Chapter 12: The Child Everyone Wanted
I don’t remember leaving Victor’s apartment.
I only remember running.
The streets blurred.
The sound of my own heartbeat drowned everything else.
My daughter.
My baby.
Gone.
When I arrived home, police cars surrounded the house.
The Christmas lights were still hanging outside.
Still blinking.
Still pretending this was a normal home.
But it wasn’t.
Not anymore.
James was standing near the front door.
The second he saw me, he ran toward me.
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words destroyed me.
“Where is she?””
His face broke.
“We don’t know.””
I grabbed his jacket.
“What do you mean you don’t know?””
“We were in the living room.””
His voice cracked.
“I was five feet away.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“I heard nothing.””
“No.””
“I checked on her ten minutes before.””
“No.””
My voice broke.
“You promised.””
James closed his eyes.
“I know.””
Detective Harris approached.
“We need you to look at something.””
He handed me the note.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Three sentences.
*You wanted the truth.*
*Now you’ll understand what it feels like to lose someone you love.*
*Ask Lauren what really happened the night Claire was born.*
I stared at the paper.
“He wants Lauren.””
Harris nodded.
“We believe so.””
James looked at him.
“Then we find him.””
The detective hesitated.
“There’s something else.””
“What?””
“We found fingerprints.””
Everyone froze.
“Whose?””
Harris looked at me.
“Lauren’s.””
I stepped back.
“No.””
James immediately moved beside me.
“Are you saying she took Emma?””
“We’re not saying anything yet.””
But I saw the doubt.
Everyone saw it.
I shook my head.
“No.””
Because no matter what Lauren had done.
No matter how many secrets she kept.
Some part of me believed she loved Emma.
“She wouldn’t hurt her.””
Detective Harris looked at me.
“Claire, we found her fingerprints on the window.””
I looked toward the nursery.
The window.
The place where someone had entered.
The place where someone had taken my daughter.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone went silent.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A voice whispered.
Not Victor.
Not Daniel.
Lauren.
“Claire.””
My blood froze.
“Where are you?””
She was crying.
“I’m sorry.””
My grip tightened.
“Where is Emma?””
Silence.
“Lauren!””
Her voice broke.
“I didn’t take her.””
I looked at James.
Then at Detective Harris.
“Then why are your fingerprints on the window?””
A long pause.
Then Lauren whispered:
“Because I tried to stop him.””
My heart stopped.
“Stop who?””
Her breathing became uneven.
“The person who took Emma.””
“Who?””
Another pause.
Then:
“The person who has been helping Victor.””
I felt cold.
“Helping Victor?””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Lauren started crying harder.
“Claire, I should have told you years ago.””
My voice trembled.
“Told me what?””
“The reason Victor disappeared.””
I waited.
“The reason Daniel ran.””
“The reason your parents hid the truth.””
The silence was unbearable.
“Why?””
Lauren whispered:
“Because Victor wasn’t the only dangerous person that night.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“Who else was there?””
Her answer came softly.
May you like
And it changed everything.
“Your father.””
