Chapter 8: The Message Marcus Never Sent
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
We just stared at the phone lying on the floor.
A ghost from the past.
A piece of evidence everyone thought was destroyed.
Daniel slowly walked back from the window.
“Don’t touch it.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because we don’t know who sent it.””
I almost smiled.
“Funny.””
“What?””
“For three years, everyone told me Marcus’s phone was useless.””
Daniel’s face changed.
I noticed.
“You knew about this phone.””
“No.””
“Daniel.””
“I knew it was damaged.””
“Who told you?””
Silence.
That was all I needed.
“You knew.””
Daniel looked frustrated.
“Nia, there are things you don’t understand.””
“No.””
I picked up the phone.
This time, nobody stopped me.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
The phone was cold in my hand.
The screen was cracked.
But when I pressed the power button…
It turned on.
My breath caught.
A dead phone.
A destroyed phone.
A phone that supposedly contained nothing.
And yet…
There was one notification.
One unread message.
From Marcus.
My hands shook.
“Open it,” Lena whispered.
I looked at her.
“You’ve waited three years for me to find this.””
She looked away.
“No.””
“Then why are you scared?””
Because she was scared.
All of them were.
I opened the message.
Only one sentence.
*IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I FAILED.*
My heart broke.
Not because it was shocking.
Because it sounded exactly like Marcus.
Like the man who always carried responsibility alone.
There was a video attachment.
I pressed play.
Marcus appeared on the screen.
Older.
Tired.
His face thinner.
But alive.
I covered my mouth.
For three years, I imagined this moment.
I imagined seeing him again.
I imagined running into his arms.
But watching him on that tiny screen felt different.
Because he wasn’t looking at me.
He was looking at the camera like he knew I would eventually find it.
“Nia,” he said.
My knees almost gave out.
“If you’re seeing this, I’m sorry.””
I cried silently.
His voice continued.
“I know you hate me.””
A tear fell down my cheek.
“I know you think I abandoned you.””
Another pause.
“You’re right.””
The honesty hurt.
“But I need you to understand something.””
Marcus looked directly into the camera.
“I didn’t disappear because I stopped loving you.””
I closed my eyes.
“I disappeared because I loved you enough to leave.””
The video paused.
Then continued.
“There is someone close to us who has been controlling everything.””
My eyes moved toward Daniel.
Then Lena.
Marcus continued.
“Someone who knew our passwords. Our schedules. Our plans.””
A pause.
“And someone who knew exactly how to make Nia look guilty.””
The room became silent.
“Marcus knew,” Daniel whispered.
I looked at him.
“Knew what?””
But the video answered.
“The person responsible isn’t just stealing from the company.””
Marcus looked terrified.
“They are trying to destroy Nia.””
The video ended.
Nobody moved.
Finally, Lena whispered:
“There’s more.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She pointed at the phone.
“Check the hidden files.””
I stared.
“How do you know?””
“Because Marcus told me.””
My anger returned.
“You knew about the video?””
“Yes.””
“You knew this entire time?””
“No.””
Her voice broke.
“I knew he recorded something. I didn’t know where he hid it.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Nia, we need to leave.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because whoever sent that phone knows we found it.””
As if responding to his words…
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then a familiar voice.
Not Marcus.
Not Daniel.
Not Lena.
A voice I hadn’t heard in years.
A voice from my past.
“Nia.””
My blood turned cold.
“Who is this?””
The person laughed softly.
“You really don’t recognize me?””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Tell me who you are.””
A pause.
Then:
May you like
“I’m the reason Marcus disappeared.””
The call ended.
