Chapter 9: The Last Voice
The small green light on the laptop blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Theo stared at it.
He did not understand technology the way his father did.
He did not understand files or networks or hidden folders.
But he understood fear.
And right now, fear was sitting directly in front of him.
Watching.
Daniel moved instantly.
He reached forward and closed the laptop.
The screen disappeared.
The light went dark.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Daniel grabbed his phone.
“We’re leaving.””
Theo looked at him.
The tablet said:
“WHERE?””
“Somewhere public.””
Daniel moved quickly around the room.
He grabbed the flash drive.
The documents.
The notebook.
Everything.
Theo watched his father.
A few days ago, Daniel had looked lost.
Unsure.
Like every answer created three more questions.
Now he looked different.
Focused.
Protective.
Like the father from before.
The father who promised they would figure things out.
Theo followed him to the door.
Then stopped.
The laptop sat on the table.
Closed.
Waiting.
Theo typed.
WE NEED THE FILE.
Daniel looked at him.
“No.””
Theo shook his head.
The tablet spoke.
“YES.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Theo.””
I NEED TO KNOW.
Daniel looked at the words.
Then at his son.
The fight left his face.
Because he understood.
Theo was not chasing danger.
He was chasing the truth.
Daniel picked up the laptop.
“Five minutes.””
Theo nodded.
They opened it.
The file was still there.
MARCUS_CONFESSION.
Created ten minutes ago.
Modified one minute ago.
Daniel looked confused.
“That’s impossible.””
Theo watched him.
“Why?””
The tablet asked.
“Because Marcus isn’t here.””
Daniel checked the connection settings.
Then froze.
“What?””
Theo looked closer.
Daniel turned the screen.
A small notification appeared.
Remote access active.
Theo’s stomach dropped.
Someone was connected.
Right now.
Daniel immediately disconnected the laptop.
The file disappeared.
Gone.
Theo’s eyes widened.
“No.””
The tablet said it.
Daniel stared.
“He deleted it.””
Theo shook his head.
Not deleted.
Hidden.
He knew.
Because that was what Marcus did.
He didn’t erase things.
He buried them.
Daniel looked at him.
“How do you know?””
Theo pointed to the screen.
Then typed:
HE WANTS US TO LOOK.
Daniel frowned.
“What?””
Theo typed slower.
HE WANTS US TO FIND THINGS.
Daniel stared.
Theo continued.
THEN HE TAKES THEM AWAY.
The room became quiet.
Because that was exactly what had happened.
The damaged video.
The folder.
The recordings.
Marcus had been leaving pieces behind.
Pieces that made people question.
Pieces that created confusion.
But why?
Daniel whispered:
“He wanted us to chase him.””
Theo looked at him.
“Why?””
The tablet asked.
Daniel’s face changed.
“Because he wanted control.””
A sound came from outside.
A car door.
Both of them froze.
Daniel turned off the lights.
They stood silently.
A shadow moved past the window.
Theo grabbed his father’s hand.
Daniel squeezed back.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a knock came.
Three slow knocks.
Not angry.
Not rushed.
Confident.
Daniel moved toward the door.
Theo pulled him back.
The tablet said:
“DON’T.””
Daniel looked at him.
And nodded.
They waited.
The person outside knocked again.
Then a voice.
“Daniel.””
Marcus.
Theo felt his entire body go cold.
“Open the door.””
Daniel stayed silent.
Marcus sighed.
“I know you’re inside.””
Another pause.
“You always were terrible at hiding.””
Daniel looked toward Theo.
Then quietly mouthed:
Stay here.
Theo shook his head.
He would not be left behind.
Not again.
Marcus spoke through the door.
“I’m not here to fight.””
Daniel finally answered.
“Then leave.””
A quiet laugh.
“You still think this is about winning.””
The door handle moved.
Locked.
Marcus tried again.
Theo’s heart raced.
Daniel stepped closer.
“If you touch that door again, I’m calling the police.””
Marcus became silent.
Then:
“You should listen to the file.””
Daniel froze.
Theo did too.
“What file?””
The tablet asked.
Marcus answered.
“The one your wife recorded.””
Daniel’s face changed.
“You sent it.””
“No.””
A pause.
“I gave you access.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Why?””
Marcus’s voice became softer.
“Because Emily always believed people deserved the truth.””
Theo stared.
That sounded impossible.
Why would Marcus help them?
Then Marcus continued:
“Even when the truth destroys them.””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“You’re lying.””
“Am I?””
A pause.
“Ask yourself something, Daniel.””
The house was silent.
“Why did Emily never tell you everything?””
Daniel looked away.
Theo noticed.
His father knew.
There was something.
Something missing.
Marcus continued.
