Chapter 10: The Man Who Brought the Truth
I stared at the message until the words stopped looking like words.
*DON’T TRUST THE MAN WHO SAVED YOU.*
My thumb hovered over the screen.
A part of me wanted to believe it was another trick.
Another attempt to scare me.
But after everything I had learned, I couldn’t ignore anything anymore.
Not the hidden cameras.
Not the erased files.
Not the people who smiled while hiding the truth.
I looked up at Aaron Whitmore.
He was standing across the room, reading the documents with a serious expression.
The same man who had exposed Mrs. Baxter.
The same man who had found the hidden video.
The same man who seemed to know exactly where every piece of the puzzle belonged.
And now I knew his sister’s name was on the paperwork.
Sarah Whitmore.
My mother’s best friend.
A person who had helped hide evidence.
“Malik?””
Aaron noticed my expression.
“What happened?””
I locked my phone.
“Nothing.””
I hated lying.
But I needed time.
Aaron watched me carefully.
He knew.
Maybe not what the message said.
But he knew something had changed.
Ethan stepped between us.
“Who sent that?””
I looked at him.
“An unknown number.””
Maya frowned.
“About what?””
I hesitated.
Then I showed them.
Ethan’s face changed immediately.
“Sarah.””
Everyone looked at him.
“You think it’s her?””
Ethan shook his head.
“No.””
His eyes moved to Aaron.
“I think someone wants Malik to believe it’s her.””
Aaron crossed his arms.
“Explain.””
Ethan looked at the documents.
“Gregory Wells doesn’t destroy people by force.””
He pointed at the papers.
“He destroys trust.””
The room became quiet.
“He makes people question the person helping them.””
Aaron looked at Ethan.
“So you’re saying this could be another manipulation?””
“Yes.””
“But my sister’s signature is real.””
Ethan nodded.
“I know.””
Aaron looked down.
For the first time since I met him, he looked unsure.
“She worked with Gregory.””
“Maybe,” Ethan said.
“Or maybe she was trying to get close enough to expose him.””
Nobody spoke.
I looked between them.
“So which one is true?””
No one answered.
Because nobody knew.
Then Ethan reached into his backpack again.
“I have something else.””
He pulled out a small notebook.
The cover was worn.
Old.
He handed it to me.
“What is this?””
“Your mother’s.””
My hands froze.
“How do you have this?””
“She gave it to me.””
“When?””
Ethan looked away.
“Before she got sick.””
I opened the notebook.
The first page had my mother’s handwriting.
*If anything happens to me, Malik deserves the truth.*
My eyes burned.
I kept reading.
Most of it was notes.
Names.
Dates.
Meetings.
Then I saw one sentence underlined three times.
*Gregory Wells is not working alone.*
I turned the page.
Another name appeared.
*Sarah Whitmore.*
My heart sank.
Below it, my mother had written:
*I don’t know if she betrayed me or if she is trying to protect me.*
I looked up.
“She didn’t know either.””
Aaron stepped closer.
“What else does it say?””
I kept reading.
The final entry was dated two days before my mother entered the hospital.
*I found the original records. Gregory knows. If he reaches Malik, I need someone I trust to protect him.*
Below that was a sentence that made my hands shake.
*The person protecting Malik is closer than he realizes.*
I looked around.
Closer.
What did that mean?
Then Ethan spoke.
“Your mother wasn’t afraid of Gregory.””
I looked at him.
“Then who was she afraid of?””
Ethan’s face turned serious.
“The person Gregory answered to.””
The room went silent.
Aaron looked up.
“Gregory had someone above him?””
Ethan nodded.
“Someone with more power.””
“Who?””
Before Ethan could answer, the lights flickered.
Again.
Everyone froze.
Then the office computer turned on by itself.
A video file appeared.
No one touched it.
The title loaded slowly.
*AMELIA CARTER — FINAL MESSAGE.*
My heart stopped.
Aaron moved toward the computer.
“No one open that.””
“Why?”” I asked.
“Because someone wants us to.””
The screen flickered.
The video started.
My mother appeared.
But this time, she wasn’t in a hospital room.
She was sitting somewhere dark.
And she looked terrified.
“Malik,” she whispered.
“If you’re watching this…”
She looked behind her.
“…then I failed.””
I stepped closer.
My mother took a breath.
“There is something I never told you.””
The video glitched.
Her face distorted.
Then her voice came through.
“The person who started all of this…”
The screen froze.
A loading circle appeared.
Then one final line appeared across the video.
*FILE CORRUPTED.*
And below it:
*RECOVERY PASSWORD REQUIRED.*
Nobody moved.
Except Aaron.
He stared at the screen.
Because he recognized something.
“What?”” Officer Reyes asked.
Aaron’s face went pale.
“The password.””
“What about it?””
He looked at me.
“It’s something only your mother and I would know.””
My stomach dropped.
“Why would you know?””
May you like
Aaron didn’t answer.
And that scared me more than anything.
