Mila came out of the hospital, entered her car and closed the door very fast.
On her way to the mansion, stepped on the gas pedal with force that made the car engine roar.
Adrian was already standing in front of the building waiting for Mila to come.
Immediately he saw her, he waved and asked, "Why did you stay so long?"
Mila shut the door very hard. "These memories won't leave me alone."
They walked inside together.
Victor sat in the library with papers spread out.
Mila marched straight to him.
"Show me the company files from the year my dad died."
Victor looked up slowly.
"That's old business, Mila."
Mila leaned on the desk.
"My dad worked there, and he was afraid of something dangerous. I need to see the records now."
Victor folded his hands"There's no problem, Mila. Adrian will take you to the office at the side."
Adrian nodded and held Mila's hand as they were going to the side office.
"Come on. Let's check."
They walked a long distance.
As they got there, he opened the wooden door. The door was so heavy.
There was a lot of dust in the room and a lot of boxes in the wall.
He pointed to one marked "Financial Archives."
Mila opened the first box.
She flipped through thick folders.
Numbers and dates blurred past her eyes.
She stopped at one gap.
"No papers at all for 2018," she whispered.
Adrian looked over her shoulder.
"Must be stored somewhere else I guess."
Mila shook her head fast.
"Every other year has files. This one is completely empty."
She pulled out the next box and checked again.
Nothing was inside.
Her hands began to shake as she was holding the empty folder.
Suddenly, a picture fell on the floor.
It was her dad smiling at a company party.
Mila was looking at it for some time. She didn't say a word.
At that point, it felt like she was a kid again.
She remembered the old apartment and her dad walking around the house very fast carrying boxes.
"Be fast, Mila! We're leaving tonight," he told her.
Her mom cleaned the tears in her eyes.
"Why now? The job was good," Mom asked.
Dad zipped the suitcase hard.
"Victor's people asked too many questions. We have to go please."
Little Mila held her teddy bear close and cried, "Dad, I want to stay. I like this school."
Dad knelt down.
"New school tomorrow. Promise me you won't talk about the company."
The memory faded.
Mila blinked back to the office.
She dropped the photo on the table.
"That move happened right after Dad got a big raise," she told Adrian.
"He never explained why we left so fast."
Adrian picked up the photo.
"Dad said your father wanted better pay elsewhere."
Mila crossed her arms.
"No. They argued every night before the crash."
She walked to another shelf and pulled down more files.
Adrian followed close.
"Listen, Mila. The company helped our family a lot."
Mila opened a new folder.
"Look. Dad's name was here in January 2002. Then nothing until 2004."
She pointed at the blank space.
"An entire year missing. Like someone erased it."
Adrian rubbed his neck.
"Maybe scanned wrong. I'll ask the accountant tomorrow."
Mila turned around.
"Tomorrow? Nana could lose her house today!"
She slammed the folder shut.
"Vivian knows something. She always does."
Footsteps clicked outside the door.
Vivian came in with a tray of tea and smiled, "Are you looking for something?"
Mila stepped forward.
"You delayed my money. You smiled at the eviction notice. Now records disappear, what do you have to say about that?"
Vivian set the tray down slowly.
"I handle mail, not old files."
She poured tea into a cup.
"Adrian, tell her how busy the office gets."
Adrian took the cup.
"Vivian is right. We have real work to do, Mila."
Mila ignored the tea.
"My dad whispered about watchers. Big company eyes everywhere."
She turned to Adrian.
"You sent me money because she blocked it. Why?"
Adrian sipped slowly.
"To help. That's all."
Mila grabbed another box.
Papers spilled onto the floor.
She knelt and sorted them fast.
"See? 2002 full. 2004 full. 2003 is gone, how?"
Her voice rose.
"The same year Dad died. The same year we moved three times."
Vivian laughed softly.
"Old stories. Your father had money troubles."
Mila stood up quickly.
"He said Victor's world swallows people. He was scared."
She looked straight at Vivian.
"You mentioned old times to me earlier. What did you mean?"
Vivian smoothed her gray dress.
"Just talk. Nothing more."
She walked to the door.
"Victor wants dinner soon. Don't be late."
The door clicked shut behind her.
Adrian touched Mila's shoulder.
"Calm down. We'll fix the eviction first."
Mila shook his hand off.
"No. I remember more now."
She closed her eyes again.
Another memory rushed in.
At eight years old, Mila sat inside the blue car.The rain hit hard on the roof, while her Dad held the wheel very tight.
"Big companies watch everything, kiddo."
Mom turned from the front seat.
"Stop scaring her."
Dad glanced in the mirror.
"If anything happens, stay away from Victor. Promise."
Mila nodded then.
But now her grown-up self whispered, "I promise, Dad."
The memory ended.
Mila opened her eyes.
Tears ran down her face.
"I kept that promise until now," she told Adrian.
"Here."
He gave her a tissue.
"You're tired. Let's eat and rest."
Mila wiped her face.
"No rest. Nana needs that house."
She brought out her phone and checked the time.
Suddenly, a new message popped up on her phone screen.
Unknown number.
She tapped it open.
"Stop digging or she pays next."
Mila's breath caught.
She showed the phone to Adrian.
"Look."
Adrian read it fast.
His face went pale.
"Who sent that?"
Mila gripped the phone tight.
"Someone who knows I'm here. Someone who wants me gone."
She typed back fast.
"Who is this?"
No answer came.
The screen stayed blank.
Her heart was beating very fast.
Adrian took her out of the small office.
"We tell Victor now."
Mila stopped him.
"No. This is my fight."
She kept the phone back in her pocket.
Danger felt closer than ever.
Outside the office window, evening shadows grew long.
Mila stared at the empty file gap one last time.
Another year of truth missing.
She whispered to herself.
"I won't stop now, Dad."
Adrian waited by the door.
"Come on. We need a plan."
Mila nodded but her mind raced ahead.
The house held more secrets.
And the next message could come any second.
She followed Adrian out.
But her steps felt heavier.
The anonymous words burned in her head.
"Stop digging or she pays next."
Nana's face flashed in her mind.
Mila touched the envelope in her pocket.
The money felt useless now.
She had to protect what was left.
Answers waited in the missing year.
But so did the person who sent the threat.
They reached the dining room.
Victor looked up from his plate.
"Everything alright?"
Mila sat down slowly.
She forced a smile.
"Just fine."
Inside, her thoughts screamed.
The memories would not stay buried.
The records would not stay hidden.
And the next text could change everything.
She picked up her fork but it fell on the plate.
"Mila, are you okay?" Victor asked.
She remained silent.
One wrong move and someone would pay.
Mila knew it in her bones.
She had to dig deeper.
Before it was too late.