Chapter 22: "The Truth in Silence"
The apartment was silent, save for the low hum of the refrigerator in the corner. Claire stood in the middle of the room, the package on her coffee table staring back at her like it held a thousand untold secrets. Her heart thumped steadily in her chest, her mind cycling through possibilities.
Who sent it?
Why now?
And what did they want her to see?
She dropped her bag and approached the table slowly, as if afraid the package might explode. The cardboard was damp on one corner—likely from the mist outside—but the tape was still intact. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for it. The name on the front was hers, printed in block letters. No return address.
Claire exhaled shakily and grabbed a pair of scissors from a nearby drawer. One quick slice, and the tape peeled away with a faint hiss. She folded back the flaps.
Inside were three things: a flash drive, a stack of printed documents, and an envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL.
