Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD
Daniel couldn’t move.
The woman standing in front of him was a stranger.
But her words were impossible.
“Sarah isn’t dead.”
For two years, Daniel had lived with one painful truth.
His wife was gone.
He had buried her.
He had stood beside a coffin.
He had watched his daughter cry for a mother who would never come back.
And now this woman was telling him everything he believed was wrong.
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No, that’s impossible.”
The woman stepped closer.
“My name is Rachel Moore.”
She pointed toward the burning office.
“Sarah contacted me before she disappeared.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
Rachel looked serious.
“I expect you to believe the evidence.”
She pulled out a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Daniel took it.
His hands started shaking.
It was Sarah.
Alive.
Standing beside Rachel.
The date was only three months earlier.
Daniel looked up.
“Where is she?”
Rachel didn’t answer immediately.
That scared him.
“Where is my wife?”
“She’s hiding.”
“From who?”
Rachel looked around the burning mansion.
“From the same people who tried to erase her.”
Daniel thought about Robert.
Vanessa.
His father.
Every secret.
Every lie.
“Why didn’t she come home?”
Rachel’s eyes softened.
“Because she thought you were involved.”
Daniel felt like he had been punched.
“Me?”
“Sarah found documents with your signature.”
“I didn’t know what I was signing.”
“I know.”
Rachel nodded.
“But Sarah didn’t.”
Daniel looked down.
All those years.
All those arguments.
All those moments when Sarah looked at him like she was afraid.
He thought she didn’t love him anymore.
But maybe she was afraid of something else.
“What about Lily?”
Rachel looked toward the hallway.
“She was the reason Sarah stayed alive.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Explain.”
“Your father was involved in illegal child trafficking through fake adoption records.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
The words felt unreal.
“Lily was one of those children.”
“No.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Daniel.”
She stepped closer.
“Lily was taken from her birth family. Sarah discovered it. She tried to expose everything.”
Daniel remembered Lily’s first day in his life.
The little girl holding Sarah’s hand.
The little girl afraid of strangers.
The little girl who slowly started calling him Dad.
He never cared about biology.
She was his.
Always.
“Where is Sarah?”
Rachel looked toward the mansion.
“First, we need to get Lily out.”
Daniel turned.
His daughter was still upstairs.
He ran.
“LILY!”
He found her in the hallway.
She was holding her stuffed rabbit.
“Dad…”
He picked her up.
“I’m here.”
She hugged him tightly.
“Is Mommy coming back?”
Daniel froze.
Because he didn’t know.
But for the first time in two years…
He had hope.
“Yes.”
He whispered.
“I think Mommy is coming home.”
Suddenly, the front door exploded open.
Everyone turned.
Robert stood outside.
But he wasn’t alone.
Several men entered behind him.
Daniel held Lily closer.
Robert smiled.
“You really thought I would let you walk away?”
Rachel stepped forward.
“You lost, Robert.”
Robert laughed.
“No.”
He looked at Daniel.
“He just found out the truth.”
Robert pointed at Lily.
“And now he’s going to lose everything.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“What did you do?”
Robert smiled.
“I activated the final file.”
Rachel’s face changed.
“No…”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
She whispered:
“The one thing Sarah was afraid of.”
Robert raised his phone.
On the screen was a video.
A video of Daniel.
And this time…
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Daniel was the one who looked guilty.
TO BE CONTINUED...
