The key felt heavier than it should.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at it resting in my palm, my fingers trembling slightly as I turned it over again and again.
"So it was with me all along…" I whispered.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
"All this time… all that searching…"
My gaze slowly shifted to the note lying on the table.
"Do not trust anyone."
The words felt louder now. Heavier.
My chest tightened.
"Does that include you too, Thompson?" I murmured under my breath.
My mind replayed the call.
Boss, we couldn't find anything in the house…
That voice.
That one word.
Boss.
My grip on the key tightened.
"No… no, that can't be right," I said, shaking my head.
But doubt had already planted itself deep inside me .
I stood up abruptly and began pacing the room.
"Think, Agnes. Think."
The key was only one part of the puzzle.
There was still the safe.
And whatever was inside it the treasure, the truth, the reason my parents were killed.
My breathing slowed as determination replaced confusion.
"I need to find that safe."
But how?
I didn't even know where to start.
My eyes drifted back to the box of pictures.
Memories.
Clues.
Maybe something had been hidden in plain sight all along.
I picked up the photos again, studying each one more carefully this time.
Faces.
Places.
Backgrounds.
Details I hadn't paid attention to before.
Then
I froze.
One picture.
My younger self, standing between my parents.
Behind us was a large house.
Not the one I and Thompson had visited.
This one was different.
Bigger.
More luxurious.
My brows furrowed.
"That's not the house from yesterday…"
My heart began to race.
"Which means…"
There was another house.
How do I get to that house without Thompson help
Because this time I don't need anyone I must do this alone and be successful I said to myself .
Martins
Across town, Martins sat in his office, his jaw clenched tightly as he stared at his phone.
I hadn't responded to his messages.
Not a single one.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"I messed up…" he muttered.
But regret wasn't enough.
Not anymore.
Too much had already happened.
He leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening.
"No matter what it takes… I'll fix this."
He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Keep an eye on her," he said coldly once the call connected. "From a distance. I don't want her hurt."
There was a pause.
"And if anyone gets too close…" his voice dropped dangerously, "handle it."
He ended the call.
His eyes darkened.
"Agnes… you don't even know how deep this goes."he said to himself I'm going to protect you even at my lowest
Jessica
Jessica stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her earrings, her lips curling into a slow, sinister smile.
"So… she's getting closer," she said softly.
A man stood behind her.
"She went to the old house," he reported.
Jessica chuckled.
"And found nothing, I assume."
"Yes… but"
"But what?" she snapped, her eyes flashing.
"There are signs someone else is helping her."
Jessica's expression shifted.
"Of course there is," she muttered.
She turned around slowly.
"Agnes was never smart enough to do this alone."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But that doesn't matter."
She stepped closer, her voice dropping.
"What matters… is that she doesn't get to the safe."
The man hesitated.
"And if she does?"
Jessica smiled.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"Then she dies."
Silence filled the room.
Then she added, almost thoughtfully
"After all… it wouldn't be the first time her family disappeared."and keys close eyes on her let me know if there's any information about the key
Ok he replied and left.
I grabbed my phone immediately.
My hands moved quickly as I dialed Thompson's number maybe I need his help this last time
Then I paused.
The note.
"Do not trust anyone."
My thumb hovered over the call button.
My heart and mind were at war.
"I need help…" I whispered.
"But can I trust him?"
After a long moment
I ended the call.
"No."
I couldn't risk it.
Not yet.
Instead, i picked up the photo again.
"That house…" I murmured. "I need to find it."
Thompson stood by the window, his phone still in his hand, his expression tense.
"She didn't say anything…" he muttered.
I know she heard it that day but why she didn't asked? And since then she never called me or texted me
Something had changed.
Something was wrong.
He exhaled slowly.
"She knows something…"
His jaw tightened.
Then his phone buzzed again.
"Boss, we lost track of her."
His eyes darkened instantly.
"What do you mean you lost her?" he snapped.
"She hasn't left the house, but there's movement around the area. We think they're watching her."
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
"Stay on her," Thompson said firmly. "No mistakes this time."
He ended the call.
Who else could be watching her I need to find out
Then, under his breath
"I won't let anything happen to you, Agnes… even if you stop trusting me."
That night felt longer than usual.
Every sound made me uneasy.
Every shadow felt like it was watching me
I clutched the necklace tightly.
The key.
My only lead.
My only weapon.
"I have to move fast," I whispered.
"Before they do."
Jessica sat down after applying her lip gloss staring at her reflection in the mirror
(Her Flashback Connection)
Jessica walked into a dimly lit room, her heels echoing softly.
An old man sat there, waiting.
"She's starting to remember," Jessica said.
The man chuckled.
"Of course she is. Blood doesn't forget."
Jessica folded her arms.
"Then we should have finished it years ago."
The man's gaze sharpened.
"You were too impatient then… and you still are now."
Jessica's eyes darkened.
"She's becoming a problem."
The man leaned forward slightly.
"No… she's becoming what she was always meant to be." And do not touch her until you find the key"
A pause.
Jessica frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The man smiled faintly.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The next morning
I made my decision.
"I'm going to find that house."
With or without help.
With or without trust.
I slipped the necklace back on, hiding the key once again.
Then i stepped out.
Unaware…
That i was being watched.
From multiple sides.
I entered my ride and left
A black car sat parked across the street.
Inside
A pair of eyes watched me closely.
"She's moving," the driver said.
A voice responded through the phone.
"Follow her."
From another corner
Another car.
Another watcher.
"She's leaving," a man reported.
"Don't lose her," came the reply.
And from above
Standing on a balcony
Thompson.
Watching.
Silent.
Protective.
Dangerous.
And suspicious
"Be careful, Agnes…" he whispered.
"Because the closer you get to the truth…"
His expression darkened.
"The more it will destroy you."