Chapter 3 — The Secret Behind Valerie
Three days later, Alex received a message from Mark.
A video file was attached.
Confused, Alex opened it.
It was security footage from inside the elevator.
The angle was different from what everyone had seen.
It showed everything.
Including the moment the doors opened.
Including Lucy sitting in the back corner.
Including Alex walking past her.
Including Valerie looking back at Lucy with a strange smile before Alex carried her away.
Alex watched the video twice.
Then a third time.
His hands started shaking.
Because he finally saw what Lucy saw.
He hadn’t made a mistake.
He had made a choice.
That evening, Alex confronted Valerie.
“Why didn’t you tell me Lucy was inside?”
Valerie looked surprised.
“What are you talking about?”
“You saw her.”
Silence.
Then Valerie smiled slightly.
“She looked fine.”
Alex stared at her.
“She was pregnant.”
Valerie shrugged.
“She had other firefighters helping her.”
That was the moment Alex understood.
Valerie had never needed saving.
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She needed him to choose her.
And he did.
