Chapter 10: The Enemy Inside My Family
The message stayed on my screen for several seconds.
I read it once.
Then again.
And a third time.
*Stop looking for the truth, or your daughter will disappear before she is born.*
My hands immediately covered my stomach.
The fear came back instantly.
Not for me.
Never for me.
For her.
Daniel saw my face change.
“What happened?””
I handed him the phone.
The moment he read the message, all the color left his face.
“This number…”
“What?””
He stared at the screen.
“I know this number.””
My heart sank.
“Who is it?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
That scared me more than the message itself.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
“It belongs to someone who should be dead.””
The air around me seemed to disappear.
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Mark’s father.””
I felt a chill run through my entire body.
“His father died years ago.””
“That’s what everyone thinks.””
Claire stepped closer.
“What are you saying?””
Daniel looked around.
“We need to leave.””
“No.””
My voice surprised everyone.
I held the phone tightly.
“I’m done running.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Emily.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“For years, everyone decided where I went, what I knew, and what I could handle.””
I looked at the message.
“Someone threatened my baby because they think I’m still the same scared woman.””
My voice became stronger.
“I’m not.””
Daniel stared at me.
And for the first time, he didn’t try to stop me.
He nodded.
“Then we find the truth.””
We left the clinic with Claire and the two men who had arrived with Daniel.
As we drove away, I looked out the window.
The city moved around me like normal.
People were buying coffee.
Walking dogs.
Laughing with friends.
Nobody knew that my entire life had collapsed in one afternoon.
Nobody knew my husband was a criminal.
Nobody knew my family had been hiding secrets for years.
And nobody knew someone was threatening my unborn child.
We arrived at a private office building owned by Daniel.
The security was intense.
Cameras.
Guards.
Locked doors.
A place designed for someone who expected enemies.
I noticed Daniel looking at me.
“What?””
He hesitated.
“You’re not afraid.””
I looked at him.
“I am.””
That surprised him.
“I’m terrified.””
I placed my hand on my stomach.
“But fear doesn’t get to make my choices anymore.””
For a moment, my brother looked like he wanted to apologize.
Instead, he opened a file.
“We need to understand why Mark targeted you.””
Inside were years of documents.
Financial records.
Emails.
Photographs.
Then I saw something.
A photo of Mark and me.
From the first week we met.
My blood ran cold.
“This was taken before we started dating.””
Daniel nodded.
“I know.””
“How?””
“Because someone was watching you.””
I looked closer.
The photo wasn’t romantic.
It wasn’t a picture of two people falling in love.
It was surveillance.
A target being observed.
“He studied me.””
“Yes.””
I felt sick.
Claire placed another document in front of me.
“This is worse.””
It was a report.
About me.
My habits.
My family.
My inheritance.
Even my medical history.
Someone had built a complete profile of my life.
“He knew everything.””
Daniel nodded.
“He knew exactly how to approach you.””
I whispered:
“The perfect husband.””
Nobody responded.
Because it was true.
The charming businessman.
The patient man.
The person who rescued me when I was lonely.
It was all planned.
Then Daniel found something.
A folder hidden beneath the others.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He opened it.
Inside was a contract.
A marriage agreement.
But it wasn’t signed by me.
It wasn’t signed by Mark.
It was between Mark and another person.
The date was three months before our wedding.
I read the first line.
*Objective: Gain access to Carter family assets through Emily Carter.*
My stomach turned.
But the second line made me freeze.
*Additional condition: Ensure the child inherits Carter bloodline.*
I couldn’t look anymore.
I pushed the folder away.
“Who wrote this?””
Daniel flipped to the final page.
There was a signature.
Not Mark’s.
Not his father’s.
Someone else’s.
Someone with a name I recognized.
Someone who had attended my wedding.
Someone who had hugged me.
Someone who had called me family.
Daniel looked at me.
“Emily…”
I whispered:
“Who?””
He slowly turned the page.
And my heart stopped.
The signature belonged to:
May you like
*Victoria Carter.*
My aunt.
