped his family.

I had never known about the documents.

So why would she say that?

The sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up.

Daniel walked into the room.

He looked like he hadn’t slept either.

“Are you okay?”

I almost laughed.

Because that question sounded strange coming from him.

Not because he didn’t care.

Because for years, I had been the person asking everyone else if they were okay.

While nobody asked Dustin.

“I’m fine.”

Daniel sat across from me.

“No, you’re not.”

I looked at him.

“You’re right.”

He lowered his head.

“I deserve that.”

For once, I didn’t argue.

Because he did.

“I need to know something.”

“What?”

“When Michael disappeared…”

“Yes?”

“Did you ever think I knew more than I told you?”

Daniel was quiet.

Too quiet.

That bothered me.

“Daniel.”

He looked up.

“Yes.”

My chest tightened.

“You thought I knew something?”

“I wondered.”

“Why?”

“Because Michael trusted you.”

I stared at him.

“That makes no sense.”

“It does to me.”

“Explain.”

Daniel rubbed his face.

“When Michael disappeared, my mother believed you had something.”

“What?”

“A file.”

“A message.”

“Anything.”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t.”

“I know that now.”

“But back then?”

He looked away.

“My mother convinced me there was a possibility.”

I felt something break inside.

“You believed her?”

“I was scared.”

“You believed your mother before you believed me.”

Daniel didn’t defend himself.

Because he knew.

Again.

He had chosen silence.

And silence had always helped the wrong people.

I stood up.

“Where were you when Michael disappeared?”

Daniel looked surprised.

“What?”

“Answer me.”

“I was at home.”

“With your mother?”

“Yes.”

My eyes narrowed.

“Did she tell you anything that night?”

Daniel froze.

A small reaction.

But I saw it.

“What?”

He looked uncomfortable.

“She said Michael was dangerous.”

My stomach tightened.

“Dangerous?”

“Yes.”

“What else?”

Daniel hesitated.

“She said if anyone found out what Michael had discovered…”

“He would destroy the family.”

I shook my head.

“That was a lie.”

“Yes.”

“But you believed it.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

The honesty hurt.

But it was better than another excuse.

Then I noticed something.

Something I hadn’t thought about before.

“Daniel.”

“What?”

“Why did your mother allow you to marry me?”

He looked confused.

“What?”

“If she hated Dustin.”

“If she blamed Michael.”

“If she thought I was connected to everything.”

“Why did she let you stay with me?”

The room went silent.

Because it was a good question.

A question nobody had asked.

Daniel slowly looked at me.

“I don’t know.”

But then his expression changed.

Wait.

He did know something.

“What?”

He stood up.

“There was one thing.”

“What?”

“Before we got married…”

“Yes?”

“My mother asked me something strange.”

I waited.

“She asked if you still had the necklace.”

I frowned.

“What necklace?”

Daniel stared at me.

“The one Michael gave you.”

I froze.

Because I knew exactly what he meant.

A small silver necklace.

Nothing expensive.

Nothing special.

At least I thought.

Michael gave it to me before Dustin was born.

He told me:

“Keep this safe.”

I remembered laughing.

“Why?”

He smiled.

“Because someday you’ll understand.”

I touched my neck unconsciously.

I hadn’t worn it in years.

“Where is it?”

I swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

Daniel looked at me.

“You lost it?”

“No.”

“I kept it.”

“Where?”

I tried to remember.

Then suddenly…

Everything became clear.

“My old house.”

The apartment where I lived before marrying Daniel.

The place where I kept my personal things.

The place I never went back to.

Daniel looked at me.

“You still have it?”

“I think so.”

Thomas walked into the room at that exact moment.

“What necklace?”

We both turned.

I explained.

His expression changed immediately.

“Describe it.”

I frowned.

“Why?”

“Describe it.”

I thought carefully.

“Silver.”

“Small pendant.”

“Engraved with a symbol.”

“What symbol?”

I closed my eyes.

I remembered.

A circle.

A small line through the center.

Like a key.

Thomas became completely still.

“What?”

“That wasn’t jewelry.”

“What do you mean?”

Thomas looked at the USB drive.

“That was a security key.”

My heart stopped.

“A what?”

“Michael used it to encrypt important information.”

Daniel stared at him.

“My father hid information inside a necklace?”

“Yes.”

I felt dizzy.

“And Margaret knew?”

Thomas nodded.

“She suspected.”

“Which means…”

“She spent years searching for it.”

I looked at Daniel.

“She never wanted Dustin gone because of his father.”

“No.”

“She wanted him gone because of what he inherited.”

Thomas nodded.

“Exactly.”

Then my phone rang.

Unknown number.

Again.

I answered.

No one spoke.

Then I heard a child’s voice.

My heart stopped.

“Mom?”

It was Dustin.

But something was wrong.

His voice was shaking.

“Dustin?”

“Where are you?”

Before he could answer…

Another voice appeared.

Margaret.

Calm.

Cold.

“You should have listened to me.”

My entire body went tense.

“Where is my son?”

She ignored the question.

“You wanted the truth.”

“You wanted answers.”

“Now you will get them.”

I could hear Dustin breathing.

“Let him go.”

She laughed softly.

“I never touched him.”

“But he came to me.”

My blood ran cold.

“What?”

“He wanted to know why his family hated him.”

My eyes filled with anger.

“You manipulated a child.”

“No.”

Her voice became sharper.

“I showed him the truth.”

“About what?”

A pause.

Then she said the words that froze me.

“About his mother.”

The call ended.

I stood there frozen.

Because Margaret wasn’t threatening Dustin.

She was trying to turn him against me.

And for the first time…

I understood her plan.

She couldn’t destroy the truth.

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So she was going to destroy the person Dustin trusted most.

Me.