Evelyn didn't sleep that night.
After Ethan's warning, her mind wouldn't stop spinning. Somewhere, hidden in the pieces of her father's past, was something powerful enough to get him killed. And now, it had put a target on her.
She sat at the small desk in her apartment, surrounded by the same old documents she had flipped through a hundred times. Yet, nothing stood out. No hidden message. No secret file.
Across the room, Theo sat on the couch, watching her in silence.
"Evelyn," he finally said.
She didn't look up. "I have to figure this out."
Theo sighed, pushing himself up and walking over. "You're running in circles."
"I don't have a choice." She leaned back in frustration. "Ethan thinks my father left me something, but I don't even know what I'm looking for."
Theo studied her, his sharp eyes scanning the mess of papers. Then, after a moment, he asked, "What's the one thing you haven't looked at yet?"
Evelyn stilled.
Her father's office.
Everything had been packed up after his death, but some of his things were still stored at her mother's old house. She had been too afraid to go through them before.
But now, she had no other option.
She met Theo's gaze. "We need to go."
---
A House Full of Ghosts
The house was smaller than she remembered.
Evelyn hadn't been back here in months. Maybe longer. It had been easier to pretend this place didn't exist—like an abandoned relic from a life that had been shattered.
Theo stayed close behind her as she stepped inside. Dust lingered in the air, the furniture covered with white sheets. The silence felt unnatural, like the house was holding its breath.
She swallowed hard.
"Where are his things?" Theo asked gently.
"In the study."
The study was the only room left untouched.
Evelyn pushed the door open, the scent of old paper and leather-bound books greeting her. The bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, and the desk sat exactly as her father had left it—neat, meticulous, full of secrets.
She hesitated before stepping inside.
Theo followed, closing the door behind them. "Where do we start?"
Evelyn let out a slow breath. "Everywhere."
They split up. Theo went through the drawers while Evelyn checked the bookshelves, running her fingers over the spines of books her father had read a hundred times.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Nothing.
She was about to give up when Theo's voice cut through the silence.
"Evelyn."
She turned, and her breath caught.
He was holding an old, worn-out notebook. One she had never seen before.
"Where did you find that?" she asked.
Theo flipped it open, scanning the pages. "It was hidden under a false bottom in the desk drawer."
Evelyn hurried over, her fingers brushing against his as she took the book. The pages were filled with her father's handwriting—messy, hurried, as if he had been racing against time.
She flipped to the last entry.
And her blood ran cold.
*If anything happens to me, Evelyn will know what to do. I left it where she will always find it.*
Evelyn whispered the words aloud, her heart pounding.
Theo's brows furrowed. "Where you'll always find it?"
Her mind raced. He couldn't have meant this study—she had never even looked here before.
Then, suddenly, it hit her.
The one place she had never stopped visiting.
Her father's favorite book.
She spun around, rushing back to the bookshelf. Without hesitation, she reached for *The Count of Monte Cristo*—her father's most beloved novel.
The moment she pulled it out, something felt off.
The book was too heavy.
Hands trembling, she flipped through the pages until she found it.
A hidden compartment inside the back cover.
And inside, a single USB drive.
Theo exhaled. "Well, damn."
Evelyn clutched the drive. "This is it."
But before she could say anything else, the sound of glass shattering echoed from the front of the house.
Someone was here.
And they weren't alone.
---
Run or Fight
Theo reacted first.
He grabbed Evelyn's wrist, yanking her toward the side door. "We have to go."
Evelyn's heart pounded. "We can't just—"
A second crash.
Footsteps.
They were coming.
Theo's grip tightened. "Move."
They slipped out the side entrance just as voices filled the house. Men, at least three or four of them. Armed, judging by the heavy thuds of boots against the wooden floors.
Theo led Evelyn down the back alley, keeping his body close to hers. "Car's a block away," he murmured. "We stay quiet, we make it out."
Evelyn held the USB so tightly it dug into her palm.
They reached the end of the alley just as the first man spotted them.
"HEY—"
Theo didn't hesitate.
Before the man could react, Theo lunged, slamming his fist into his jaw with brutal force. The guy went down hard.
But the others were coming.
Theo grabbed Evelyn's hand again. "Run."
They sprinted.
The night blurred around them, the cold air burning in Evelyn's lungs. She could hear them chasing—footsteps pounding against pavement, voices barking orders.
Theo yanked her around a corner, dodging into a side street. "Almost there."
Evelyn's heart nearly gave out when she saw it—their car, parked just ahead.
Theo threw open the door, shoving her inside before jumping into the driver's seat.
The moment the engine roared to life, the first gunshot rang out.
Evelyn ducked instinctively. "GO!"
Theo slammed on the gas. The tires screeched as they sped away, bullets ricocheting off the pavement behind them.
Evelyn's hands shook as she clutched the USB to her chest.
They had what her father left behind.
But now, the people who killed him knew they had it too.
And they wouldn't stop until they got it.
---
A Moment to Breathe
It wasn't until they were miles away that Theo finally pulled over.
The silence was deafening.
Evelyn leaned back against the seat, her breath unsteady.
Theo turned to her. "Are you okay?"
She let out a shaky laugh. "Define okay."
His expression softened, and for a moment, he just looked at her.
Then, without thinking, Evelyn reached for his hand.
Theo stilled.
His fingers curled around hers slowly, his touch warm and steady.
For the first time all night, Evelyn let herself breathe.
They weren't safe.
They weren't done.
But for this moment, they were alive.
And as long as Theo was by her side, she could keep fighting.
---
End of Chapter 23