Chapter 55: The First Crack

Silence is never empty.

It’s full of everything people are afraid to say.

We stood there long after the door had closed behind her, the red emergency light still casting distorted shadows across the walls. No one moved. No one spoke. Even the air felt suspended, like the house itself was holding its breath.

I hated it.

I hated the way my thoughts spiraled in the quiet, replaying her words, her smile, the way she’d said choose as if it were a gift instead of a weapon.

Elliot broke first.

“We’re not doing this,” he said firmly. “We’re not letting her get inside your head.”

I laughed softly, bitterly. “She’s already there.”

Marcus shifted, running a hand through his hair. “She manipulated footage. That’s obvious.”

“Is it?” I asked.

He stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” I said slowly, “that even edited footage starts with something real.”

The tension snapped tight.

Liam stepped forward, his voice low but steady. “She wants us divided. Questioning each other plays directly into her hands.”

I nodded. “I know.”

And yet

My eyes kept drifting to them. To Elliot’s clenched jaw. To Marcus’s guarded posture. To Liam’s unreadable stillness.

Seeds of doubt don’t need much to grow.

We moved into the living area, spreading out instinctively, like distance might make the thoughts quieter. Elliot checked the perimeter again. Marcus pulled up security feeds. Liam stayed near my sister, his hand resting lightly on her back.

I sat on the edge of the couch, my phone heavy in my palm.

The message still glowed on the screen.

Your first choice is coming sooner than you think.

“What if she forces it?” I said suddenly.

All three of them turned toward me.

“Forces what?” Marcus asked.

“The choice,” I replied. “What if she doesn’t wait for me to make it?”

Elliot frowned. “We won’t let that happen.”

“You can’t promise that,” I said quietly. “None of you can.”

The truth hung between us, uncomfortable and undeniable.

My sister hugged her knees, eyes darting nervously. “What if she comes back?”

“She will,” Elliot said without hesitation.

“When?” she asked.

“Soon.”

That certainty sent a chill through me.

Hours passed.

No lights returned.

No messages came.

The quiet stretched thin, taut as a wire.

I drifted into a restless half-sleep on the couch, exhaustion finally dragging me under. My side throbbed faintly, a reminder of how close we’d come to losing control.

I don’t know how long I was out.

But I woke to voices.

Low.

Urgent.

Not meant for me.

I stayed still, heart pounding, every sense sharpening.

“…can’t keep her in the dark,” Marcus was saying. “It’ll blow up in our faces.”

Elliot replied, his voice tight. “Not until I know everything.”

“And if she finds out on her own?” Marcus pressed.

Silence.

Then Elliot exhaled slowly. “Then I failed.”

My chest tightened.

Failed at what?

I shifted slightly and the floor creaked.

The voices stopped.

I sat up.

They were both standing near the kitchen, frozen like they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t.

“What don’t I know?” I asked.

Neither answered immediately.

That hesitation told me everything.

“Say it,” I demanded, my voice shaking. “Whatever it is say it now.”

Marcus looked at Elliot.

Elliot looked at the floor.

That was the moment something broke inside me.

“You don’t get to decide what I can handle,” I said sharply. “Not anymore.”

Elliot met my gaze then, regret etched deep into his features.

“She’s right,” Marcus said quietly. “You should hear this from us. Not from her.”

My pulse roared in my ears. “Hear what?”

Elliot took a breath.

“A few months ago,” he began, “I was approached.”

My stomach dropped.

“By who?” I asked.

He hesitated. “By someone claiming to be investigating your family.”

Cold spread through my veins.

“And?” I pressed.

“And they asked questions,” he continued. “About you. About Marcus. About Liam. About your sister.”

My nails dug into my palms. “You didn’t tell me.”

“No,” he admitted. “Because I didn’t trust their motives.”

“Did you cooperate?” I asked softly.

Marcus answered instead. “He didn’t give them what they wanted. But he didn’t shut them down either.”

I stood abruptly. “You let someone dig into my life without telling me.”

“I was trying to protect you,” Elliot said, voice breaking slightly.

“By keeping secrets?” I snapped. “That’s exactly what she’s exploiting!”

Liam stepped forward. “This doesn’t make him the enemy.”

“I know,” I said. “But it makes him human.”

And that was the problem.

I turned away, pacing the room, trying to calm the storm inside my chest.

“So that’s it,” I muttered. “She found a crack and pried it open.”

Elliot stepped closer. “I should have told you.”

“Yes,” I said quietly. “You should have.”

The distance between us felt wider than ever.

My phone buzzed.

All of us froze.

I looked down.

Another message.

He kept something else from you.

My breath caught.

Elliot went pale.

“What else?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

The front door handle began to turn.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

And whoever was on the other side didn’t bother knocking.