"Lina… don't turn around."
I froze.
The voice came from directly behind me.
My heart slammed against my chest.
I knew that voice.
Daniel.
But why was he telling me not to turn around?
I slowly lowered my phone.
"What do you see?" I whispered.
Daniel's breathing was uneven.
"Just trust me."
I almost laughed.
Trust.
That word had become a joke in my life.
I had trusted Malik.
I had trusted Maya.
I had trusted my mother.
I had trusted Richard.
And every single person seemed to have a secret.
"How can I trust you?" I whispered.
Daniel stepped closer.
"You can't."
That answer frightened me.
I heard Adrian move.
"Everyone stay where you are."
The room became silent.
Then—
BANG!
The front door shook violently.
My mother screamed.
Malik grabbed my wrist.
"Lina, move."
"No!"
I pulled away.
"I need to know who's behind me."
Daniel suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't."
I turned anyway.
Nobody was there.
My breath caught.
"What?"
Daniel stared at the empty space.
"He was there."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Malik looked toward the hallway.
"Someone was standing behind you?"
Daniel nodded.
"Yes."
Adrian walked toward us.
"Did you see his face?"
Daniel shook his head.
"No. But I saw something."
"What?"
"A scar."
My stomach tightened.
"What kind of scar?"
"Across his neck."
I looked at Malik.
He suddenly went pale.
"What?" I asked.
Malik said nothing.
"Malik?"
He looked toward Adrian.
Adrian's expression had changed too.
"You know him."
It wasn't a question.
Malik finally spoke.
"Yes."
My heart sank.
"Who is he?"
Malik swallowed.
"His name is Victor."
I stared at him.
"Victor?"
The same man who had given me the silver key?
The same man who claimed he had been ordered to make me disappear?
"Why would Victor be here?"
Malik didn't answer.
Adrian did.
"Because he knows where the evidence is."
I tightened my grip around the flash drive.
"Then let him come."
My mother grabbed my arm.
"No."
"I am tired of running."
"You don't understand what Victor is capable of."
"Then tell me!"
She stared at me.
"He was the man who carried you away after the attack."
My blood went cold.
"What?"
Daniel stepped backward.
"I thought Malik carried her."
"So did I," Malik said.
I stared at both of them.
"Then who carried me?"
My mother began crying.
"Victor."
I couldn't breathe.
"Why?"
"Because your father asked him to."
The room spun.
"My father?"
She nodded.
"Samuel knew he was going to die."
I felt tears forming.
"He knew?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't he save himself?"
"Because he was trying to save you."
Another violent bang hit the door.
Adrian looked toward it.
"We don't have much time."
He turned to me.
"Give me the flash drive."
"No."
"Lina."
"No."
I stepped backward.
"I don't trust you."
His face fell.
"That's fair."
Then he did something unexpected.
He lowered his weapon.
"I won't force you."
Malik looked at him suspiciously.
"What are you doing?"
"Giving her a choice."
I looked at Adrian.
For the first time, I saw something different in his eyes.
Not authority.
Not control.
Fear.
He was genuinely afraid.
But not for himself.
For me.
Then the door burst open.
Everyone screamed.
Three men rushed inside.
Adrian fired into the ceiling.
"DOWN!"
I dropped to the floor.
Malik pulled me behind the sofa.
Daniel tackled one of the attackers.
My mother ran toward the kitchen.
Grace disappeared into the hallway.
Everything happened at once.
Gunshots.
Shouting.
Glass breaking.
My hands shook violently.
Malik grabbed my face.
"Look at me."
I stared at him.
"Are you hurt?"
I shook my head.
"Good."
He leaned closer.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Lina—"
"I am done hiding."
I grabbed the metal lamp beside me.
One of the attackers came around the sofa.
Before he could reach me, I swung the lamp.
It struck his arm.
He screamed.
Malik pulled him down.
I stared at the man.
His face was covered.
But his wrist wasn't.
There was a tattoo.
A black snake wrapped around a silver heart.
My breath stopped.
I had seen that symbol before.
On my bracelet.
I grabbed the man's wrist.
"Who gave you this?"
He stared at me.
Then smiled.
"You're finally remembering."
Before I could ask another question, he bit down hard.
His body went limp.
Malik pulled me away.
"What happened?"
"He's dead."
My stomach twisted.
"He killed himself."
Adrian rushed over.
He looked at the tattoo.
His face became pale.
"No."
"What?"
He stared at my bracelet.
"That's not Richard's symbol."
"Then whose is it?"
Adrian looked at me.
"Elena's."
I froze.
"But Elena said she was protecting me."
"She lied."
My mother suddenly screamed from the hallway.
"Lina!"
I ran toward her.
She was standing beside the back door.
Blood covered her hands.
"Mom?"
She pointed toward the ground.
Someone was lying there.
I stepped closer.
My heart nearly stopped.
It was Grace.
She was unconscious.
Beside her was a silver key.
The same key Victor had given me.
I picked it up.
There was a tiny inscription on the back.
I wiped away the blood.
Three words appeared.
FOR THE SECOND LIFE.
I stared at them.
"What does this mean?"
Nobody answered.
Then my phone vibrated.
I looked down.
Another message.
YOU HAVE THE KEY.
A second message appeared.
NOW FIND THE DOOR.
And then a third.
YOUR MOTHER KNOWS WHERE IT IS.
I slowly looked at my mother.
She was crying.
"Mom…"
She shook her head.
"Please don't ask me."
"Where is the door?"
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered,
"Under your father's grave."