CHAPTER 3 — THE FILE THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST
CHAPTER 3 — THE FILE THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST
Mrs. Gable moved fast.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hallway.
“Don’t make a sound,” she whispered.
Another knock.
Harder this time.
The house felt smaller. Closer. Like it was shrinking around us.
She led me to a hidden room behind a bookshelf.
I froze.
“You have a secret room?”
She didn’t answer.
She just closed the door behind us.
Inside, there was an old desk.
Stacks of papers.
A locked metal box.
And a photograph of my father.
Not smiling.
Not happy.
Scared.
Mrs. Gable opened the metal box with shaking hands.
Inside were files.
Medical reports.
Financial transfers.
And court documents that had never been filed.
My breath stopped.
“What is all this?”
She hesitated.
Then finally said:
“Proof that your father wasn’t just murdered.”
She looked at me directly.
“He was being erased because he found out what the Sterlings were doing with the company’s medical division.”
I picked up one of the papers.
Clinical trial data.
Illegally modified.
Unapproved substances tested on vulnerable patients.
My stomach turned.
“They were hurting people…” I whispered.
Mrs. Gable nodded.
“And your father tried to stop it.”
A loud bang hit the front door.
This time, the whole house shook.
I flinched.
Mrs. Gable quickly stuffed the files into a bag.
“We leave. Now.”
We didn’t get far.
Two black cars were already outside.
Blocking the street.
Men in suits stepped out.
No badges.
No uniforms.
Just silence.
One of them held up a phone.
On speaker.
A voice came through.
Calm.
Controlled.
Familiar.
“This doesn’t have to escalate.”
Clara’s voice.
Even after everything, she was still trying to sound like she was in control.
Mrs. Gable stepped forward.
“You murdered his father.”
A pause.
Then Clara replied:
“Careful. You’re accusing things you can’t prove.”
I held up the toy phone.
“It’s already proven.”
Silence.
For the first time, Clara had no answer.
May you like
Then the line disconnected.
And the men began walking toward us.
