Chapter 7 - THE VOICE ON THE CAMERA
Michael played the video again.
Then again.
He needed to hear it one more time.
Maybe he misunderstood.
Maybe his mind was filling in the blanks.
But the truth stayed the same.
Sophia was not alone.
Someone had been controlling her.
Someone who had access to the house.
Someone who knew about the folder.
Someone who knew about Emily’s baby.
Michael sat in his office, staring at the frozen screen.
The man’s voice kept repeating in his head.
“You don’t get to quit.”
Cold.
Calm.
Powerful.
The kind of voice that didn’t need to scream to scare someone.
Mason stood near the doorway.
“Dad?”
Michael quickly turned off the monitor.
“What are you doing awake?”
The little boy looked down.
“I heard you yelling.”
Michael softened.
“I’m sorry.”
Mason walked closer.
“Is Mom going to be okay?”
Michael swallowed.
“She’s going to be okay.”
“And the baby?”
Michael nodded.
“They’re both going to be okay.”
Mason looked at him.
“Then why do you look scared?”
The question hit harder than Michael expected.
Because his son was right.
He was scared.
Not for himself.
For his family.
The next morning, Michael went to find Sophia.
She was staying at a hotel after leaving the house.
When she opened the door and saw him, her face changed.
“You saw it.”
Michael didn’t answer.
“You saw the video.”
“Yes.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
For the first time, she looked tired.
Not evil.
Not confident.
Just exhausted.
“How long have you known?”
Michael stepped inside.
“Known what?”
“That I was being watched.”
Silence.
Michael stared at her.
“You knew?”
Sophia sat down.
“I didn’t know everything.”
“Then tell me what you know.”
She looked at her hands.
“I was twenty-one when he found me.”
“Who?”
Sophia looked up.
“The man in the video.”
Michael’s jaw tightened.
“Name.”
Sophia hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Daniel.”
Michael waited.
But Sophia said nothing else.
“Who is Daniel?”
Sophia laughed bitterly.
“The man who saved me.”
A pause.
“And the man who destroyed me.”
Michael frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Sophia looked away.
“He knew everything about me.”
“My mother.”
“My father.”
“Your family.”
“He knew things nobody should have known.”
Michael stepped closer.
“And you listened to him?”
Sophia’s eyes filled with tears.
“I was young.”
“You pushed my wife.”
Sophia looked down.
“I know.”
“You could have killed her.”
“I know.”
Michael’s voice became colder.
“Then why?”
Sophia looked at him.
“Because Daniel told me if I didn’t…”
She stopped.
Michael waited.
“If I didn’t do it, he would show you the truth about me.”
“What truth?”
Sophia whispered:
“The truth about what happened the night your father died.”
Michael froze.
His father’s death.
The subject everyone avoided.
The subject nobody explained.
“What happened that night?”
Sophia looked terrified.
“Your father didn’t die from an accident.”
Michael’s face changed.
“What?”
“He was murdered.”
Before Michael could respond, Sophia’s phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
And immediately went pale.
Michael noticed.
“Who is it?”
Sophia didn’t answer.
The phone kept ringing.
Then a message appeared.
One sentence.
Michael saw it.
May you like
And his blood turned cold.
“YOU SHOULD HAVE FINISHED THE JOB.”
