I read the list again.
Names.
Powerful names.
People my father trusted.
People who probably didn't trust me yet.
At the bottom was one sentence:
"Trust slowly. Power attracts masks."
That sounded like him.
Careful.
Strategic.
Maybe even afraid for me.
Nora noticed my silence.
"What does it mean?" she asked.
"It means my life isn't getting simpler."
She sighed.
"I was hoping for peace."
"So was I."
Then I folded the document carefully.
"But peace doesn't come from hiding," I said.
"It comes from preparation."
That night I called the first name on the list.
A man called Adrian.
He answered immediately.
Like he was waiting.
"I was wondering when you would call," he said.
My heart slowed.
Because suddenly I understood something.
They weren't just watching me.
They were measuring me.