The funeral had passed in a haze of grief and tears. Elena stood beside Maya, holding her trembling little sister's hand tightly as mourners whispered their condolences. The scent of lilies, the murmur of prayers, and the cold soil covering her mother's coffin felt surreal, like the world had stopped moving just for them. But life didn't pause. It pressed forward, relentless and unforgiving.
By the time the last of the crowd left the cemetery, Elena had made her decision. She couldn't protect Maya while pursuing justice for her mother unless her sister was safe. That night, she booked a ticket for Maya to travel abroad to stay with their aunt, a woman they both trusted and loved.
The following morning, Elena accompanied Maya to the airport. Her little sister clung to her tightly, eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"You're coming with me, right?" Maya asked softly, fear lacing her voice.
Elena forced a smile, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I can't, Maya. Not yet. I have… things I need to do here first. But I promise I'll join you soon. I'll make sure you're safe."
Maya sniffled, unconvinced. "Mom would want us together."
"I know," Elena whispered, pressing a kiss to her sister's forehead. "But Mom wouldn't want anyone else hurt either. I have to do this."
With one last hug, Elena let Maya board the plane. Watching her sister disappear into the tunnel, Elena felt a part of herself fracture, but she didn't allow herself to linger. There was no time. Her mother's death was not an accident. And she needed answers.
**
Back at their apartment, Elena began the painful task of sorting through her mother's belongings. Clothes, papers, jewelry, small personal items—all carried the weight of a life brutally interrupted. Her hands shook as she unpacked the box the hospital had given her: items retrieved from the accident scene. Among the broken glasses, torn wallet, and scattered earrings, one object caught her eye.
Her mother's phone.
It was slightly cracked, its screen fractured, yet it powered on. Elena hesitated, heart pounding. Her mother had been careful, meticulous. That phone was more than just a device,it was a vault of secrets. Trembling, she unlocked it using the familiar passcode.
A folder labeled "For Elena" glowed ominously on the screen.
Her pulse quickened. This was her mother speaking directly to her from beyond the grave. Elena opened the folder.
There were multiple voice recordings. She pressed play on the first one.
Her mother's voice came through, shaky and urgent:
"Elena… if you're listening to this, it means I didn't make it. They… they tried to silence me. You have to protect Maya. Do not trust the police. Do not trust anyone from the Hale mansion. The woman… Catherine… she is dangerous. She… she killed to get what she wanted. She killed my niece … your cousin. She looked just like me… just like us. And she's still alive."
Elena froze. Her hands clutched the phone tightly as her mind raced.
"Your cousin… gone for years. I never told you before because I didn't want you involved. But she disappeared when you were a child. Catherine… she killed her. She wanted Diego for herself. She saw the resemblance… she manipulated him, convinced him in believing that a natural death and then… she eliminated the rest."
Elena felt the world tilt. Her throat went dry.
Her mother had been murdered.
And the woman behind it, her mother's killer was living freely under the guise of a fiancée.
The next recording played.
"Catherine's plan… it was meticulous. She wanted Diego and his fortune. But she also wanted revenge. I don't fully understand why she took your cousin, Elena, except that the girl looked like us. She wanted to remove anyone who reminded her of what she was jealous of… of who she could never be. I overheard them arguing once—Catherine and Diego's mother about the your cousin, about the inheritance, about Liam… and I knew if I stayed silent, she would eventually come for me."
Elena's hands were shaking so violently she almost dropped the phone. Each word was a dagger, twisting grief, anger, and horror into one unbearable weight.
Her mother's next recording was longer. Her voice was almost a whisper, fear dripping from every syllable:
"I tried to gather evidence secretly. Every message, every email, every hidden document… I stored it here. I knew if I was found out, I'd be in danger. Catherine has influence. She's manipulative. She's smart… deadly. And she's pretending to be the perfect fiancée. Diego doesn't suspect her—he doesn't see her for what she is. Elena… if I don't survive this, you must expose her. Find the recordings. Find the proof. Bring her to justice. Protect Maya… protect yourself. Do not let her know what you know until you're ready."
Elena pressed the phone closer to her chest, sobbing quietly. Her mother's meticulous recordings had painted a picture she wasn't ready for—but she had no choice now.
Catherine had killed before.
Catherine had taken a life to claim what she wanted.
Catherine could do it again.
Her grief hardened into something unyielding, something dangerous.
She wiped her tears and scrolled through the remaining recordings. Each one detailed more of Catherine's schemes, the manipulations she had woven around the Hale family, and the dark truths of the mansion her mother had been entangled with. Her mother's niece the missing girl was mentioned repeatedly. The girl's disappearance, once a mystery, was now tied directly to Catherine's ambition and cruelty.
Elena's vision blurred with rage. Her mother had risked everything to uncover the truth, to gather proof, and now she was gone. The woman responsible for her mother's death lived comfortably, smiling, plotting, unsuspected.
Elena sat on the floor, clutching the phone, her heart pounding, hands trembling, but her resolve hardening.
I will not fail her. I will not fail Maya.
She replayed the first recording again, listening carefully to every word her mother had whispered. Every hint. Every warning. Every clue. Her mother had left her a roadmap a way to bring Catherine to justice, a way to ensure her death was not in vain.
Elena's eyes burned with determination. She would uncover the truth about Catherine. She would expose the murderer who had taken her mother, and who had taken her cousin years ago. She would bring justice to the Hale mansion, no matter the cost.
Her hands clenched the phone as she whispered, voice raw and trembling:
"Mom… I promise. I will make her pay. I will find out the truth, and no one.. no one will get away with this. For you… and for Maya."
The apartment felt alive with silent promise. The shadows on the walls seemed to lean closer, listening. Elena's grief had transformed into a weapon. Her sorrow had sharpened her mind. Her mother's secrets had given her purpose.
And with that purpose came the first step toward justice.
Elena sat back, phone in hand, listening to the recordings again. Each word from her mother guided her, instructed her, prepared her for the dangerous path ahead. She wasn't just a grieving daughter anymore. She was a hunter. She was a seeker of truth.
And Catherine… would pay.
Because Elena had the proof.
And now, she had the will.