Chapter 8: The Night Claire Disappeared
The theater felt smaller than before.
Every secret had taken up space.
Every hidden truth had become another person standing in the room.
Stallone looked at his brother.
“Answer me.””
His brother remained silent.
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Sylvester—”
“No.””
His voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
“I need him to answer.””
His brother looked at the floor.
“Claire didn’t die because of the accident.””
Stallone froze.
“What?””
Vanessa whispered, “Stop.””
His brother continued.
“She survived.””
The words hit like a physical blow.
Stallone stared.
“No.””
“I saw her.””
“Where?””
“After the crash.””
The room went silent.
Stallone’s breathing became uneven.
“You saw Claire alive?””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
His brother looked away.
“I was trying to.””
“Trying?””
“I had evidence.””
“You had my wife.””
His brother closed his eyes.
“I know.””
Stallone stepped forward.
“What happened?””
His brother took a slow breath.
“The night of the crash, Claire called me.””
“Why?””
“She found the person behind the accounts.””
“Who?””
“She wouldn’t say over the phone.””
Stallone looked at Vanessa.
“She knew.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I knew she was scared.””
“You knew she was in danger.””
“Yes.””
“And you did nothing.””
“I tried.””
“You lied.””
Vanessa looked down.
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt more.
His brother continued.
“Claire asked me to meet her at the hospital. She had documents.””
“What documents?””
“Proof that someone inside the family had been transferring money from the children’s accounts.””
Harris opened a notebook.
“Was this before or after Emily disappeared?””
“Before.””
Rebecca nodded.
“That’s why Emily was targeted.””
Stallone looked at the video screen.
“Someone wanted all evidence destroyed.””
“Yes.””
His brother pulled out an old envelope.
“I found this in Claire’s storage locker.””
Stallone stared.
“You had it all this time?””
“I was hiding it.””
“From me?””
“From them.””
His brother opened the envelope.
Inside was a letter.
Claire’s handwriting.
Stallone recognized it immediately.
His hands trembled as he read.
*If you are reading this, it means I failed to protect them. Please don’t blame the children. They were never the problem. The problem was the person who believed love was something that could be owned.*
Stallone swallowed.
The letter continued.
*Sylvester, if anything happens to me, trust the children before anyone else. Especially Daniel. He notices things adults ignore.*
Stallone looked at Daniel.
The boy was watching him quietly.
“What else?”” Stallone asked.
His brother handed him another page.
At the bottom was a name.
A name that made everyone stop.
*Anthony Stallone.*
Stallone frowned.
“That’s our father’s name.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your family history goes deeper than you realize.””
“No.””
His brother looked at him.
“The person controlling the accounts wasn’t trying to steal your money.””
“Then what?””
“They were trying to control the children.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Then his father’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone looked at it.
Stallone answered.
A young woman’s voice came through.
“Dad?””
His entire body went still.
“Emily?””
“Yes.””
Daniel moved closer.
Stallone closed his eyes.
“I’ve been looking for you.””
“No.””
The word was quiet.
Afraid.
“You need to listen carefully.””
“What happened?””
“Vanessa wasn’t the only one hiding things.””
Stallone looked at Vanessa.
Emily continued.
“Your brother wasn’t the only one protecting us.””
A pause.
“Someone else in the family knows where Sophie is.””
Stallone gripped the phone.
“Who?””
Emily’s voice lowered.
“The person who created the lie.””
A sound came through the line.
A door opening.
Someone approaching.
Emily whispered:
“Dad, I don’t have much time.””
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Emily—”
“Because if I tell you, they’ll find me.””
Stallone’s voice broke.
“Please.””
Silence.
Then Emily said:
“I need you to remember one thing.””
“What?””
“You didn’t lose us because you failed.””
A pause.
“You lost us because someone made sure you forgot.””
The call ended.
Stallone stared at the phone.
Harris immediately began tracing the number.
Seconds passed.
Then his screen changed.
His expression turned serious.
“What?””
Harris looked up.
“This number…”
He stopped.
“Say it.””
“It came from inside this theater.””
Everyone turned.
Slowly.
The phone in Stallone’s hand began ringing again.
But this time, the call was not from Emily.
It was coming from somewhere behind the stage.
A hidden room.
A room nobody knew existed.
And when Harris opened the locked door beneath the theater floor, they found something waiting inside.
Three photographs.
One of Daniel.
One of Sophie.
One of Emily.
And beneath them was a fourth photograph.
May you like
A woman Stallone thought had been dead for twelve years.
Claire.
