Ava’s father stumbled toward the television.

“No…”

On the recording, his dead brother walked calmly into the office.

Alive.

His wife followed him inside.

The timestamp was from six months ago.

The father looked at her.

“You told me Daniel died.”

She started crying.

“I was trying to protect you.”

“From my own brother?”

Ava turned up the volume.

Daniel’s recorded voice filled the room.

“He still thinks the accident killed me.”

The father went completely still.

His wife answered on the video.

“He has to keep believing that until everything is transferred.”

Ava’s father stared at her.

“What transfer?”

She backed away.

Then Ava opened another file.

Bank documents.

Property deeds.

Insurance papers.

All carrying her father’s signature.

Except he had never signed them.

His face drained of color.

“You weren’t spying on the children.”

Ava looked at him.

“She was watching to make sure none of us discovered what they were doing.”

The mother whispered,

“You don’t understand.”

Then the teddy bear camera feed changed.

Someone was standing outside the front door.

Ava zoomed in.

Her father stopped breathing.

Daniel was there.

Alive.

And looking directly into the camera.