PART 5 — THE PERSON LUCAS FEARED
PART 5 — THE PERSON LUCAS FEARED
For several seconds, neither Ethan nor Maya moved.
The computer screen glowed in the dark room.
One sentence.
That was all it took to change everything.
The person who caused my accident is still watching.
Ethan stared at the words.
His mind refused to accept them.
Because the accident was supposed to be simple.
A drunk driver.
A random tragedy.
A terrible night nobody could change.
That was the story everyone told.
That was the story he believed.
But Lucas...
Lucas knew something else.
“Play the next message.”
Maya’s voice was quiet.
Ethan looked at her.
She was pale.
But she wasn't running.
That was something he had started noticing about her.
Maya was afraid.
But she stayed.
He clicked.
Another video opened.
Lucas appeared again.
This time, he looked different.
Serious.
Like someone who knew he didn't have much time.
“If you’re watching this…”
Lucas paused.
“Then I didn’t get the chance to explain everything.”
Ethan sat down.
Maya stood beside him.
Lucas continued.
“Ethan, I need you to understand something.”
“I wasn’t just going to the hospital.”
“I wasn’t just visiting someone.”
His eyes lowered.
“I was investigating.”
The room went silent.
Ethan whispered:
“Investigating what?”
Lucas continued.
“There were things about the accident that didn’t make sense.”
“The driver was drunk, yes.”
“But the car was already damaged before he hit me.”
Ethan’s face changed.
“What?”
Maya looked at him.
Lucas kept talking.
“Someone tampered with the brakes.”
Ethan stopped breathing.
No.
That wasn't possible.
No.
“Lucas…”
His voice cracked.
But the video continued.
“I found out because I noticed something.”
A pause.
“Someone was following me.”
The video ended.
The room stayed silent.
Ethan stared at the screen.
His brother.
Murdered?
The thought was impossible.
Terrifying.
Maya slowly sat down.
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan looked at her.
“For what?”
“For knowing more about his last months than you did.”
That hurt.
Because it was true.
Lucas trusted Maya.
He told Maya things.
Things he never told Ethan.
But then Ethan realized something.
Maybe it wasn't because Lucas loved him less.
Maybe it was because Lucas was trying to protect him.
They spent the next three hours searching.
Lucas’s messages.
Emails.
Notes.
Anything.
And slowly, pieces started appearing.
A name.
A company.
A person.
Maya noticed it first.
“Wait.”
Ethan looked up.
“What?”
She pointed at the screen.
“Look at this.”
A message from Lucas.
Only one line.
Ask why Oakridge keeps deleting records.
Ethan frowned.
“What records?”
Maya searched.
The school database.
Student files.
Accident reports.
And then...
She found something strange.
A missing entry.
A student who had attended Oakridge two years ago.
A student who disappeared from every record.
“Who is this?”
Ethan looked.
The name appeared.
Daniel Reeves.
Maya searched further.
Then froze.
“What?”
Ethan leaned closer.
“Daniel Reeves worked at the rehabilitation center.”
Her voice lowered.
“The same one where I met Lucas.”
Suddenly everything felt connected.
Lucas.
Maya.
The rehabilitation center.
The accident.
Oakridge.
Someone had been hiding information.
But why?
Ethan looked at Maya.
“Did Lucas ever mention Daniel?”
Maya thought.
Then slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
Ethan leaned forward.
“What did he say?”
Maya closed her eyes.
“He said…”
She hesitated.
“He said there was a man at the center who was pretending to help people.”
A pause.
“But he wasn't.”
Ethan felt cold.
“Who?”
Maya whispered:
“Daniel.”
The next morning, they went back to the rehabilitation center.
The place looked different from Maya’s memories.
Smaller.
Older.
The garden where she and Lucas sat was empty.
But walking there brought everything back.
Lucas sitting beside her.
Talking.
Laughing.
Helping her believe she could have a future.
Maya stopped.
“He sat here.”
Ethan looked around.
“Where?”
She pointed.
“Right there.”
A pause.
“He told me he was scared.”
Ethan looked surprised.
“Lucas?”
Maya nodded.
“He didn't want anyone to know.”
“What was he scared of?”
She swallowed.
“He said he discovered something.”
“What?”
“He never told me.”
Ethan looked away.
Of course.
Another secret.
Inside the building, they found an old employee.
A woman named Mrs. Carter.
She recognized Maya immediately.
“Oh my.”
Her eyes filled.
“You’re Lucas’s girl.”
Maya froze.
“His girl?”
Mrs. Carter smiled sadly.
“His friend.”
She corrected herself.
“Sorry.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“We need information.”
The woman looked nervous.
“About Lucas?”
“Yes.”
She looked around.
Then lowered her voice.
“He was asking questions.”
“What questions?”
“About Daniel Reeves.”
Maya and Ethan exchanged looks.
Mrs. Carter continued.
“Lucas believed Daniel was hiding something.”
“What?”
She hesitated.
“Medical records.”
The air changed.
“What medical records?”
The woman sighed.
“Records from patients.”
Maya felt sick.
“Patients?”
Mrs. Carter nodded.
“People recovering from accidents.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“And Maya?”
Mrs. Carter looked at her.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Lucas thought your accident wasn't random either.”
Maya froze.
Her accident?
No.
That was impossible.
She remembered the crash.
The hospital.
The pain.
But now...
Everything she believed was changing.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
Maya whispered.
Mrs. Carter looked at her sadly.
“Because he was trying to protect you.”
The same words again.
Everyone protecting.
Everyone hiding.
Maya hated it.
But she understood.
Lucas had always been that way.
As they left the center, Ethan noticed something.
A black car.
Parked across the street.
Watching.
He stopped.
“Maya.”
She turned.
“What?”
“Don’t look.”
That made her nervous.
“What?”
“The car.”
A pause.
“It’s been following us.”
Maya’s face went pale.
Then the car started.
Slowly.
Moving away.
Ethan pulled out his phone.
“I’m calling someone.”
“Who?”
“The police.”
But before he could dial...
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Ethan answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a voice.
Cold.
Familiar.
“Ethan Hawthorne.”
His blood froze.
Because he knew that voice.
The voice belonged to someone who shouldn't know him.
Someone who shouldn't be alive.
The person on the other end whispered:
“Stop looking for Lucas.”
Ethan couldn't speak.
The voice continued:
“Because he died protecting a secret.”
A pause.
“And now Maya is next.”
The call ended.
Ethan looked at Maya.
And both of them realized the same thing.
May you like
The truth was not just dangerous.
Someone was willing to kill for it.
