The real mastermind— Part 2
The room went silent except for the sound of rain hitting the windows.
Sophia stared at the glowing phone screen in disbelief.
Emma was alive.
Or at least… someone wanted them to think she was.
Chloe nearly dropped her phone. "This isn't funny."
Jason looked pale. "Nobody else had that picture."
Tyler grabbed his jacket immediately. "We need to go."
"Go where?" Sophia asked.
Tyler looked directly at her.
"To Blackwood Lake."
—
The roads were nearly empty as the four of them drove through the stormy night. Thunder flashed across the sky while tension filled the car like poison.
Nobody trusted anybody anymore.
Sophia sat quietly in the backseat, watching them carefully.
Jason kept rubbing his hands nervously.
Chloe cried silently while staring out the window.
And Tyler looked… angry.
Not scared.
Angry.
When they finally reached Blackwood Lake, the air felt freezing cold. The lake water crashed violently against the rocks below the cliff.
The same cliff Emma supposedly fell from.
Sophia's flashlight trembled in her hand as they searched the area.
Then Chloe screamed.
Near the edge of the cliff sat a single white rose.
Fresh.
Beside it was a phone playing a prerecorded video.
Emma appeared on the screen smiling.
"By the time you see this," she said calmly, "one of you is already lying."
Jason stepped back. "No…"
Emma continued:
"I trusted all of you. But only one person pushed me."
The video ended.
Everyone turned toward each other instantly.
"You said she slipped!" Chloe yelled at Jason.
"She DID!" Jason shouted back.
Tyler stepped forward slowly. "You're lying."
Jason's breathing became heavy. "I didn't touch her!"
Sophia suddenly noticed something strange.
Tyler wasn't shocked by the video.
Almost like he had expected it.
Then she remembered something.
The blocked number.
The texts.
The secret meetings.
Tyler had been connected to everything from the start.
"You knew she was alive," Sophia whispered.
Tyler froze.
Jason looked confused. "What is she talking about?"
Sophia stepped backward carefully.
"You've been controlling this the entire time."
Tyler laughed softly.
Not nervous.
Not guilty.
Just calm.
Then he said the words nobody expected.
"Emma never fell."
The world seemed to stop.
Chloe shook her head. "What?"
Tyler pulled out his phone and opened a live video feed.
A dark room appeared on the screen.
And sitting in a chair… tied up…
Was Emma.
Alive.
Sophia felt sick.
Jason lunged forward angrily. "Where is she?!"
Tyler smiled for the first time.
"You all thought Emma was the villain," he said. "But none of you ever wondered why she collected secrets."
The wind howled around them.
"She was scared of someone," Tyler continued.
"Who?" Sophia asked quietly.
Tyler's expression darkened.
"My brother."
Nobody spoke.
"You all know him," Tyler said.
"Mr. Brooks."
Sophia's blood ran cold.
Mr. Brooks — the beloved guidance counselor at Westbridge High.
The teacher students trusted most.
The teacher everyone loved.
Tyler clenched his fists.
"Emma discovered what he was doing to students. She recorded everything. She planned to expose him."
Chloe covered her mouth in horror.
Jason looked stunned.
"But before she could go public," Tyler continued, "my brother found out."
Sophia finally understood.
The blackmail.
The recordings.
The fear.
Emma wasn't controlling people for popularity.
She was collecting evidence.
And Tyler?
He wasn't protecting Emma.
He was protecting his brother.
"I couldn't let her ruin our family," Tyler said coldly.
Police sirens suddenly echoed in the distance.
Tyler looked shocked.
Sophia slowly raised her phone.
"I called them before we got out of the car."
For the first time all night…
Tyler looked afraid.
He tried to run, but Jason tackled him to the ground near the cliff edge. The two struggled violently until police officers rushed in moments later.
As Tyler was dragged away in handcuffs, he stared directly at Sophia.
"You think this is over?" he whispered.
Then he smiled.
A terrifying smile.
"Check your locker tomorrow."
—
The next morning, Westbridge High was chaos.
Police cars surrounded the building. Students whispered in crowded hallways. Teachers avoided eye contact.
Sophia slowly walked to her locker.
Her hands shook as she opened it.
Inside was a single envelope.
No name.
Just three words written in red ink:
"You missed one."
Confused, Sophia opened the envelope.
A photograph slipped out.
It showed Emma.
Standing beside someone hidden in a black hoodie.
Written on the back:
"The real mastermind."