The next morning, Zara couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over her. She needed answers, and there was only one person she could turn to—Greg. Her stepfather. He had always been there for her, even when things were difficult with her mom. But as the phone call from the Phantom Caller echoed in her mind, Zara wondered if Greg had known something she hadn't.
They sat in the kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air. Zara stared at her stepfather, her mind running over the cryptic message from the night before.
"Greg," she began softly, "I need to know something. About my dad... and the Syndicate. Did you know about all of this?"
Greg stiffened, his eyes darting to the side as if searching for the right words. After a long pause, he spoke, his voice heavy with regret.
"I was involved with the Shadow Syndicate for a time. I wasn't always the man you know today, Zara. Back then, I didn't understand the true nature of the group I'd joined. They promised me power, money... everything a man could want. But as I got deeper into their world, I realized they weren't what they seemed. I discovered things—horrible things—that I can never forget. Your father, Emeka, was a key player, Zara. He was involved in things that... that still haunt me."
Zara's heart pounded in her chest. This was the moment she had feared. "What did you find out, Greg?" she whispered.
Greg's face hardened, his eyes darkening with the weight of his past. "I found out the truth about the Syndicate's goals, about what they were really after. Your father wasn't just a businessman—he was a pawn in a much bigger game. And when I realized what they were doing, I had to leave. I couldn't be part of that life anymore, not when I knew what it would cost."
Zara felt the floor drop beneath her. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you warn me sooner?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Greg reached across the table and took her hand. "I didn't know how to. I didn't want you to carry that burden. But I can see now that you're already in it, Zara. You have to know the truth. You're not just a bystander anymore. The Syndicate is after you, and you need to be prepared."
Zara sat back in her chair, her mind spinning. The man she had trusted, the man who had raised her, had been part of something monstrous. And now, she was caught in the aftermath.