Chapter 9 - CLAIRE IS ALIVE
Julian grabbed Pike by the shirt.
“Where?”
“I don’t know now.”
“You saw her six months ago.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“A private care facility in Vermont.”
“Why was she there?”
Pike looked ashamed.
“Because Vale destroyed her life.”
Elena stepped forward.
“What did he do?”
“After Claire survived surgery, Senator Vale had her transferred under a false identity.”
“Against her will?”
“At first.”
Julian’s fists tightened.
“At first?”
Pike nodded.
“She suffered brain damage from the accident. Memory loss. Seizures.”
Elena went still.
Like her.
Pike continued.
“Then Vale convinced her that Julian had abandoned her.”
Julian stared.
“He told her that?”
“Yes.”
“He told her I knew about my daughter?”
“Yes.”
Julian turned away.
He punched the wall.
Once.
Hard.
Blood appeared across his knuckles.
Elena grabbed his wrist.
“Stop.”
He pulled away.
“Where is Lily?”
Pike’s eyes moved to her.
“You had her.”
Elena’s face went pale.
“I don’t remember.”
“You left the hospital with her.”
“Then what?”
Pike swallowed.
“Vale’s men followed you.”
“The car.”
“Yes.”
“They hit me?”
“They tried to force you off the road.”
“Where was the baby?”
Pike’s expression changed.
Julian saw it.
“Where was my daughter?”
“The ambulance arrived first.”
“And?”
“One of the paramedics took the child.”
“Who?”
“I never knew his name.”
Julian stepped closer.
“You expect me to believe my daughter vanished inside an ambulance?”
Pike shook his head.
“No.”
He reached under the bed.
Marcus aimed his gun.
“Slowly.”
Pike pulled out a folder.
Inside were photographs.
A little girl.
Four years old.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
Julian’s heart stopped.
She had Claire’s smile.
He touched the picture.
“Lily.”
Pike nodded.
“She’s alive.”
Elena began sobbing.
“Where?”
“I’ve been protecting her.”
Julian looked up.
“You?”
“For four years.”
“Where is she?”
Pike hesitated.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Doctor.”
Pike took a breath.
“Connecticut. With a foster family.”
Julian nearly collapsed with relief.
Then Pike said, “But she’s not safe anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because Vale knows I found you.”
Julian grabbed his phone.
He called Marcus’s second team.
“Get to this address.”
Pike gave it to them.
“Hurry.”
The team left.
Julian turned back.
“Why help Claire? Why help Lily?”
Pike sat down.
“Because I had already done too much.”
“What did Vale make you do?”
Pike looked at him.
“I changed birth records.”
“We know.”
“I declared Claire dead.”
“We know.”
Pike’s voice dropped.
“And I switched one of the babies.”
The room went silent.
Julian frowned.
“What did you say?”
Pike stared at him.
“One of the twins Victoria took home that night…”
May you like
He swallowed.
“…wasn’t hers.”
