Chapter 2 · Three Nightmares, One Death, My Return

"Ms. Graham, are you there?" Howard's voice came through the phone with a subtle edge of urgency beneath the calm.

I drew in a deep breath, letting my voice tremble with the right trace of sorrow.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm still processing it," I admitted.

"I understand," Howard said gently right away. "I just got back to the country, and I'm staying at the Verkin Hotel downtown. When would it be convenient for you to meet? I can hand over Brian's belongings."

"Okay, I'll come by after work," I replied.

After hanging up, I immediately messaged my best friend and lawyer, Mandy Levine. [Can you run a background check for me? Howard Spencer, just back from overseas. Also, could you draft a property trust agreement?]

Mandy's reply came instantly. [What's it for?]

I replied to her. [Just playing it safe.]

*****

I took a cab to the Verkin Hotel and waited in the café on the ground floor. After a while, a man in a tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses approached.

He was impeccably groomed, with a trace of Brian in his eyes and brows, yet his presence carried a darker, more brooding air.

"Hi, Ms. Graham, I'm Howard Spencer," he said, extending his hand.

I stood up, but I didn't take his hand. Instead, I kept my head down, as if grief had completely overtaken me.

"Mr. Spencer," I murmured.

He didn't seem embarrassed, smoothly retracting his hand and drawing a delicate velvet box from his briefcase.

"This is from Brian. He wanted you to have it," he said.

I opened it to find a sapphire ring that could easily be worth a fortune.

"He said this was the ring he was going to propose with. What a shame," Howard added, exhaling a sigh that carried perfect, regret-laden weight.

I fixed my eyes on the ring.

I had never even seen it in my previous life.

Back then, Howard had come knocking with a 30-million-dollar IOU, right after my family had gone bankrupt.

This time, he was playing a different game.

First, he used this keepsake to gain my trust. Then, when the moment was right, he would strike.

"Ms. Graham, he's gone, and nothing can change that. You need to stay strong," he said, "comforting" me. "Honestly, I don't think Brian's death was an accident."

I jerked my head up, looking at him.

Lowering his voice, he continued, "Brian pissed off some dangerous people. Right before it happened, he was working on a project called StarSea Tech. He said it could make him rich and finally free him from their grip."

His eyes locked on mine as he spelled it out carefully. "He said this was our one chance to turn the tables."

What a heartfelt display of brotherly love.

What a godsend, "chance to turn the tables."

I reached out and grabbed his hand "excitedly." "So you mean Brian's death has something to do with StarSea Tech?"

"It's a hunch," he said, smoothly withdrawing his hand. "But Brian had full confidence in this project. He said even if he were gone, the money would be enough to secure your future for life."

I stared at him as if he'd tossed me a lifeline, my eyes brightening. "What do we do next?"

A flicker of triumph crossed Howard's face, but it vanished almost immediately.

"Brian left some insider documents, but honestly, I'm out of my depth when it comes to investing. Ms. Graham, you knew him best. Maybe you should be the one calling the shots."

He slid a USB drive across to me.

I gripped it so tightly that my nails cut into my palm.

"Thank you, Mr. Spencer. Thank you for telling me all of this," I said.

*****

As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, every trace of grief and excitement vanished from my face, replaced by absolute calm.

I hopped into a cab and headed straight for the electronics market.

"Sir, can you check if there's any tracker or malware on this USB drive?" I asked the repair shop owner.

He was clearly a pro. He tinkered with it for over ten minutes, and then his expression shifted.

"Miss, this USB drive has some serious stuff on it," he said.

Pointing at a line of code on the screen, he added, "See this? It's a highly stealthy remote monitoring program. The moment you plug it in, whoever set it up can watch your every move and even control your computer remotely."

My heart sank.

This was far more twisted than I'd imagined.

They weren't just after my money. They wanted to track every detail of my life and make sure I had absolutely no room to resist.

I paid the shop owner, deleted the program, and took a cab back home.

*****

When I opened the door, my parents were sitting in the living room. The instant they saw me, they rushed over.

"Beth, what's that in your hand?" My mom's eyes were locked onto the USB drive.

I gave it a small shake and smiled. "Some training materials from work."

I made it look like I was absentmindedly plugging the USB into the living room computer.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said.

