“The email came from your private address, Evelyn,” Hunter said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“I have the sent receipts right here,” Hunter said.

He showed the screen to Dr. Sterling.

“She was going to take the money and leave the country,” Hunter said.

“She told me she was tired of her father’s control.”

Arthur turned his head slowly to look at me.

There was a flicker of doubt in his grey eyes.

“Evelyn,” Arthur said.

“Did you do this?”

“No, Dad,” I said.

“How can you even ask me that?”

“She is framing me,” I said, my voice cracking.

“Hunter has my login details.”

“He has had them for years,” I said.

“That is a convenient excuse,” Hunter said.

“But the encryption keys required to sign those files are unique to your device.”

“Only you have the physical token,” Hunter said.

He was right.

The university issued a physical security key on a USB drive for all doctoral candidates.

I reached into my coat pocket.

The small plastic key was gone.

My heart sank into my stomach.