Chapter 8: Sarah’s Final Message
Vanessa walked to the closet.
She didn’t cry.
She didn’t argue.
She simply opened a hidden compartment behind a stack of blankets.
And pulled out a small black box.
I stared at it.
“You had that the entire time?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her fingers tightened around the box.
“Because I was afraid of what it would reveal.””
“You mean what it would reveal about Eric?””
She looked at me.
“No.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“What then?””
Vanessa opened the box.
Inside was a small video camera.
Old.
Damaged.
But still intact.
“I never watched the whole thing.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
“Because Sarah told me if I ever needed to show Noah the truth, I would know when.””
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
She handed me the camera.
“After everything happened, I couldn’t.””
I turned it on.
The screen flickered.
Then Sarah appeared.
A woman with tired eyes and a gentle smile.
She looked directly into the camera.
“If you’re watching this, something happened.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Sarah continued.
“My name is Sarah Dalton. Noah is my son.””
I looked toward the door.
Noah was not in the room.
Good.
Sarah’s voice trembled.
“But the person you need to fear is not Eric because he is Noah’s father.””
A pause.
“It’s because Eric knows what Noah represents.””
I leaned closer.
Sarah continued.
“When Noah was born, Eric created a legal trust in his name.””
The bank account.
“The trust was supposed to protect Noah.””
She looked down.
“But Eric changed the documents.””
My chest tightened.
“He made Noah the owner of assets he obtained illegally.””
Vanessa whispered:
“Oh my God.””
Sarah continued.
“Eric believes that when Noah turns eighteen, everything becomes accessible.””
The screen flickered.
Then Sarah said something that made me freeze.
“But Eric is wrong.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Sarah smiled sadly.
“Because the account has another condition.””
“What condition?”” I whispered.
Even though she couldn’t hear me.
Sarah answered.
“Only Noah and the person legally responsible for protecting him can access the truth.””
The camera moved slightly.
Sarah looked nervous.
“That is why Eric cannot simply take him.””
A knock sounded.
Not from our house.
From the recording.
Sarah turned.
Someone was outside her room.
Her expression changed.
“Someone is here.””
The video shook.
Then Eric’s voice came from the background.
“Sarah?””
My entire body went cold.
Sarah whispered:
“If Eric finds this recording, he will know.””
The camera moved.
Sarah picked it up.
Then she looked directly into the lens.
“Vanessa, if you are watching this…”
She stopped.
Tears appeared in her eyes.
“Protect him.””
The video cut.
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Then Vanessa whispered:
“I never knew.””
I looked at her.
“You never watched it.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
My phone buzzed.
Another message.
This time, a video file.
From Eric.
I opened it.
The screen showed my house.
Live.
A camera angle from outside.
Eric was standing across the street.
Watching.
Then he lifted his phone.
A message appeared.
*You have something that belongs to me.*
Another message followed.
*Bring Noah outside.*
I stared at the screen.
Then the final message appeared.
*Or I tell him who really abandoned him at birth.*
I looked toward the hallway.
Noah was standing there.
He had heard everything.
His eyes filled with tears.
“Daddy…”
May you like
I froze.
“Did my real mom leave me?””
