Chapter 10: The Man Who Tried to Take Lily
"Nobody is transferring that child anywhere.""
My voice echoed through the clinic hallway.
Dr. Simmons looked relieved, but the receptionist had already picked up the phone.
Claire stood beside Lily, holding her daughter's hand.
The little girl kept looking between us.
"Mommy, am I leaving?""
Claire knelt.
"Not unless the doctors say it's safe, sweetheart.""
Lily's lower lip trembled.
"But Dr. Reed said I have to go when my other daddy comes.""
I looked at her.
"What did he tell you?""
She hesitated.
"He said if my daddy ever found me, he would take me away.""
I swallowed.
"Nobody is taking you away from people who love you, Lily.""
A man wearing a dark jacket stepped into the hallway.
It was the investigator who had accompanied us from Georgia. His name was Harris, and he'd spent most of the morning speaking with the hospital and child protection representatives.
He examined the transfer order.
"Who authorized this?""
Dr. Simmons pointed toward the screen.
"Dr. Reed submitted it electronically.""
"Does he have legal authority to transfer this child?""
"Not according to the documentation we've reviewed.""
Harris turned toward the receptionist.
"Please put the transfer on hold and preserve the original request.""
The receptionist nodded.
A door opened at the far end of the hallway.
Daniel Reed walked toward us.
He wore a tailored gray suit and carried a leather folder. His silver watch caught the overhead lighting as he adjusted his cuff.
He looked exactly like the kind of man people trusted with their children.
That made me hate him even more.
"Claire," he said calmly.
"What are you doing here?""
She didn't answer.
Daniel looked at me.
"Marcus. I see you've decided to make this complicated.""
I stepped forward.
"You submitted a transfer order without telling the child's father.""
Daniel smiled faintly.
"You aren't her legal guardian on this facility's records.""
"I'm her biological father.""
"Biology doesn't automatically give you access to every medical decision.""
"Neither does wearing a white coat.""
His smile disappeared.
Harris moved between us.
"Dr. Reed, we're reviewing the authorization documents. Until that's complete, no transfer will take place.""
Daniel opened his folder.
"I have signed consent from the child's mother.""
Claire looked at him.
"That consent was for medical care.""
"Exactly.""
"Not for moving her whenever you wanted!""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Claire, don't do this.""
I turned toward my wife.
"What consent?""
She began twisting her wedding ring.
"Years ago, Daniel asked me to sign temporary medical authorization so Lily could receive specialized treatment.""
"Did you understand what you were signing?""
"Yes.""
"Did you understand that he was going to keep her away from us for eight years?""
Her eyes filled.
"No.""
Daniel shut his folder.
"That's enough.""
He looked at Claire with an expression I had never seen before.
Not affection.
Not concern.
Possession.
"You agreed to the arrangement," he said.
"You signed the documents. You knew what would happen if the treatment was interrupted.""
Claire shook her head.
"You told me Lily would come home after six months.""
"Her condition changed.""
"You said that every time!""
Lily was watching us from behind her mother's legs.
Daniel noticed.
His expression softened immediately.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
Lily stepped backward.
"Dr. Reed, why did you say my daddy wasn't allowed to come?""
Daniel crouched.
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From him?""
"From confusion.""
Lily looked at me.
"He's not confusing.""
For the first time, Daniel seemed to lose control of his expression.
He stood.
"You have no idea what this family has been through.""
I took a step toward him.
"Then explain it.""
He looked around the hallway before answering.
"Both girls were born with a rare inherited condition. Lily showed symptoms immediately. Maya didn't. We needed to understand why.""
"By separating them?""
"By treating the child who needed immediate intervention.""
"And secretly giving Maya something that made her sick?""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"I never instructed Claire to harm Maya.""
"Your message literally asked whether she'd taken the last dose.""
"That message requires context.""
"Then give us the context.""
He didn't.
Instead, he looked at Claire.
"Tell him what your mother-in-law agreed to.""
Claire's face went white.
Daniel continued.
"Evelyn signed the original guardianship document. She understood that Lily needed protection from the situation at home.""
I turned toward him.
"My mother?""
"Your mother believed Marcus wasn't emotionally prepared to raise two medically complicated children.""
I felt Rebecca's warning return to my mind.
The blue folder.
The photographs.
The letter.
"What exactly did my mother sign?""
Daniel slowly removed a document from his folder.
He placed it on the reception counter.
It was an authorization dated eight years earlier.
At the bottom was Evelyn Carter's signature.
But above it was a handwritten paragraph.
I acknowledge that the mother has requested temporary separation of the newborn infants and that the second child will remain under the care of Dr. Daniel Reed.
I stared at the signature.
"My mother didn't have the authority to give you my daughter.""
"She was acting in the family's best interests.""
"No. She was your witness.""
Daniel leaned closer.
"Your mother knew more than you think.""
I looked at Claire.
She was crying again.
"Marcus," she whispered, "there's something about Evelyn you need to understand.""
"What?""
Claire looked toward Lily.
Then back at me.
"Your mother didn't just agree to the separation.""
She swallowed.
"She was the one who suggested it.""
My entire body went still.
Before I could respond, Lily pulled at my sleeve.
"Can I tell you something?""
I crouched beside her.
"Of course.""
She looked at Daniel, then whispered:
"Dr. Reed has a room upstairs with pictures of Maya.""
"What kind of pictures?""
"Pictures of her taking the orange medicine.""
I felt my blood turn cold.
"Why does he have those?""
Lily's eyes filled.
"Because he says Maya is the important one now.""
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
"That's enough, Lily.""
But she had already spoken.
And I suddenly understood something.
For eight years, Daniel had been monitoring both girls.
May you like
But the child he was most interested in wasn't the one he'd kept at his clinic.
It was the one he'd left at home.
