Chapter 9: What Happened After the Accident
“Ask Julian what happened after the accident.””
The message remained on my screen.
I read it once.
Then again.
Then I looked at Julian.
He didn’t move.
That told me more than the message.
He knew exactly what it meant.
“What happened after the accident?”” I asked.
His eyes stayed on mine.
“Abby…”
“No.””
I held up my hand.
“Don’t say my name like that.””
He went quiet.
My father sat on the edge of my childhood bed, looking exhausted.
Victor stood near the window, his arms folded.
For once, nobody interrupted.
I pointed at Julian.
“You knew this was coming.””
“I suspected.””
“You knew the message would say that.””
“No.””
“Then why did you look like you’d been punched when you read it?””
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Because there are things I’ve spent twenty years trying not to remember.””
I stared at him.
“Then remember.””
He looked away.
“Tell me.””
His shoulders lowered.
“I will.””
I waited.
Julian took a slow breath.
“After the accident, your mother was the first person who realized the crash had been arranged.””
My father closed his eyes.
I turned toward him.
“You knew that?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because I helped investigate it.””
Julian continued.
“At first, we thought someone had tampered with the vehicle.””
“And?””
“We were wrong.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“The car wasn’t the target.””
My skin prickled.
“Then what was?””
Julian looked at my father.
“Robert.””
My father swallowed.
“Tell her.””
Julian nodded.
“The person who arranged the accident wanted access to something.””
“What?””
“A security archive.””
I stared.
“What was in it?””
“Financial records. Corporate communications. Personal files.””
“That doesn’t explain why someone tried to kill you.””
Julian’s face hardened.
“It wasn’t my information they wanted.””
I felt a chill.
“Whose?””
He looked at me.
“Your mother’s.””
I stopped breathing.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
“Why would anyone want her information?””
“Because Evelyn had found evidence.””
I shook my head.
“The same evidence?””
“No.””
The answer was immediate.
“This came before the recording.””
I looked at the cassette.
“So she found something before that.””
“Yes.””
“What?””
Julian sat down.
For the first time, he looked tired.
Really tired.
“The company had a private research division.””
“Project Aurora.””
“Yes.””
“It wasn’t just security.””
“No.””
“What was it?””
He hesitated.
“A system.””
“What kind of system?””
“A system designed to predict financial and operational threats.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t sound illegal.””
“It wasn’t.””
“Then what happened?””
Julian’s eyes lowered.
“Someone changed it.””
My father spoke quietly.
“They started using personal information.””
I turned toward him.
“What personal information?””
“Medical history. Debt. Family relationships. Employment records.””
My stomach tightened.
“For what?””
“To identify who could be pressured.””
The room went silent.
Julian looked at me.
“People were being scored.””
“Scored?””
“By vulnerability.””
I felt sick.
“Why?””
“So powerful clients could influence negotiations.””
I shook my head.
“That’s horrible.””
Victor finally spoke.
“It was worse than that.””
We all looked at him.
Victor continued.
“Employees were monitored. Competitors were profiled. People close to major decision-makers were studied.””
“Why?””
“Leverage.””
The word sat heavily in the room.
I thought about the message.
The photo.
The money.
Someone watching.
Someone finding me.
I suddenly understood.
“This person…”
I looked at Julian.
“They still have access.””
“Yes.””
“To the old system?””
Julian shook his head.
“No.””
“Then how did they find me?””
“We don’t know.””
Victor interrupted.
“They don’t need the old system.””
I turned toward him.
“What does that mean?””
“They have people.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
My entire life had suddenly become a map of people I didn’t know.
People who knew me.
People who knew my mother.
People who had been waiting.
I looked at Julian.
“What happened after you survived the accident?””
He was quiet.
Then he answered.
“Your mother stayed with me.””
My heart tightened.
“She did?””
“For three days.””
“Why?””
“She believed someone would come back.””
“Did they?””
“Yes.””
The room felt colder.
“Who?””
“We never saw them.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“Your mother found another clue.””
“What clue?””
“That the person behind the attack knew her.””
I thought about the recording.
Someone in our family.
“That’s why she started investigating.””
“Yes.””
“And my father?””
Julian looked at him.
“Your father helped.””
My father stared at his hands.
“I had no choice.””
“You always had a choice,” Julian said quietly.
My father looked up.
“And what would you have done?””
The two men stared at each other.
Twenty years of history passed between them in silence.
Then my father spoke.
“You weren’t there when she made the decision.””
Julian’s expression darkened.
“I was there.””
“No.””
My father’s voice shook.
“You were unconscious.””
“I woke up.””
“After.””
Julian looked away.
My heart pounded.
“What decision?””
My father closed his eyes.
“The decision to leave.””
My stomach dropped.
“Leave where?””
“The city.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother believed they were going to kill her.””
Silence.
My mother.
Afraid for her life.
And I had spent all these years believing she had simply gotten sick.
I sat down slowly.
“Did someone threaten her?””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
“We never found out.””
Julian spoke quietly.
“But we found the person who delivered the message.””
“Who?””
He looked at Victor.
Victor didn’t speak.
I understood immediately.
“Victor.””
He nodded.
“I delivered it.””
My heart stopped.
“You threatened my mother?””
“No.””
His answer was immediate.
“She asked me to find out who had sent it.””
“And?””
“I did.””
“Who?””
Victor’s face became hard.
“Your grandmother.””
I stared.
“My grandmother?””
“My mother?””
He nodded.
“She was involved.””
My mind went blank.
I barely remembered my grandmother.
She had died when I was little.
I remembered perfume.
White hair.
A red coat.
Nothing else.
“You’re lying.””
Victor shook his head.
“I wish I were.””
My father covered his face.
I looked at him.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“And Mom knew?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did she stay?””
