Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the Disappearance
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the Disappearance
The next morning, Claire brought Jacob to her home.
Together they opened the rest of Emily's belongings.
Hidden inside an old backpack was a small flash drive.
Claire plugged it into her laptop.
A single video appeared.
Emily's face filled the screen.
She looked exhausted.
Terrified.
"If you're watching this, it means I'm gone," Emily said.
Claire covered her mouth.
Emily continued.
"Eight years ago, I witnessed something I was never supposed to see."
The video revealed everything.
Emily had worked as an accountant for a powerful businessman named Victor Kane.
While reviewing company records, she discovered evidence of massive fraud, money laundering, and bribery.
Before she could report it, Kane's men came after her.
Emily fled with almost nothing.
To protect her family, she cut off all contact and disappeared.
For years she moved from city to city with Jacob, always looking over her shoulder.
But recently she became ill.
Very ill.
Knowing she was dying, she spent her final months preparing Jacob for one mission.
Find Aunt Claire.
At the end of the recording, Emily looked directly into the camera.
"Claire, I'm sorry. I wanted to come home every day. But I couldn't risk their finding you. Please tell Jacob I never stopped loving him."
The screen went black.
Tears streamed down Claire's face.
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Jacob quietly reached for her hand.
Neither of them noticed that outside the house, a black SUV had just pulled up across the street.
