Echoes of the Past

The morning air was thick with tension. Evelyn hadn't slept—not really. Her mind kept replaying Vance's words, looping the revelation over and over. Her father's death wasn't an accident. He had been murdered.

By the Foundation.

She sat at the small wooden table in the safe house's kitchen, staring at a cup of coffee that had gone cold. The scent of burnt toast lingered in the air, but she barely noticed.

Theo entered the room, his movements quiet but deliberate. He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, watching her.

"You're overthinking," he finally said.

Evelyn blinked, pulling herself out of her daze. "Gee, thanks for the insight, Bennett."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it faded quickly. "We'll figure this out."

Evelyn rubbed her temples. "You say that like it's that simple."

Theo took a sip of his coffee. "It's not. But we don't have another option."

She sighed. "I just don't know where to start. If my father was involved in this Veritas Project, then there has to be more information somewhere."

Theo set his cup down and crossed his arms. "Vance might know more."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "He's already given us breadcrumbs, Theo. I need something concrete."

He studied her for a moment, then pulled out his phone and scrolled through something. "There's one more place we can check."

She frowned. "Where?"

His eyes met hers. "Your father's old office."

---

A Step Back in Time

Evelyn hadn't been to her father's university since she was a child. Walking through the front gates felt surreal—like stepping into a memory.

The campus was quiet. Most of the buildings had been modernized, but the history department remained unchanged, its brick walls and ivy-covered windows frozen in time.

Theo walked beside her, scanning their surroundings as they approached the main hall.

"You're sure we won't get caught breaking in?" she muttered.

Theo smirked. "Who said anything about breaking in?"

Evelyn gave him a skeptical look. "You have a key?"

"Something like that."

Before she could question him further, Theo led her to a side entrance, pulling a small tool from his pocket. Within seconds, the lock clicked open.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned about how good you are at that?"

Theo gave her a lazy grin. "Too late for that."

She rolled her eyes but followed him inside.

---

Secrets Left Behind

The office smelled like old books and dust. The walls were lined with shelves filled with ancient texts, and the wooden desk in the center of the room looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

Evelyn ran her fingers along the desk's surface, a flood of memories rushing back. She used to sit here as a child, doodling on scraps of paper while her father worked late into the night.

Theo moved toward a cabinet, testing the drawers. "Locked."

Evelyn turned her attention to the bookshelf. Something about it felt… off. She scanned the titles, her fingers grazing over the spines. Then she paused.

One of the books—The Truth of History—was slightly misaligned.

She pulled it.

A soft click echoed through the room.

Theo turned just in time to see the bookshelf shift slightly, revealing a hidden compartment.

Evelyn's heart pounded. "That's new."

Theo stepped forward, helping her push the shelf aside. Behind it was a small safe, old but still intact.

Evelyn knelt in front of it. "We need a code."

Theo studied the lock. "Try something personal."

Evelyn hesitated, then slowly pressed the numbers of her father's birthday.

Nothing.

She bit her lip, thinking. Then another date surfaced in her mind—the day he died.

She entered it.

The safe clicked open.

Her breath caught. "That's—"

Theo's expression darkened. "He knew this would happen."

Evelyn didn't want to think about what that meant. Instead, she pulled the door open and reached inside.

Inside, there were several files, a worn leather notebook, and—

Her fingers brushed against something cold.

She pulled out a flash drive.

Theo took it, turning it over in his fingers. "This might be what we need."

Evelyn's grip tightened around the notebook. "Then let's find out."

---

A Moment of Quiet

Later that night, Evelyn sat on the couch in the safe house, flipping through the notebook. Most of the pages were filled with notes in her father's handwriting—scribbled equations, half-finished sentences, sketches of what looked like circuit diagrams.

Theo sat beside her, working on decrypting the flash drive on his laptop.

They had been silent for the past hour, lost in their respective tasks. But after everything, the silence wasn't heavy. It was… comfortable.

Evelyn glanced at him. "You always look so serious when you work."

Theo didn't look up. "It's called concentration."

She smirked. "You mean brooding?"

That earned her a side glance. "I do not brood."

Evelyn chuckled. "You absolutely do."

Theo shook his head but didn't argue. Instead, he reached for his coffee, only to find the cup empty.

Evelyn sighed dramatically and got up. "Fine. I'll get more."

As she passed him, Theo's fingers brushed lightly against her wrist—just a small touch, fleeting, barely there. But it made her pause.

She turned to him.

Theo's gaze flickered up to meet hers, something unreadable in his eyes.

It was gone in a second. "Thanks," he said simply.

Evelyn exhaled, shaking her head as she walked to the kitchen.

She didn't know what was happening between them.

But whatever it was, she wasn't sure she wanted it to stop.

---

End of Chapter 19