Chapter 4 - THE CHILD WHO REMEMBERED
The entire patio went silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed.
Because a three-year-old child had just pointed at Vanessa Reed and called her something that made every adult in the room uncomfortable.
“Bad lady…”
Daniel Cross stared at his son.
Then slowly looked back at Vanessa.
“What did he just say?”
Vanessa forced a laugh.
“Daniel, he’s a child. He doesn’t even know what he’s saying.”
But her voice was shaking.
Mia noticed.
And for the first time that night, she wasn’t the only one who saw fear in Vanessa’s eyes.
The little boy reached toward Mia again.
“Mommy…”
Mia’s heart broke.
She stepped closer.
“I’m here.”
Daniel looked at her sharply.
“You need to explain this.”
Mia shook her head.
“I don’t know why he keeps calling me that.”
Vanessa immediately interrupted.
“Because she’s been manipulating him.”
Everyone turned.
Mia looked at her in disbelief.
“You’re still doing this?”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“You entered this house with a fake name. You hid your identity. You got close to Daniel’s son. And now you expect us to believe this is all a coincidence?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
He hated that some of her words made sense.
“Mia…”
She looked at him.
“Amelia.”
Daniel paused.
She corrected him gently.
“My name is Amelia.”
Something about the way she said it bothered him.
Not because he didn’t believe her.
Because he did.
And that terrified him.
Eight years ago, Daniel had heard that name before.
Amelia Brooks.
The woman who was supposed to be dead.
The woman connected to the biggest mistake of his life.
“Mia…” Daniel whispered.
Then he stopped himself.
“Amelia. Why did you come into my house?”
She looked down.
The truth was complicated.
Too complicated.
“I came here because I needed answers.”
“About what?”
“About the accident.”
The crowd became quiet again.
Daniel’s face changed.
Vanessa looked away.
Mia saw it.
“You know something.”
Daniel didn’t answer.
“You know what happened that night.”
Still nothing.
Mia stepped closer.
“My life was destroyed, and everyone told me to forget it. They told me I was lucky to be alive. But nobody told me why my car crashed.”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
And Vanessa knew she was losing control.
“She’s lying.”
Mia turned.
“No, Vanessa. You are.”
Vanessa laughed.
“You really think Daniel will believe you?”
Mia looked at Daniel.
“I don’t need him to believe me.”
She pointed toward the security room.
“I need him to watch the footage.”
Daniel frowned.
“What footage?”
“The footage from eight years ago.”
Everyone looked confused.
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“How would you know about that?”
Mia stared at her.
“Because you were there.”
The words hit the patio.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“You were involved?”
Vanessa stepped back.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Mia’s voice became stronger.
“I remember your voice.”
A chill moved through the crowd.
“I remember someone standing beside my car after the crash.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“I was unconscious.”
“No.”
Mia shook her head.
“You weren’t.”
She closed her eyes.
And suddenly the memories came back.
The rain hitting the windshield.
The smell of gasoline.
Her broken arm.
Her vision blurry.
And a woman standing outside the car.
A woman wearing a green coat.
A woman holding her phone.
Calling someone.
“She said…”
Mia’s voice became quiet.
“She said, ‘It’s done.’”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
The same woman who had been wearing green tonight.
The same woman who had tried to frame Mia.
Vanessa’s confidence started disappearing.
“You don’t remember correctly.”
Mia looked at her.
“I remember enough.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Vanessa, what is she talking about?”
Vanessa looked at him.
And then something unexpected happened.
She smiled.
Not a nervous smile.
Not a scared smile.
A confident one.
Because she realized something.
Daniel was asking questions.
But he still didn’t know the full truth.
“You want answers?” Vanessa said.
Daniel stared at her.
“Yes.”
Vanessa looked at Mia.
“Then ask her why she disappeared after the accident.”
Mia froze.
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Vanessa continued.
“Ask her why she changed her name.”
Mia’s face became pale.
“Stop.”
“Ask her why she never came back.”
“Stop!”
The anger in Mia’s voice shocked everyone.
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Because the truth is…”
She lowered her voice.
“Amelia Brooks didn’t lose her memory.”
Mia felt her stomach drop.
“She ran away.”
Daniel looked at Mia.
And suddenly, another doubt appeared.
“Is that true?”
Mia stared at him.
After everything she had done.
After saving his son.
He still questioned her.
A tear formed in her eye.
“I didn’t run.”
“Then why?”
Mia looked away.
Because there was a part of the story she had never told anyone.
Not even Daniel.
“I was protecting someone.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who?”
Before Mia could answer, a loud crash came from inside the house.
Everyone turned.
A security guard ran onto the patio.
“Mr. Cross!”
Daniel immediately reacted.
“What happened?”
The guard looked terrified.
“Someone broke into the office.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“What did they take?”
The guard hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you here?”
The guard swallowed.
“Because they didn’t steal anything.”
He looked at Mia.
“They left something.”
Daniel followed his eyes.
The guard held up a small envelope.
On the front was a name.
AMELIA BROOKS.
Mia stopped breathing.
That envelope had her old name.
A name nobody should have known.
Daniel took it slowly.
His hands trembled as he opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
A photograph from eight years ago.
Daniel looked at it.
Then his face went completely pale.
Because in the picture…
Amelia Brooks was not alone.
Standing beside her was someone Daniel trusted more than anyone.
May you like
Someone who was supposed to be dead.
TO BE CONTINUED...
