Chapter 9: The Hidden File
I didn't touch my laptop for the rest of the day.
It sat on my desk like something dangerous.
Something that belonged to me but had been turned against me.
My father wanted to call the police immediately.
I wanted answers first.
Because this wasn't just about money anymore.
Someone had entered my private world.
Someone had watched my life from a screen.
That night, I opened the laptop with my father beside me.
"Are you sure?"" he asked.
I nodded.
"I need to know.""
The university investigator had sent instructions.
A specialist would remotely examine the device.
For twenty minutes, nothing happened.
Then a message appeared.
*Suspicious activity detected.*
My stomach tightened.
The specialist called.
"Maya, we found the program.""
"Who installed it?""
"We're still checking.""
I looked at my father.
"Can you tell what it did?""
A pause.
"Yes.""
I swallowed.
"What?""
"It recorded certain files.""
"What files?""
"Scholarship documents.""
My heart sank.
"What else?""
"Your personal notes.""
My face went cold.
"My notes?""
"Yes.""
The room became silent.
I remembered all the things I had written.
My fears.
My plans.
My thoughts about leaving home.
The person behind this hadn't just stolen information.
They had stolen pieces of me.
Then the specialist said:
"There's one more thing.""
"What?""
"We found a hidden folder.""
"What's inside?""
He hesitated.
"Copies of documents.""
"What kind?""
A few seconds passed.
Then:
"Documents related to your mother's estate.""
I looked at my father.
He went pale.
"Open it.""
The folder appeared.
Inside were scanned pages.
Old records.
Financial statements.
And one video file.
Created two months before my mother's death.
My breathing stopped.
"My mother recorded something?""
Nobody answered.
I clicked the file.
The screen went black.
Then my mother's face appeared.
Older.
Tired.
But smiling.
I covered my mouth.
"Hi, Maya.""
My knees almost gave out.
Hearing her voice again felt impossible.
The video continued.
"If you're watching this, something happened that I hoped would never happen.""
My father sat frozen.
My mother looked directly into the camera.
"I need you to know the truth.""
The video paused.
Buffering.
Then her next words appeared.
"Vanessa knows about the account.""
My heart stopped.
The screen went black.
The file ended.
Only fifteen seconds.
But it was enough.
My father whispered:
"What did she know?""
I looked at him.
"I don't know.""
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
*You found the video.*
My blood ran cold.
I showed my father.
Another message appeared.
*Now you know why I tried to stop her.*
I typed:
*Who are you?*
The reply came instantly.
*Someone who knew your mother better than you think.*
My father grabbed the phone.
"Don't respond.""
Another message appeared.
A photo.
My mother.
Standing beside someone.
Someone I recognized.
My heart stopped.
Because the person next to her was not Vanessa.
Not Mrs. Collins.
Not a stranger.
It was my father.
And the date on the photo was after my mother was supposedly too sick to leave the hospital.
May you like
Then the final message appeared:
*Ask your father where he was the night your mother changed the will.*
