CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE – DASTARDLY EVIL

By the time she finished, Nia's eyes were burning from staring at the screen for so long, but her resolve had never been stronger. She had a lead – a tangible, concrete lead. It was more than she'd had in years. Shutting down her computer, Nia moved to the window, watching as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon. In just a few hours, she would be on her way, to what she hoped would be the key to unlocking the truth about her past – and possibly, her future. Nia's mind buzzed with anticipation and fear as she navigated through the city's outskirts, following the directions to the storage facility. Each mile brought her closer to potential answers, but also to unknown dangers. As she pulled into the parking lot of "SecureStore Self Storage," Nia's heart rate kicked up a notch. The facility was larger than she'd expected, rows upon rows of identical metal units stretching out before her. She double-checked the unit number she'd gleaned from Jason's emails before st