Chapter 6 - ROOM 417
At exactly midnight, Arthur, Emily, Daniel, and Samuel entered the abandoned Sterling Hotel.
The building had been closed for fifteen years.
Dust covered the floors.
Broken chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
Room numbers had been removed.
Except one.
The door was locked.
Arthur tried the handle.
Nothing.
Samuel handed Lily a small brass key.
“This belongs to you.”
Emily immediately objected.
“No.”
Lily looked at her mother.
“I can hold it.”
Arthur nodded.
“Let her.”
Lily inserted the key.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Inside was a small room.
A desk.
A chair.
An old cassette recorder.
And a photograph of Sarah.
Emily collapsed into the chair.
“She was here.”
Arthur examined the recorder.
There was one tape.
He pressed play.
Sarah's voice filled the room.
“If you're hearing this, I'm already gone.”
Emily began crying.
Sarah continued.
“I couldn't trust the police.”
“I couldn't trust my family.”
“I couldn't trust Arthur.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“But I trusted one person.”
A pause.
Then Sarah said a name.
“Lily.”
Emily looked at her daughter.
“That doesn't make sense.”
The recording continued.
“Lily is not your daughter, Emily.”
Silence.
Emily stopped breathing.
“What?”
The recording continued.
“If you're hearing this, you have already discovered the truth.”
Emily turned toward Arthur.
“No.”
Arthur looked equally shocked.
Sarah's voice continued.
“Lily was born to protect Ethan.”
Emily backed away.
“Stop.”
“She carries the only genetic connection to the Sterling family that Victor cannot erase.”
Emily stared at Lily.
Arthur whispered.
“Sarah knew.”
The tape continued.
“Victor believes Ethan is the heir.”
“He is wrong.”
“The real heir is Lily.”
The recorder clicked.
The tape ended.
Nobody moved.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
His face immediately changed.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“The estate was attacked again.”
Arthur looked at Emily.
“Where's Lily?”
Emily turned.
Lily was gone.
Her coat was still hanging on the chair.
Her shoes were beside the door.
Only one thing was missing.
The sealed envelope.
Emily screamed.
“LILY!”
They searched every room.
Nothing.
Then Arthur saw something written on the wall.
May you like
Fresh red paint.
THANK YOU FOR FINDING HER FOR US.
