Her expression changed.

“You’ll find out.””

I stared at her.

“Find out what?””

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she walked to the bookshelf.

She pulled out a small box hidden behind several books.

My entire body tensed.

“What is that?””

Vanessa looked at it.

Something changed in her face.

Not anger.

Not fear.

Sadness.

“I kept this because I thought one day you would understand.””

I stepped forward.

“Give it to me.””

She hesitated.

Then handed it over.

Inside was a collection of old photographs.

Letters.

Documents.

The first picture on top showed Emily.

But it wasn’t a normal family photo.

Emily was standing outside a building I didn’t recognize.

Beside her was Vanessa.

Younger.

The two of them weren’t smiling.

They looked serious.

Like they were having an argument.

I looked at Vanessa.

“You knew her before me.””

She didn’t deny it.

“Yes.””

“Why didn’t you tell me?””

“Because I knew you would ask questions.””

“Questions about what?””

She looked at Lily.

Then at the box.

“About what happened before Emily died.””

I opened the first letter.

The handwriting was Emily’s.

My heart stopped.

Because the first line read:

*Vanessa, if anything happens to me, Michael needs to know the truth.*

I looked up.

Vanessa’s face was pale.

“What truth?””

She didn’t answer.

I kept reading.

*I know what you did. I know what you’re trying to take from me.*

My hands started shaking.

“What is this?””

Vanessa reached for the letter.

I moved it away.

“No.””

“Michael.””

“No.””

I kept reading.

The next sentence destroyed me.

*You can lie to Michael, but you cannot erase what Lily saw that night.*

I looked toward my daughter.

She was watching me.

Confused.

Scared.

And suddenly I understood.

Lily wasn’t just afraid of Vanessa.

She remembered something.

Something connected to Emily’s death.

Something Vanessa had spent years trying to bury.

My phone buzzed.

Another message.

This time from the same unknown number.

I opened it.

There was a video attachment.

One sentence underneath:

*Watch this before Vanessa tells you her version of the story.*

I pressed play.

The screen showed a dark room.

A woman’s voice.

Emily’s voice.

My blood froze.

Because I knew that voice.

I had heard it every day for years.

Then Emily whispered:

“If Michael is watching this, it means Vanessa finally found out I kept the evidence.””

The video shook.

A shadow moved in the background.

Then Emily said four words that made my entire world collapse.

“Lily saw everything.””

The video cut to black.

And behind me, Vanessa whispered:

“You should have never watched that.””

Chapter 7: The Evidence Emily Left Behind