“Because she knew you would do exactly what you’re doing now.””
“What?””
“Choose emotion over facts.””
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You forged documents.””
“You think that’s the whole story?””
Theo watched his father.
Marcus lowered his voice.
“You don’t know what happened the night Emily recorded those messages.””
Daniel went still.
Theo felt it too.
Something important.
Something everyone had avoided.
“What happened?””
The tablet said.
Marcus answered:
“Ask your father.””
Silence.
Then footsteps.
Moving away.
Daniel opened the door.
The street was empty.
Marcus was gone.
But on the doorstep sat an envelope.
Daniel picked it up.
Inside was a photograph.
Theo saw it.
His face changed.
It was Emily.
In the hospital.
But she was not alone.
Marcus stood beside her.
And Daniel was not there.
On the back of the photo was a handwritten message.
She never told you why she called me.
That night, Daniel did not sleep.
Neither did Theo.
They sat on the living room floor.
The same place where everything had started.
But everything was different now.
Daniel held the photograph.
“I didn’t know about this.””
Theo watched him.
“Dad?””
The tablet spoke.
Daniel looked at him.
“I need to tell you something.””
Theo waited.
“When your mother got sick, Marcus came back because she called him.””
Theo’s fingers tightened.
“Why?””
The tablet asked.
Daniel looked down.
“Because she thought she was dying.””
A pause.
“And she was afraid.””
Theo stared.
“Of what?””
Daniel looked at the photograph.
“Of leaving you.””
The answer hurt.
But not because it was surprising.
Because it was true.
Daniel continued.
“She knew I loved you.””
Theo looked up.
“But she also knew I was overwhelmed.””
The words were hard for him to say.
“Your communication. Your appointments. Your needs.””
Theo lowered his eyes.
Daniel quickly added:
“Not because you were too much.””
He touched Theo’s shoulder.
“Because I was scared I wouldn’t be enough.””
Theo looked at him.
For the first time, Daniel admitted something adults rarely admitted.
Fear.
Emily had not called Marcus because she trusted him more.
She called him because she was desperate.
But that still left one question.
Theo typed:
WHY DID SHE NOT TELL YOU?
Daniel looked at the photograph.
“I don’t know.””
Then he noticed something.
A small mark in the corner.
A number.
He grabbed the old notebook.
Flipped through pages.
Then stopped.
His face changed.
“What?””
The tablet asked.
Daniel pointed.
“The video.””
Theo looked.
The corrupted Emily video.
The one Marcus had modified.
There was a hidden code in the file name.
A number sequence.
The same number was written in Emily’s journal.
Daniel typed it into the laptop.
A hidden folder opened.
Inside was one final audio file.
Not video.
Not documents.
Just audio.
Created before Emily died.
Daniel pressed play.
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then Emily spoke.
“Daniel.””
Theo closed his eyes.
Her voice.
Again.
“I know you found the other messages.””
A pause.
“I know Marcus is probably telling you I didn’t trust you.””
Daniel looked away.
Emily continued.
“That isn’t true.””
Theo opened his eyes.
“I trusted you more than anyone.””
Daniel’s face broke.
“But I knew something.””
The recording became quieter.
“Marcus doesn’t need to convince people that Theo is weak.””
A pause.
“He only needs to convince them that Theo is alone.””
Theo felt a tear fall.
Emily continued.
“If you are hearing this, then the person who tried to silence Theo failed.””
The room was completely still.
Then she said the words that changed everything.
“Because Theo was never the secret.””
Daniel looked at Theo.
The audio continued.
“The secret was what Marcus did.””
A sound.
Like someone entering the room.
Emily stopped speaking.
Then whispered:
“Oh no.””
A man’s voice appeared.
Marcus.
“Who are you sending this to?””
The recording ended.
But before it cut out, Theo heard one final thing.
Emily’s voice.
Terrified.
“Daniel, if you hear this…”
A pause.
“Don’t trust—”
Static.
Silence.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Theo stared too.
Because the last word was missing.
The message had almost revealed the person Emily warned him about.
Almost.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Only breathing.
Then a voice whispered:
“You’re looking for the wrong person.””
Daniel froze.
Theo watched his face.
The voice continued.
“Marcus isn’t the one who started this.””
A pause.
“He’s the one trying to stop it.””
The call ended.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
Theo typed:
WHO WAS THAT?
Daniel looked at him.
Fear returned.
Because for the first time, Marcus was not the biggest mystery anymore.
Daniel whispered:
“I don’t know.””
Then the phone received a message.
One photo.
One sentence.
The photo showed Vivian.
Standing beside Marcus.
May you like
And the message said:
*Ask your stepmother what Emily discovered before she died.*
