Chapter 10: The Man Sarah Feared
I didn’t remember moving.
One second, I was standing in the hallway staring at the photo on my phone.
The next, I was running upstairs.
“Emma!””
My voice shook the entire house.
The bedroom door flew open.
Emma sat up immediately, startled.
“Dad?””
I rushed to her.
She was there.
Safe.
Alive.
But my eyes scanned every corner of the room.
The closet.
The window.
Under the bed.
Nothing.
No stranger.
No shadow.
No explanation.
Emma grabbed my arm.
“What happened?””
I looked at her face.
The fear I had been trying to hide suddenly became impossible.
“Did anyone come in here?””
She froze.
Slowly, she looked toward the corner of the room.
“Dad…”
My heart stopped.
“What?””
She pointed at her desk.
“My window was open.””
I walked over.
The window was slightly cracked.
Cold air entered the room.
I knew I had closed it earlier.
I knew it.
“Did you see someone?””
Emma shook her head.
“But I heard something.””
I turned around.
“When?””
“Last night.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
She looked down.
“Because Claire said I was imagining things.””
I clenched my fists.
No more.
No more believing explanations without proof.
No more assuming people loved my daughter because they said they did.
I walked downstairs with Emma beside me.
Victor was waiting.
One look at my face told him something had happened.
“What is it?””
I showed him the photo.
He studied it.
Then his expression changed.
“You need to leave.””
“What?””
“Tonight.””
I looked at him.
“This is my house.””
Victor nodded.
“And someone has proven they can enter it.””
Claire stood nearby.
For once, she didn’t argue.
She just stared at the photo.
“Where did you get this?””
I looked at her.
“You tell me.””
Her lips parted.
“I don’t know.””
“Then why do you look like you recognize him?””
She looked away.
That was the answer.
“You do know.””
Claire sat down slowly.
“I saw him years ago.””
“When?””
“Before I met you.””
Victor crossed his arms.
“Name.””
Claire hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Andrew.””
The room went quiet.
“Andrew who?””
She looked at me.
“Andrew Miller.””
The name hit me like a memory I couldn’t fully reach.
A name from old documents.
Old conversations.
Sarah’s warnings.
I grabbed the letter from the table.
I pointed at the signature.
“Is this him?””
Claire looked.
Then she nodded.
“Yes.””
I felt dizzy.
“Sarah knew him?””
Claire looked down.
“Sarah knew a lot of things.””
“What things?””
She didn’t answer.
I slammed my hand against the table.
“Enough.””
Emma flinched.
I immediately softened.
“Sorry, sweetheart.””
She nodded.
But I saw it.
The fear.
Not of me.
Of everything.
I crouched beside her.
“Go pack a small bag.””
“Where are we going?””
“Somewhere safe.””
She looked at me.
“Are you coming?””
I smiled sadly.
“Yes.””
She ran upstairs.
When she was gone, I turned back to Claire.
“You knew Andrew.””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me.””
“I thought he was gone.””
“Gone?””
Claire swallowed.
“He disappeared after Sarah died.””
My blood ran cold.
“Why?””
“Because Sarah found out what he wanted.””
Victor looked at her.
“What did he want?””
Claire stared at the floor.
“Emma.””
The word barely left her mouth.
I felt anger explode.
“What does that mean?””
Claire looked at me.
“Andrew believed Sarah’s inheritance should have gone to him.””
“Why?””
“Because he was her brother.””
The room froze.
I stared.
“Sarah had a brother?””
Claire nodded.
“A half-brother.””
A brother nobody knew about.
A brother Sarah never mentioned.
A brother who wanted my daughter’s money.
Victor grabbed the old letter.
“This explains the trust.””
I looked at him.
“How?””
“Sarah wasn’t worried about strangers.””
He pointed at the document.
“She was worried about family.””
A noise came from upstairs.
A door opening.
I looked toward the stairs.
“Emma?””
No answer.
My heart stopped.
I ran.
Her bedroom was empty.
The bag she had been packing sat on the bed.
The window was open wider.
And on the desk was a piece of paper.
May you like
Five words written in black ink.
“I know where Sarah hid it.””
