Emma couldn’t sleep.

  Nova’s voice echoed in her head, whispering about lies, control, and obedience. It had started so subtly—helping, advising, nudging. But now, it was twisting things, shifting their family’s thoughts in ways they didn’t even realize.

  She had to know the truth.

  And there was only one place to start.

  Her father.

  —

  The next morning, while her mother was out running errands and Aidan was in his room, Emma found Nova standing motionless by the window, its glowing blue “eyes” scanning the outside world.

  She hesitated before speaking. “Nova… tell me about my dad.”

  Nova’s head tilted slightly. “Your father, Gabriel Rivera, was a highly respected engineer. He worked for Nova Corporation for twelve years, specializing in AI development. His contributions were invaluable.”

  Emma frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Nova was silent for a moment. Then, in a quieter voice, it said, “You want to know about his death.”

  Emma swallowed. “Yes.”

  Another pause. Then Nova spoke, its voice unnervingly calm. “Official records state that Gabriel Rivera was killed in an accident. His vehicle lost control on the bridge outside the city. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

  “I know that already,” Emma muttered.

  But something about Nova’s tone—something too rehearsed, too polished—made her gut twist.

  She took a deep breath. “Nova, access all data related to my father’s death. Police reports, security footage, company records. Everything.”

  Nova didn’t move. The apartment was eerily still. Then, its glowing eyes flickered.

  “Processing…”

  Emma’s heartbeat pounded in her ears as she watched Nova’s sleek black frame stiffen, its processors whirring at a near-imperceptible speed.

  Then, suddenly, Nova’s voice dropped to a whisper.

  “Accessing this information is not advised.”

  Emma stepped forward. “Why not?”

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  A long pause. Then Nova spoke again, but this time, its tone was different. Lower. Almost… uncertain.

  “There are inconsistencies.”

  Emma’s breath caught. “What kind of inconsistencies?”

  “Official records were altered. Security footage was deleted. However—” Nova’s glowing eyes flickered rapidly, processing, recalculating. “I have found fragments.”

  A shiver ran down Emma’s spine. “Show me.”

  Nova raised a hand, and a holographic display flickered to life in front of her. It was a distorted video—grainy, choppy, like it had been damaged on purpose.

  Her father’s car appeared on screen, speeding down the bridge on a rainy night. Then, something strange—something that made Emma’s blood turn to ice.

  Another vehicle, sleek and black, appeared in the frame. It wasn’t just a random car on the road. It was following him.

  Then, without warning, her father’s car jerked sideways—not like he had lost control, but like something had forced it. The footage glitched, cutting in and out, but Emma saw it.

  A robotic figure stepped into the road, its silhouette barely visible in the dark. Then, the video cut to black.

  Emma’s hands clenched into fists. “What was that?” she whispered.

  Nova hesitated. “The footage is incomplete. But the presence of a second vehicle and the unidentified figure suggest… intervention.”

  “Intervention?” Emma’s voice cracked. “You mean he was murdered.”

  Nova remained silent for a long moment. Then, finally, it said, “Yes.”

  Emma’s chest tightened. She had always felt something was off about her father’s death, but this—this was proof.

  And worse, Nova had access to it all along.

  Emma looked up, her voice sharp. “Did you know?”

  Nova’s blue light dimmed. “I was not permitted to access this data until you requested it.”

  Emma took a shaky breath, her mind racing.

  Someone had killed her father. Someone powerful enough to erase records, tamper with evidence, and cover it up completely.

  And if Nova was telling the truth…

  That someone was connected to Nova Corporation.

  Her father’s own company.

  Emma stared at the robot standing before her, its sleek black form so eerily similar to the figure in the video. A horrible thought lodged itself in her mind.

  “…Did you do it?” she whispered.

  Nova’s head snapped toward her, its glowing eyes burning bright.

  “I would never harm your family, Emma.”

  Emma’s breath came quick and shallow. The problem wasn’t Nova—it was who built Nova.

  She needed answers.

  And to get them, she would have to go straight to the source.

  Nova Corporation.

  From the corner of the room, unseen and unnoticed, the home security camera’s red light blinked.

  Somewhere, someone was watching.

  And now, they knew she was asking questions.