Chapter 17: The Voice From The Past

Nobody touched the phone.

It kept ringing.

A sound from another life.

A life I thought was gone.

My mother.

After all these years.

Emily whispered:

“Answer it.””

I looked at the screen.

My hand trembled as I picked it up.

“Hello?””

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Then a woman cried.

“Daniel?””

My knees almost gave out.

Because I knew that voice.

Even after twenty years.

A child never forgets their mother’s voice.

“Mom?””

A broken sob came through the phone.

“Oh my God.””

She was crying.

“You’re alive.””

The words didn’t make sense.

I sat down.

“I thought you were dead.””

“I know.””

“Why didn’t you come back?””

The silence hurt.

Then she answered.

“Because every time I tried, someone stopped me.””

I closed my eyes.

Not again.

Not another person trapped by someone else’s lies.

“Who?””

She hesitated.

“Daniel, where are you?””

“At the Hawthorne Estate.””

Her breathing changed.

“No.””

“What?””

“You can’t stay there.””

Everyone looked at me.

“Why?””

“Because that place belongs to the person who started this.””

The room went silent.

My mother continued.

“Richard was only a servant.””

I felt cold.

“Servant?””

“Yes.””

“Then who controlled him?””

A pause.

Then she said:

“Your father.””

I stopped breathing.

“What?””

Emily looked at me.

My mother continued.

“Thomas wasn’t the victim, Daniel.””

The words felt impossible.

“He created everything.””

“No.””

My voice became angry.

“My father loved us.””

“He loved you.””

A pause.

“But he was not a good man.””

I looked at the journal.

The files.

The secrets.

My entire understanding of my family collapsed.

“Tell me the truth.””

My mother sighed.

“Thomas built his company through illegal deals. Richard helped him hide them.””

The officer listened carefully.

“And when I discovered the truth, I tried to expose him.””

I whispered:

“He tried to silence you.””

“Yes.””

“But why would he fake his own death?””

“He didn’t.””

I froze.

“What?””

My mother’s voice shook.

“Your father is not dead.””

Nobody moved.

I looked at James.

Then Vanessa.

Then Emily.

Everyone had the same expression.

Shock.

“He’s alive?””

“Yes.””

“Where?””

“I don’t know.””

My mother whispered:

“But he has been watching your family.””

A noise came from the hallway.

Everyone turned.

The officer motioned for silence.

Footsteps.

Someone was outside the library.

I stood.

“Mom, stay on the phone.””

“Daniel, listen to me.””

“What?””

“Do not let him see Lily.””

My blood ran cold.

“Who?””

The footsteps stopped.

The library door slowly opened.

A man stood there.

Older.

Gray hair.

A familiar face.

A face from my childhood.

My hands went numb.

Because I knew him.

Everyone did.

James whispered:

“No…”

Emily grabbed Lily.

Vanessa stepped backward.

The officer reached for his weapon.

The man smiled.

“Hello, Daniel.””

I couldn’t speak.

Because the impossible was standing in front of me.

My father.

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Thomas Bennett.

Alive.