Chapter 4

My mom stared at me, looking utterly bewildered.

"Why would someone pretend to be me? And look just like me?"

"I'm an only child. I don't have a twin sister!"

"Luna, what else did she say to you? Do you remember?"

I didn't hide anything and repeated all the conversations.

By now, I had calmed down and started analyzing the situation.

I was just a college student with no enemies. It made no sense for a scammer to go to such lengths for me. Their target had to be my mom.

My mom should have known who it was.

But she just knitted her brows, looking completely lost.

"Maybe whoever found my satellite phone knows me? They knew I was back in the country and wanted to play a sick prank on us?"

It was highly unlikely, but we had no other explanation.

The satellite phone was registered abroad, so local police couldn't do much. And the call wouldn't go through anymore.

"Luna, the security here is great. She won't be able to hurt you."

"But please be careful. If that number calls again, do not answer."

My mom hugged me tightly, her eyes tearing up again.

Her flight back was tomorrow. This was our last day together.

She asked to visit my campus, bought me a ton of gifts, and helped me carry them back to my dorm.

"Oh, by the way, Luna. Remember those souvenirs I gave you last year? There was a USB drive in there. I need to copy some work files from it."

"Can you find it for me?"

By the time I found the USB drive, it was only two hours before her flight.

She didn't have time to copy it, so she took the USB drive directly. I accompanied her to the airport.

At the departure gate, she waved and walked away quickly.

I stood there, my arms still slightly raised for a goodbye hug, completely frozen.

In the past, whenever she left, she would hug me tightly and wait until the very last boarding call.

Watching her walk away without once turning back, a cold emptiness bloomed in my chest.

Right then, my phone rang.

It was the satellite phone again!

I wasn't going to pick up, but thinking about how this caller had ruined my relationship with my mother, anger flared up in me. I swiped accept.

"You freak, what do you want?!"

"What did we ever do to you? Why are you doing this to ruin my family?!"

The person on the other end gasped, her voice desperate.

"Luna! I'm your mother! I'm not lying to you!"

"The satellite phone had a massive signal glitch. I just got connected!"

"That imposter doesn't know I reached you, right?"

"Did you let her touch your things?!"

Still trying to play me?

I sneered, my teeth clenched. "Enough! I ate her food, and I slept in the same room with her for two nights. I am perfectly fine!"

"I won't believe a single word of your warnings!"

"If you keep harassing me, I will have my mom find you and lock you up!"

The line went silent for a few seconds. Then, her hoarse voice became incredibly emotional.

"How can you not believe me, Luna?!"

"Do you remember when you were fourteen and that creep cornered you after school? I secretly spiked his drink so he'd never be able to lay a hand on another girl again. I never told anyone! Only the two of us know!"

My hand shook, nearly dropping the phone. Cold sweat broke out all over my body.

That was a crime. My mom would never tell a single soul. Even my dad didn't know.

How did this caller know?

Before I could ask, she continued frantically:

"I got targeted by some bad people because of a highly valuable research dataset. I'm in extreme danger."

"To protect the data, I copied it onto a USB drive and hid it in those souvenirs I gave you. Once the imposter gets her hands on that drive, I lose my leverage. They will kill me!"

My body began to shake violently.

The USB drive. She had just taken it.

The memory of "my mom" walking away so quickly without looking back flashed through my mind...

I couldn't think straight anymore. I turned and sprinted toward the security gate!