My Mother Hurt My One-Year-Old Son and Walked Away—Then One Phone Call Put Everything She Owned at Risk.

"The authorization was digital, using Mark's private encryption key," Daniel answered, his voice thick with confusion.

Elena felt a cold chill run down her spine, freezing the sweat on her neck. She stared at the bomb, suddenly questioning everything she knew about the black-taped device.

"He's alive," Diane whispered, her voice barely audible.

"No, I identified his body at the morgue," Elena shot back, her voice shaking for the first time.

Diane stood up from the sofa, her eyes wide with a frantic, paranoid energy.

"You identified a body burned beyond recognition, Elena!" Diane yelled.

Elena squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against a rising tide of panic. The timer hit eight minutes.

"Daniel, freeze that account, whatever it takes," Elena ordered.

"I'm locked out, Elena, the encryption is military grade," Daniel apologized.

Diane began pacing aggressively, rubbing her temples with trembling hands.

"He played us, he played both of us!" Diane muttered furiously.

Elena looked at Leo, who was now softly sleeping on the beige carpet behind her. She had risked everything to protect her children from her mother, only to uncover a ghost.

"If Mark is alive, why would he drain the trust now?" Elena asked the room.

Diane stopped pacing and slowly turned toward Elena, her eyes locking onto the explosive device.

"Because he knew you would force me to open the accounts today," Diane realized.

Elena looked down at the bomb. The red numbers flashed brightly. Six minutes.

"He left the bomb in the safe for me to find," Elena whispered.

"It was a prop to scare me into unlocking the trust!" Diane realized, a hysterical laugh escaping her lips.

Elena stared at the black tape, her heart pounding violently in her chest. She had assumed it was real, but she had never actually tested the explosives.

"Is it fake?" Elena asked, her voice tight with fear.

Diane lunged forward suddenly, dropping to her knees in front of Elena.

"Give it to me, let me see it!" Diane demanded.

"Back off!" Elena screamed, raising the heavy device as a shield.

Diane grabbed the edge of the bomb, her manicured nails digging into the black tape.