Chapter 8: The Child Nobody Was Searching For
I didn’t believe Vanessa.
I wanted to hate her.
I wanted to remember the moment she slapped Lily and never forgive her.
But the photograph sat between us.
A piece of evidence.
A question.
A nightmare.
“Where did you get this?”” I asked again.
Vanessa looked away.
“Someone sent it to me.””
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
“Vanessa.””
“Michael.””
The name fell into the room like a stone.
“Michael sent you this?””
She nodded.
“Years ago.””
I stared at the picture again.
Daniel standing beside a little girl.
The little girl looked familiar.
Too familiar.
“What is her name?””
Vanessa’s lips trembled.
“Ava.””
I closed my eyes.
Ava.
The name that had been hidden from everyone.
“Why would Daniel have her?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“That’s the question you should have been asking from the beginning.””
I left before she could say anything else.
I couldn’t breathe.
Every answer created another question.
When I returned home, Daniel was waiting.
He knew immediately.
“You talked to her.””
“Yes.””
“What did she tell you?””
I dropped the photograph onto the table.
His face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
“You recognize this.””
Daniel didn’t speak.
“Answer me.””
He picked up the photo.
“Where did you get this?””
“That’s not your choice anymore.””
His jaw tightened.
“Emma.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You don’t get to protect me. You don’t get to hide things from me. You don’t get to decide what I can handle.””
Daniel looked exhausted.
“I was trying to keep you safe.””
“From what?””
He looked at the photograph.
“From the truth.””
I laughed sadly.
“The truth already found me.””
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he sat down.
“I met Ava before I met you.””
My heart sank.
“Where?””
“At a hospital.””
“When?””
“After Michael disappeared.””
I felt dizzy.
“You knew Michael wasn’t dead.””
“Yes.””
“And you knew Vanessa had a daughter.””
“Yes.””
“Then why?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Because I thought I could fix what he broke.””
“What did Michael break?””
He rubbed his hands together.
“Everything.””
I waited.
“Michael was involved with dangerous people.””
My eyebrows tightened.
“What kind of people?””
“I don’t know.””
“You’re lying.””
Daniel looked away.
I knew him.
I knew every expression.
Every pause.
Every sign.
He was hiding something again.
“Daniel.””
He finally whispered:
“Michael wasn’t trying to leave you.””
The room went still.
“He was running.””
“From who?””
Daniel looked toward the window.
“From Vanessa.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“It will.””
“Explain.””
He took a deep breath.
“Before the accident, you discovered something.””
“What?””
“You found out Michael had been lying.””
“About what?””
Daniel looked at me.
“About Lily.””
My heart stopped.
Not again.
Not Lily.
“What did Michael lie about?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
Instead, he opened a drawer and pulled out another folder.
Inside was a newspaper clipping.
A missing person report.
The picture was Vanessa’s daughter.
Ava.
But the date was different than I expected.
It wasn’t years ago.
It was recent.
Only three months before.
I looked at Daniel.
“She was missing three months ago?””
He nodded.
“And you knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
His eyes filled with guilt.
“Because when she disappeared…”
He stopped.
“When she disappeared what?””
Daniel looked at me.
“She was with Lily.””
My blood turned cold.
“What?””
“Ava and Lily were together.””
“How?””
“I don’t know.””
“Daniel!””
He stood.
“Emma, listen to me.””
“No.””
I backed away.
“You keep saying you’re protecting me, but every secret you hide destroys me.””
My phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then I heard a child breathing.
A small voice whispered:
“Mommy?””
I froze.
Because it wasn’t Lily.
It was a voice I had never heard before.
“Who is this?””
The child started crying.
“Please help me.””
My hand covered my mouth.
“Where are you?””
A whisper.
Then:
“Daddy said you would forget me.””
The call ended.
And on the screen appeared a location.
May you like
A place I knew.
A place only my family knew about.
