10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Daniella

Armed with new information, I head back to my apartment, my mind buzzing with possibilities.

I need to dig deeper into Jeremy’s life, find out what he was involved in that could have led to his murder. I start by going through his belongings, looking for anything that might stand out.

Hours pass as I sift through Jeremy's things: his clothes, books, and papers. Nothing seems out of the ordinary until I find a small, locked box hidden in the back of his closet. My heart races as I pry it open, revealing a stack of documents and a flash drive.

As I sift through Jeremy's things, a sense of betrayal washes over me, sharp and bitter. Every item I touch seems to hold a piece of a life I never knew he had.

Even his clothes, neatly folded in the drawers, now feel like costumes for a role he played so convincingly. How could he have kept so much from me?

I pull out a stack of papers from the back of his closet, my hands trembling. Financial records, account statements, transfers of money—each document is a revelation of deceit.

Jeremy, the man I loved, the man I was going to marry, was involved in something dangerous, something he never shared with me. For years, he lied to me, kept a whole other part of himself hidden away.

Tears sting my eyes as I find yet another locked box and pry it open. Inside are more documents, more secrets. I feel like an intruder in my own life, sifting through evidence of a betrayal so deep it makes my chest ache.

How could he have done this? How could he have looked me in the eyes every day, told me he loved me and kept such a monumental part of his life a secret?

Every memory with him now feels tainted. The nights we spent laughing together, the plans we made for our future—they all seem like a cruel joke.

Did he ever trust me? Did he ever see me as more than just a part of the fa?ade he maintained?

The pain cuts deep. I thought I knew him, thought we had no secrets between us.

But now, it feels like I was living with a stranger, someone who never truly let me in. I trusted him with everything and he betrayed that trust in the worst possible way.

As I continue to go through his belongings, the sense of betrayal morphs into a cold determination. He may have lied to me, kept his secrets, but I will uncover the truth. I deserve that much.

Jeremy's deceit may have shattered my world, but it won't break me. I will find out what happened to him, why he was involved with the Durettis and who was responsible for his death.

But as I gather the documents and the flash drive, I can't help but feel the weight of his betrayal pressing down on me. The man I loved, the man I thought I knew, was a stranger. And now, I'm left to pick up the pieces of a life that was never truly mine.

The documents are financial records, detailing large sums of money being transferred between various accounts. It’s clear Jeremy was involved in something big, something dangerous. The flash drive contains a series of encrypted files and I realize I’ll need help to unlock them.

I think of Renee, wondering if she knows anyone who could help. I give her a call,

“Hey, I’m so glad you called. John from finance has been trying to rope me into going to dinner with him and I don’t think he’s buying the excuse that I need to take my dog to his monthly manicure and pedicure session. Rescue me, please.”

I smile, despite the heaviness I’m feeling. Renee always makes me feel better.

“Tell him you have a date with me and you’ll be free to spend time with him by the fifth of never.”

“Okay, there’s that sass I’ve missed. FYI, I am going to say that, word for word.”

I laugh a little and it feels good after the day I’ve had.

“Do you want to go for this imaginary mani-pedi sesh with me? We can even get real mani-pedis.”

“Am I pretending to be your dog now?” I joke. I pause. “Wait…you don’t even have a dog.”

“I know that and you know that, but he doesn’t know that,” she says with a giggle.

I laugh along with her. “I would love to. But first, I found a flash drive among Jeremy’s belongings, but the contents are encrypted. Do you know anyone who might be able to help?”

She is quiet for a minute then she sighs.

“You're still doing this then.” It's not a question, but I answer her anyway.

“Yes. I have to Renee. There are just too many unanswered questions and even though I am hurt at the things I'm finding out about Jeremy, I still…I loved him. I do love him.”

“No, no, I'm sorry Daniella, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I think it’s good that you're doing this.”

She sighs again.

“Times like this I wish inlaid more attention during high school computer classes.”

“Babes, I don't think high-level of decryption was covered in high school computer classes.”

She chuckles and everything is better again, lighter.

"I might know someone," she says after a moment. "A friend from college. He’s good with computers and might be able to help you out."

***

Renee arranges for me to meet her friend Chris, a tech genius she says can help decrypt the files. As I step into his apartment, I'm immediately struck by the sheer chaos of the place.