I walked into the bathroom, but didn't actually start the shower. Instead, I pressed my ear against the door.

In the living room, my dad said in a low voice, "She's plugged it in."

My mom, barely able to contain her excitement, said, "Perfect! Quick, let them know. They can start now."

I closed my eyes, a numbness washing over me, as if my blood had frozen solid.

So this was what my parents were like.

Chapter 2

"Ms. Graham, are you there?" Howard's voice came through the phone with a subtle edge of urgency beneath the calm.

I drew in a deep breath, letting my voice tremble with the right trace of sorrow.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm still processing it," I admitted.

"Okay, I'll come by after work," I replied.

Mandy's reply came instantly. [What's it for?]

I replied to her. [Just playing it safe.]

*****

I took a cab to the Verkin Hotel and waited in the café on the ground floor. After a while, a man in a tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses approached.

He was impeccably groomed, with a trace of Brian in his eyes and brows, yet his presence carried a darker, more brooding air.

"Hi, Ms. Graham, I'm Howard Spencer," he said, extending his hand.

I stood up, but I didn't take his hand. Instead, I kept my head down, as if grief had completely overtaken me.

"Mr. Spencer," I murmured.

He didn't seem embarrassed, smoothly retracting his hand and drawing a delicate velvet box from his briefcase.

"This is from Brian. He wanted you to have it," he said.

I opened it to find a sapphire ring that could easily be worth a fortune.

"He said this was the ring he was going to propose with. What a shame," Howard added, exhaling a sigh that carried perfect, regret-laden weight.

I fixed my eyes on the ring.

I had never even seen it in my previous life.

Back then, Howard had come knocking with a 30-million-dollar IOU, right after my family had gone bankrupt.

This time, he was playing a different game.

First, he used this keepsake to gain my trust. Then, when the moment was right, he would strike.

"Ms. Graham, he's gone, and nothing can change that. You need to stay strong," he said, "comforting" me. "Honestly, I don't think Brian's death was an accident."

I jerked my head up, looking at him.

His eyes locked on mine as he spelled it out carefully. "He said this was our one chance to turn the tables."

What a heartfelt display of brotherly love.

What a godsend, "chance to turn the tables."

I reached out and grabbed his hand "excitedly." "So you mean Brian's death has something to do with StarSea Tech?"

"It's a hunch," he said, smoothly withdrawing his hand. "But Brian had full confidence in this project. He said even if he were gone, the money would be enough to secure your future for life."

I stared at him as if he'd tossed me a lifeline, my eyes brightening. "What do we do next?"

A flicker of triumph crossed Howard's face, but it vanished almost immediately.

"Brian left some insider documents, but honestly, I'm out of my depth when it comes to investing. Ms. Graham, you knew him best. Maybe you should be the one calling the shots."

He slid a USB drive across to me.

I gripped it so tightly that my nails cut into my palm.

"Thank you, Mr. Spencer. Thank you for telling me all of this," I said.

*****

As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, every trace of grief and excitement vanished from my face, replaced by absolute calm.

I hopped into a cab and headed straight for the electronics market.

"Sir, can you check if there's any tracker or malware on this USB drive?" I asked the repair shop owner.

He was clearly a pro. He tinkered with it for over ten minutes, and then his expression shifted.

"Miss, this USB drive has some serious stuff on it," he said.

My heart sank.

This was far more twisted than I'd imagined.

They weren't just after my money. They wanted to track every detail of my life and make sure I had absolutely no room to resist.

I paid the shop owner, deleted the program, and took a cab back home.

*****

When I opened the door, my parents were sitting in the living room. The instant they saw me, they rushed over.

"Beth, what's that in your hand?" My mom's eyes were locked onto the USB drive.

I gave it a small shake and smiled. "Some training materials from work."

I made it look like I was absentmindedly plugging the USB into the living room computer.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said.

I walked into the bathroom, but didn't actually start the shower. Instead, I pressed my ear against the door.

In the living room, my dad said in a low voice, "She's plugged it in."

My mom, barely able to contain her excitement, said, "Perfect! Quick, let them know. They can start now."

I closed my eyes, a numbness washing over me, as if my blood had frozen solid.

So this was what my parents were like.