Chapter 14: The Enemy Inside the Family
I drove home faster than I ever had before.
Every thought in my head was fighting against another.
Daniel was Lily’s biological father.
Vanessa’s family had known.
Someone had broken into my house.
And now someone wanted me to stop searching.
But I couldn’t.
Not anymore.
When I arrived, Ethan was standing outside with Lily.
I immediately checked them.
“You’re okay?””
Lily nodded.
“We’re okay.””
I hugged both of them.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
The lies.
The betrayal.
The secrets.
They were still here.
That was what mattered.
I looked at Ethan.
“Where’s the note?””
He handed it to me.
The paper was plain.
No fingerprints.
No name.
Just one sentence.
*You are searching for the wrong monster.*
I stared at it.
“What does that mean?””
Ethan shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
Lily looked nervous.
“Dad…”
I turned.
“Yeah?””
“What if they’re right?””
I frowned.
“What?””
“What if we’re blaming the wrong people?””
I looked at her.
After everything she had been through, she was still trying to be fair.
That was who Lily was.
Kind.
Even to people who hurt her.
I pulled her into a hug.
“We find the truth.””
That night, Rachel came over.
When she saw the note, her expression changed.
“You need to leave this house.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She shook her head.
“Whoever did this knew your security system.””
Ethan looked at her.
“How?””
“Because they disabled it.””
That made everyone quiet.
The security system.
The cameras.
The same cameras that exposed Vanessa.
I looked at Ethan.
“Who had access?””
He counted on his fingers.
“Me. You. Vanessa.””
He stopped.
“And Uncle Daniel.””
I looked toward the window.
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel called.
I answered.
“What?””
His voice sounded tired.
“Marcus, I heard about the break-in.””
“How?””
Silence.
Too long.
“How do you know?””
“I have my sources.””
I laughed.
“Your sources?””
Daniel became quiet.
“Marcus, listen to me.””
“No.””
I looked at Lily.
“You’ve lied enough.””
“I’m trying to help you.””
“Were you?””
The silence returned.
Then Daniel said something unexpected.
“I found out who changed Lily’s records.””
My body went still.
“Who?””
“I have proof.””
“Where?””
“A storage unit.””
I narrowed my eyes.
“Why should I trust you?””
“You shouldn’t.””
That answer surprised me.
Daniel continued.
“But you should see the evidence.””
I looked at Rachel.
She shook her head slightly.
Don’t go.
I understood why.
But I also knew we couldn’t keep running.
“Send me the location.””
Ten minutes later, Daniel texted the address.
I went alone.
The storage unit was in an old building outside town.
Daniel was waiting.
He looked exhausted.
“I know you hate me.””
I unlocked the door.
“I don’t know what I feel.””
Inside were boxes.
Old files.
Photographs.
Documents.
Daniel opened one.
“This is everything Vanessa’s mother collected.””
I looked through it.
There were records about my father.
About the trust.
About Lily.
Then I found something else.
A photograph.
Vanessa’s mother.
Daniel.
And another person.
I recognized him.
The estate lawyer.
The same man from the video.
I looked at Daniel.
“She worked with him.””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“To control the trust.””
I searched through the papers.
Then I found a document signed by the lawyer.
A payment record.
The name receiving money shocked me.
*Vanessa.*
I stared.
“She knew.””
Daniel nodded.
“She knew everything.””
I looked at him.
“Then why did she pretend she was afraid?””
Daniel looked away.
“Because she was.””
I frowned.
“Of what?””
His voice became quiet.
“Of her mother.””
I stopped.
“What?””
Daniel looked at the documents.
“Vanessa wasn’t the person controlling this plan.””
I felt confused.
“She was involved.””
“Yes.””
“But she wasn’t in charge.””
I looked at the files.
Then at him.
“Who was?””
Daniel pointed to one final document.
A letter.
The handwriting wasn’t Vanessa’s mother’s.
It wasn’t the lawyer’s.
It wasn’t anyone I recognized.
I opened it.
The first sentence made my blood run cold.
*“Vanessa, if you fail, I will finish what we started.””*
I looked at Daniel.
“Who wrote this?””
May you like
He whispered:
“Someone you never suspected.””