It's a small, cluttered space, with computer parts, monitors and cables strewn about haphazardly. The walls are lined with shelves overflowing with books and gadgets, giving the room a distinctly geeky charm.

Chris himself is a stark contrast to his surroundings. He's a wiry guy in his late twenties, with tousled brown hair and glasses that seem to be perpetually smudged.

His T-shirt, emblazoned with some obscure tech company logo, is slightly too big for him, and his jeans look like they’ve seen better days. He greets me with a quick, distracted smile, already focused on the task at hand.

“Hello, I'm Daniella. Renee sent me here. She says you're super smart and can help me with this.”

What's that they say? The way to a man's heart is by stroking his ego?

“Yes, I can.” He doesn't look directly at me and I don't know if it’s because he isn't used to talking to girls, but that seems like an unfair stereotype, so I discard it.

"Let's see what we've got here," he says, taking the flash drive from me and plugging it into one of his many computers. The room is filled with the soft hum of multiple hard drives and the occasional beep of a machine completing some arcane task.

As he works, I can't help but feel a bit out of place. The air smells faintly of old coffee and electronics, a combination that seems to perfectly encapsulate Chris's world.

Posters of sci-fi movies and comic book heroes cover the walls, alongside whiteboards filled with complex equations and notes.

Chris's fingers fly over the keyboard, his brow furrowed in concentration. "This is some serious encryption," he mutters, more to himself than to me. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

I watch him work, feeling a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The minutes tick by and the silence grows heavy. To break the tension, I try to make small talk.

"So, how do you know Renee?" I ask.

Chris doesn't look up from the screen but answers readily enough. "We went to college together. She was one of the few people who didn't think I was a complete nerd."

I smile, trying to imagine Renee in her college days. "And now you do...what exactly? Besides decrypting mysterious flash drives for friends?"

He chuckles, still focused on the task. "I work in cybersecurity. Mostly helping companies protect their data from hackers. It's not as glamorous as it sounds."

"It sounds pretty important to me," I say, genuinely impressed. "How did you get into that?"

He finally glances up, a hint of pride in his eyes. "I've always been into computers. Started hacking around when I was a kid—just small stuff, nothing illegal. It kind of grew from there."

I nod, appreciating his openness. "Well, I'm glad you're on our side. I wouldn't even know where to begin with something like this."

Chris shrugs modestly. "It's what I do. And it helps that I find this stuff interesting."

Minutes turn into an hour and the tension in the room grows. I pace back and forth, trying to keep my nerves in check. Chris remains laser-focused, typing furiously and muttering under his breath. Finally, a triumphant beep sounds from his computer and he leans back with a satisfied grin.

"Got it," he announces, turning the monitor so I can see the decrypted files. His eyes widen as he scans the documents, his face growing pale.

"Daniella, this is...this is huge. These files contain evidence of money laundering, drug trafficking, and even bribes to government officials. Your fiancé was involved in some serious stuff."

My stomach churns as I take in the information. Jeremy, the man I loved, was wrapped up in the world of crime. But why? And how did it lead to his death?

I also don't miss the fact that he said, “my fiancé”. I didn't mention anything about the file to him, or who Jeremy was. If he knew who Jeremy was, Renee must've told him. I try to decide if I'm annoyed, but it’s no use. She's doing me a big favor and he's doing me an even bigger one.

"Can you make a copy of those files for me that isn’t encrypted?" I ask, my voice shaky.

Chris nods, quickly tapping away on his keyboard again before taking out the flash drive and giving it back to me. "Be careful with this. If the Durettis find out you have this, they'll come after you."

I want to say that if the Durettis find out that I have any intentions of discovering the truth, they will murder me on the spot. I already know my betrayal will be that much worse for Lorenzo because he seems to be truly fond of me. I intentionally don’t examine my own feelings.

"Thank you, Chris. I owe you one."

As I leave his apartment, the weight of the truth presses down on me. Jeremy was involved with the Durettis and it got him killed. But I still don’t know why or who exactly pulled the trigger.

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” I mutter as I get into my car and start the engine.

The sense of betrayal is overwhelming, but now I have a clearer picture of the dangerous world Jeremy was part of and I’m more determined than ever to uncover the whole truth.