Chapter 9 - THE ENEMY INSIDE THE FAMILY
August played the recording three times.
Each time, the anger inside him grew.
Victoria’s voice.
Clear.
Cold.
Certain.
“Caroline will never come back.”
Those words destroyed every excuse.
Every lie.
Every fake tear.
Thomas looked at August.
“What are you going to do?”
August didn’t answer.
He stared at the screen.
Then at Elsie.
His granddaughter.
A child who lost her mother.
A child who spent seven years without knowing her family.
Because someone decided she didn’t deserve the truth.
“I’m going to find out everything.”
Thomas nodded.
“But Victoria won’t make this easy.”
August looked at him.
“Neither will I.”
For the first time in eight years, August Caldwell stopped being the grieving father.
He became the man who built an empire.
And he was ready to tear apart his own world to uncover the truth.
But before he could leave the room...
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
August answered.
“Who is this?”
A weak voice responded.
“August…”
He froze.
Because he knew that voice.
It was Caroline.
“Where are you?”
Silence.
Then:
“I don’t have much time.”
August’s heart raced.
“Caroline, are you alive?”
The woman on the phone started crying.
“I wanted to tell you everything.”
“Where are you?”
But before she could answer, another voice shouted in the background.
“Who are you talking to?”
The line became filled with noise.
A struggle.
Then Caroline whispered one final sentence.
“Protect Elsie.”
The call ended.
August stared at the phone.
Thomas looked terrified.
“What happened?”
August slowly lowered the phone.
“She’s alive.”
Everyone froze.
“Caroline is alive.”
But before they could process the impossible truth...
A message appeared on August’s phone.
A photo.
Caroline.
Alive.
Sitting inside a locked room.
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And underneath the picture were five words:
“Come alone, or lose her.”
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