Chapter 8 - THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD
The abandoned facility sat on the edge of the city, surrounded by empty fields and broken fences.
Edward had never felt fear like this before.
Not because of danger.
Because of hope.
For twenty years, he had accepted that Sarah was gone.
Now he was standing in front of a place that might prove he had been wrong.
Marcus checked the building.
“Security cameras are old, but someone has been here recently.”
Edward looked at him.
“Recently?”
Marcus nodded.
“Someone is maintaining this place.”
They entered through the damaged front door.
Inside, the building smelled like dust and old medicine.
Every step echoed.
Then Emma stopped.
“Dad.”
Edward turned.
She was staring at a wall.
Photos were attached to it.
Photos of people.
Dates.
Records.
And in the center…
A photo of Emma.
Edward rushed forward.
His daughter’s picture was taken when she was only five years old.
Someone had been watching her.
Tracking her.
For years.
Emma stepped back, terrified.
“Who would do this?”
Edward’s jaw tightened.
“Someone who wanted control.”
They continued searching.
Then they found a hidden room.
Inside was a bed.
A table.
And a journal.
The handwriting on the cover made Edward’s hands shake.
Sarah.
He opened it.
The first page contained only one sentence.
“If Edward ever finds this, it means they failed to erase the truth.”
Edward sat down.
His eyes filled with tears.
Sarah had written about everything.
About Victoria.
About the pressure.
About the threats.
About how she discovered someone inside Edward’s company was stealing money and using her name.
She had planned to expose them.
That was when the accident happened.
But the accident was not an accident.
Someone had tried to kill her.
Someone had taken her away.
And the person helping them…
was someone Edward trusted.
Emma read another page.
Then she stopped.
“Dad…”
“What?”
Her face turned pale.
“She wrote my name.”
Edward took the journal.
The page said:
“They are afraid of Emma because she inherited something they cannot control.”
Edward frowned.
“Inherited what?”
Before he could read more…
The sound of footsteps came from behind them.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Someone was inside the room.
Marcus immediately reached for his weapon.
“Show yourself.”
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
An older woman.
Weak.
Tired.
But familiar.
Emma covered her mouth.
Edward couldn’t move.
Because after twenty years…
The woman standing in front of him was the person he thought he had lost forever.
“Edward…”
His eyes filled with tears.
“Sarah.”
She looked at Emma.
And the moment she saw her daughter…
She broke down.
“My baby…”
Emma ran forward.
Mother and daughter held each other for the first time in two decades.
But the reunion lasted only seconds.
Because Sarah suddenly pulled away.
Her face filled with fear.
“You have to leave.”
Edward looked confused.
“What?”
Sarah looked toward the door.
“They know you found me.”
A loud crash came from outside.
Then the sound of approaching footsteps.
Sarah whispered:
May you like
“They’re here.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
