PART 6 — HANNAH’S FINAL RECORDING

The second hard drive was encrypted.

The password was six letters.

Marcus knew it instantly.

LILY06.

A video folder opened.

There were dozens of files.

The earliest was dated three weeks before Hannah died.

Marcus clicked.

Hannah appeared on the screen.

Thin.

Pale.

But unmistakably herself.

Marcus gripped the edge of the table.

“Marcus,” Hannah said from four years in the past, “if you’re watching this, then I was right to be afraid.”

His knees nearly gave out.

Hannah continued.

“Sophie has been accessing my medical schedule. I’ve caught her changing records. Julian is helping me gather evidence, but I don’t know who else is involved.”

She coughed.

Then smiled sadly.

“You’re going to blame yourself for not seeing it. Don’t.”

Marcus covered his mouth.

Hannah seemed to look directly through time at him.

“And don’t turn your life into a shrine to me. Lily needs a father who lives.”

Marcus broke.

For the first time that night, he cried openly.

But the recording wasn’t finished.

“There is one thing Sophie wants more than money. She wants control of the Vance Family Trust. She thinks my death gives her an opening.”

Marcus looked up sharply.

Hannah explained.

The foundation fraud had never been Sarah’s true objective.

The stolen money had been small compared with the trust.

Marcus controlled it while Lily was a minor.

If Marcus became incapacitated—or died—his legal spouse could petition to administer parts of the estate.

And if Lily could be portrayed as psychologically unstable, outside placement could separate her from the only person capable of contradicting Sarah’s version of events.

The drugs.

The recordings.

Marcus’s mysterious confusion.

It had all been preparation.

Sarah wasn’t trying merely to make Lily look badly behaved.

She was building a story in which Marcus was deteriorating and Lily was disturbed.

A family in crisis.

A father unfit to manage a fortune.

A child conveniently removed from the house.

Marcus felt sick.

Hannah’s video continued.

“But Sophie has one problem.”

For the first time, Hannah smiled.

“She never knew I changed the trust.”

Ortiz leaned closer.

Hannah lifted a document.

“Anyone who marries Marcus has no automatic authority over Lily’s inheritance. The final trustee is named in a sealed amendment.”

Julian whispered, “I never knew that.”

Hannah looked toward someone off camera.

A tiny voice could be heard.

Two-year-old Lily.

Hannah smiled.

Then said:

“And Sophie will never guess who I chose.”

The recording ended.

Marcus stared at the screen.

“Who?”

Ortiz searched the folders.

No amendment.

No trustee name.

Nothing.

Then Marcus’s phone rang.

Sarah.

Ortiz motioned for him to answer.

Marcus put it on speaker.

Sarah sounded almost cheerful.

“Did you enjoy Hannah’s little movie?”

Marcus’s blood turned cold.

“Where are you?”

“Did she tell you who the trustee is?”

Silence.

Sarah laughed.

“She didn’t, did she?”

“You drugged my daughter.”

“I needed documentation.”

“She’s six years old.”

“You think this is about six years old? This started before Lily could talk.”

Marcus clenched his fist.

Sarah’s voice lowered.

“Ask Julian what Hannah found the week before she died.”

Marcus looked at him.

Julian’s face changed.

Sarah continued.

“Ask him why Hannah suddenly rewrote her will.”

Julian whispered, “Sarah, don’t.”

Sarah laughed again.

Then she delivered the sentence that silenced everyone in the room.

“Because Hannah discovered Lily wasn’t the heir everyone thought she was.”

The call ended.

Marcus stared at Julian.

“What does that mean?”

Julian looked terrified.

Not for himself.

For Marcus.

“There’s one more file,” he said.

“Where?”

Julian looked toward the ocean.

“Under the lighthouse.”