“She couldn’t leave you.””
My chest tightened.
“Because of me?””
“She believed the safest thing was to disappear quietly.””
“Disappear?””
Julian’s eyes moved toward me.
“Your mother didn’t die where you think she did.””
I froze.
“What?””
He continued.
“The last year of her life was not what you were told.””
My father looked away.
I stared at him.
“Dad.””
Nothing.
“Where did she die?””
My father finally looked up.
“She died in the hospital.””
I frowned.
“That’s what you told me.””
“It’s true.””
“Then what isn’t true?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“She went there under another name.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“What?””
“Your mother was afraid someone would find her.””
“So the hospital records…”
“Were under a false identity.””
I looked at Julian.
He nodded.
“We helped arrange it.””
The word *we* hit me.
“You helped her?””
“Yes.””
“All of you?””
Julian nodded.
Victor looked down.
My father began to cry quietly.
I had never seen him cry like that.
Not when Mom died.
Not after his accident.
Not even when the doctors told him he might never walk properly again.
This was different.
This was the cry of someone who had carried the same truth for too long.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”” I whispered.
My father wiped his face.
“Because your mother made me promise.””
“What promise?””
“That if she died, I would make sure you believed she died peacefully.””
I stared at him.
“She didn’t?””
“She was terrified.””
My heart broke.
All those years.
All those photographs.
All those stories.
The sentence everyone repeated.
Your mother was brave until the end.
But bravery could coexist with fear.
And she had been afraid for me.
“What happened on the final night?””
Julian stood.
“I can tell you.””
He walked toward the window.
“Your mother called me at 2:13 in the morning.””
I listened.
“She said someone had found the recording.””
“What recording?””
“The one you have now.””
My fingers tightened around the cassette.
“She told me not to come alone.””
“Did you?””
“No.””
“Who did you take?””
“Victor.””
I looked at him.
“And my father?””
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“Your father was already there.””
My father nodded.
“She had called me first.””
“What happened?””
Julian took a breath.
“We arrived at the hospital.””
“And?””
“Your mother was gone.””
My heart stopped.
“Gone where?””
“We didn’t know.””
Julian’s voice dropped.
“We searched the building.””
“Did you find her?””
“No.””
“Then where did she go?””
My father answered.
“She came back.””
I turned toward him.
“When?””
“An hour later.””
“What happened?””
His voice cracked.
“She had been followed.””
I swallowed.
“By who?””
He shook his head.
“I never saw their face.””
Julian looked at him.
“You saw the car.””
“Yes.””
“Did you get the plate?””
“No.””
Victor stepped forward.
“I did.””
I looked at him.
“Then what was the plate?””
He hesitated.
“It belonged to your father.””
I stared.
“What?””
My father looked horrified.
“That’s impossible.””
Victor shook his head.
“It was your vehicle.””
“No.””
“I checked the record.””
My father stood.
“I sold that car.””
“When?””
“Two weeks before.””
Victor nodded.
“Yes.””
The room fell silent.
“Someone had cloned the plate.””
Victor continued.
“They wanted us to believe Robert was involved.””
I looked at my father.
“Were you?””
“No.””
His voice broke.
“Never.””
Julian stepped toward me.
“Your mother knew that.””
“Then why did she say someone in our family?””
He stopped.
My question had landed.
Everyone was silent.
Finally, Victor said:
“Because family doesn’t always mean blood.””
I stared.
“What?””
“It meant someone your mother trusted.””
I shook my head.
“Who?””
Victor looked at Julian.
Julian looked away.
Then my father said:
“Your mother’s lawyer.””
I blinked.
“Mr. Bell?””
He nodded.
“Why?””
“He handled the medical records.””
I remembered him.
A soft-spoken man who had come to our house once.
He had brought flowers when Mom was sick.
He had cried at her funeral.
I whispered:
“He?””
Julian shook his head.
“No.””
“What?””
“Bell was not the person behind it.””
“Then why mention him?””
“Because he disappeared.””
“When?””
“The night your mother died.””
I stared.
“Did you find him?””
“No.””
Victor looked at me.
“We found his car.””
“Where?””
“Near the old Cross research facility.””
The same cold feeling returned.
“Why was he there?””
“We don’t know.””
“Then where is he now?””
Victor shook his head.
“Dead.””
The word hit me.
“How?””
“Car accident.””
I looked at Julian.
“Another accident?””
“Yes.””
I laughed bitterly.
“This story has too many accidents.””
Nobody smiled.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
One photo.
My heart stopped.
It was an old photograph.
My mother.
My father.
Julian.
And someone else.
A woman stood behind them.
I zoomed in.
My breath caught.
I knew that face.
Not from memory.
From somewhere much more recent.
I looked at Julian.
“Who is she?””
His face went white.
Victor took the phone from me.
He stared at the image.
Then whispered:
“No.””
My father stood slowly.
“No.””
I looked between them.
“You know her.””
Julian couldn’t speak.
“Who is she?””
Victor finally answered.
“Evelyn’s sister.””
My mind went blank.
“My mother didn’t have a sister.””
Victor looked at me.
“She did.””
I stared at the photograph.
The woman looked almost exactly like my mother.
Same eyes.
Same smile.
Same shape of the mouth.
My chest tightened.
“Where is she?””
Victor’s answer was barely audible.
“She’s been alive this entire time.””
I looked at Julian.
He finally spoke.
“She’s the one who sent you the messages.””
Silence.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, there were only six words.
*Ask your father who your mother really was.*
I slowly raised my eyes.
My father had gone completely still.
Because before he could answer, the bedroom door behind us opened.
A woman’s voice came from the hallway.
“Robert.””
My father turned.
The color disappeared from his face.
May you like
My blood ran cold.
Because the voice sounded exactly like my mother.
