Chapter 9: The Other Daughter
For a moment, nobody understood.
Then my mother started shaking.
“My God.””
Richard turned toward her.
“What other daughter?””
Mom covered her mouth.
Emily stared at her.
“Mom?””
I couldn't breathe.
There were four people in the car.
One mother.
Two daughters.
One father who had been dead for seven years.
And suddenly there was another daughter.
My mother looked at me.
“Claire…”
“No.””
I backed away from her.
“No more secrets.””
Emily's voice trembled.
“Who is she?””
Mom began crying.
“Her name is Lily.””
Richard stared at her.
“You had another child?””
Mom shook her head.
“Not mine.””
“Then whose?””
Mom looked directly at me.
“Your father's.””
Silence.
Emily stepped out of the car.
“No.””
Mom reached for her.
“Emily—”
“Don't touch me.””
She walked several steps away.
I couldn't move.
“Dad had another daughter?””
Mom nodded.
“She was born before you.””
My mind struggled to process it.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?””
“Because your father didn't know.””
Richard's face tightened.
“That's impossible.””
“He found out later.””
“How much later?””
“After she was born.””
I looked at Mom.
“Who was her mother?””
Mom hesitated.
Then said a name.
“Sarah Collins.””
Richard looked confused.
I wasn't.
I had heard that name before.
Daniel had mentioned her once during an old legal conversation.
A woman who had worked with my father.
A woman who disappeared after his death.
“Where is Lily now?””
Mom shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Noah's voice came through the phone.
“I do.””
I grabbed the phone.
“Where?””
“Marcus has her.””
“Why?””
“Because she inherited something.””
“What?””
“The same thing your father left you.””
I looked at the trust document.
“No.””
Noah continued.
“Your father divided the trust.””
My hands started trembling.
“He left part of it to Lily.””
Mom nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“You knew.””
“I found out after his death.””
“And you hid that too.””
“I was trying to keep both of you safe.””
“You didn't even tell me she existed.””
“Because Marcus was searching for her.””
Richard took the phone.
“How did Marcus find her?””
“I helped him.””
Emily looked at me.
Noah's voice broke.
“I thought he wanted to protect her.””
“You're a liar,” Richard said.
“I know.””
“Where is she?””
“I'll send you the location.””
A message arrived.
I opened it.
An address appeared.
An abandoned farmhouse outside Franklin.
Richard looked at the screen.
“That place belongs to Marcus.””
Noah said, “He keeps people there when he needs leverage.””
Emily suddenly looked at me.
“Claire.””
“What?””
She pointed toward the hotel.
“Look.””
Through the rear window, a black SUV had stopped near the entrance.
Two men stepped out.
One was Marcus Hale.
The other was Noah.
Emily froze.
“But Noah is on the phone.””
I slowly looked down.
The voice was still speaking.
“Claire?””
I couldn't answer.
Noah continued.
“Whatever you do, don't let Marcus know you have the original letter.””
I looked at the two men approaching.
Then at my mother.
She had gone completely still.
“Mom,” I whispered.
She stared through the window.
Her face changed.
“That's not Marcus.””
I looked again.
The man walking beside him was wearing Noah's coat.
But it wasn't Noah.
It was someone older.
Someone with the same dark eyes.
The same narrow jaw.
The same scar beneath his left eye.
Richard whispered one word.
“Marcus.””
My blood ran cold.
“Then who is the man on the phone?””
The voice answered before anyone could.
“My name isn't Noah.””
A pause.
Then:
“It's Daniel Mercer.””
I stared at the phone.
The man outside reached the car.
He smiled.
May you like
And my mother whispered the words that made everything worse.
“Daniel died six years ago.””
