Chapter 9: The Last File
"Natalie?""
The name escaped my mouth before I could stop it.
The woman on the other end of the line didn't answer immediately.
I heard breathing.
Weak.
Shallow.
Like every word cost her energy.
Then she whispered again.
"Claire... he told me about you.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"Who told you?""
Silence.
Then Daniel's voice.
"Claire, don't hang up.""
I stood frozen.
Emily watched my face.
"What is it?""
I covered the phone.
"It's Natalie.""
Emily's expression changed instantly.
She reached for the phone.
"Let me talk to her.""
I handed it over.
"Natalie? It's Emily.""
A long pause.
Then a broken sound.
"Emily?""
Emily covered her mouth.
She knew that voice.
She knew it was real.
"Where are you?"" Emily asked.
Natalie's voice shook.
"Under the old guest house.""
Emily looked at me.
The old guest house.
Not under the main house.
Another place.
Another secret.
"How long have you been there?"" Emily asked.
"I don't know.""
My chest tightened.
"What do you mean you don't know?""
Natalie continued.
"They took my phone. My documents. Everything.""
"Who?""
A pause.
Then:
"Richard.""
The answer should have surprised me.
But somehow, it didn't.
The quiet ones were always the hardest to see.
Emily put the phone on speaker.
"Natalie, why didn't you leave?""
"I tried.""
Her voice cracked.
"Years ago.""
The car became silent.
"I found the room.""
The same room.
The files.
The secrets.
"I told Daniel I knew what his parents were doing.""
I closed my eyes.
"What did he do?""
"He told me he would help.""
A painful silence followed.
Then Natalie said:
"He tried.""
I looked at Emily.
She heard it too.
"He tried?"" Emily repeated.
"Yes.""
Natalie's voice trembled.
"But he was too afraid.""
My heart sank.
Not innocent.
Not completely guilty.
Something worse.
Someone who knew the truth and failed to stop it.
"What happened after that?"" I asked.
Natalie breathed in slowly.
"Richard found out.""
The line went quiet.
"He told Daniel that if he helped me, he would destroy his life.""
"And Daniel listened?""
Natalie's answer was almost a whisper.
"At first.""
I felt anger rising.
"At first?""
"Daniel came back.""
The words stunned me.
"What?""
"He came back three nights later.""
Emily stepped closer.
"Why?""
"Because he had found out what his father planned.""
"What plan?""
Natalie started crying.
"They were going to make me disappear.""
The words sat heavily between us.
"But Daniel couldn't do it.""
I swallowed.
"What did he do?""
"He locked me away.""
I felt sick.
"He said he was protecting me.""
Emily closed her eyes.
Because she understood.
"He was protecting you from them," she whispered.
"And from himself," Natalie replied.
Nobody spoke.
Then Natalie said:
"Claire, there's something you need to know.""
"What?""
"Daniel didn't bring you into that family because they chose you.""
I waited.
"He brought you because he was trying to expose them.""
My heart stopped.
Emily looked at me.
"What?""
Natalie continued.
"He knew someone had to get close enough to find proof.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
But my voice lacked confidence.
"Daniel couldn't tell me because Richard was watching.""
"Yes.""
"Then why did he let me get hurt?""
Natalie was silent.
The silence was the answer.
Because even if Daniel had a reason...
he still made choices.
Choices that hurt people.
A notification appeared on my phone.
A new message.
From Richard.
*Bring Emily home. Alone.*
Then another.
*Or Daniel pays for his mistakes.*
My blood turned cold.
Emily saw the screen.
"They have him.""
I looked at her.
"What do we do?""
She stared toward the Mercer estate.
For the first time, she didn't look afraid.
May you like
She looked determined.
"We stop running.""
