Chapter 8: The Name Behind the Messages
Nobody spoke after the message appeared.
The room felt frozen.
Daniel stared at the photo.
His face changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
“You know who sent this,” James said.
Daniel didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“Who?””
Daniel looked at me.
“I don’t know for sure.””
James stepped forward.
“Try again.””
Daniel looked exhausted.
“There is someone who has been watching all of us.””
“Who?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then he said:
“Someone from my past.””
I crossed my arms.
“You’re going to have to be more specific.””
Daniel looked at Lauren.
“She knows.””
Everyone turned.
Lauren shook her head.
“No.””
“You do.””
“No.””
Her voice became louder.
“I don’t know anything.””
Daniel stared at her.
“You know exactly who he is.””
My father looked between them.
“Who are you talking about?””
Lauren sat down.
Her hands were shaking.
“There was someone else.””
My stomach tightened.
“Someone else?””
She nodded.
“Before Daniel.””
The room went quiet.
“His name was Victor.””
Daniel’s face became hard.
“He was older.””
“How old?””
“Twenty-six.””
I felt sick.
“And you were?””
“Sixteen.””
Nobody spoke.
Lauren looked at me.
“He was the first person who convinced me I was special.””
Her voice cracked.
“Then he convinced me nobody else would understand me.””
James clenched his jaw.
“What does he have to do with Claire?””
Lauren looked away.
“When I got pregnant, he disappeared.””
Daniel answered.
“Because he was a coward.””
Lauren looked at him.
“You don’t know what he was.””
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“I know exactly what he was.””
I watched them.
The anger between them wasn’t new.
It was years old.
“You think Victor sent the messages?””
I asked.
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because he always believed people owed him something.””
My phone buzzed again.
Everyone jumped.
Another message.
This time, no photo.
Only a name.
*VICTOR HALE*
And beneath it:
*Ask Daniel what he did the night he stole you.*
I looked up.
Daniel’s face had gone completely white.
“What does that mean?””
He didn’t answer.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
“I made mistakes.””
“That’s not an answer.””
“No.””
His voice broke.
“It’s not.””
James moved closer.
“Tell her.””
Daniel looked at the floor.
“The night you were born…”
I waited.
“Victor came to the hospital.””
Lauren closed her eyes.
“He followed me.””
My heart raced.
“What happened?””
Daniel swallowed.
“I confronted him.””
“Why?””
“Because he wanted to take you.””
I looked at Lauren.
“You said Daniel tried to leave with me.””
Daniel nodded.
“I did.””
The honesty shocked me.
“You admit it?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
His eyes filled.
“Because I was seventeen too. I was terrified. I thought if I could just get you away, I could protect you.””
“That doesn’t make it okay.””
“I know.””
He looked at me.
“I know now.””
The room was silent.
Then he continued.
“But I didn’t take you because I wanted to keep you from Lauren.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“Then why?””
He looked at Victor’s name on my phone.
“Because Victor threatened to hurt you.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
“What?””
Daniel nodded.
“He said if I didn’t disappear, he would make sure nobody had a happy ending.””
Lauren whispered:
“He was unstable.””
Daniel looked at her.
“You never told her.””
“No.””
“Why?””
Lauren looked at me.
“Because I wanted you to hate me less.””
That answer broke something inside me.
I sat down.
For years, I thought my story was simple.
A family.
An adoption.
A missing father.
A secret sister.
But it wasn’t simple.
It was a maze.
And everyone had been lost inside it.
Detective Harris looked at Daniel.
“You need to tell us where Victor is now.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
“Then why did you come here?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Because he contacted me yesterday.””
Everyone froze.
“What did he say?””
Daniel slowly reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I received this.””
James took it before I could.
He unfolded it.
Then his expression changed.
“What?””
He handed it to me.
The message was handwritten.
Three lines.
*You got your daughter back.*
May you like
*Now I’m taking mine.*
*Emma will come home soon.*
