Chapter 12: The Enemy We Never Saw Coming
Emily read the sentence over my shoulder.
Her face changed.
“Who was my real father?””
Her mother looked away.
“I don’t know.””
“What do you mean?””
“I never found out his identity.””
Emily stared at her.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Her mother shook her head.
“It was intentional.””
I looked at the letter again.
The handwriting was old.
The message was short.
But the fear behind it was obvious.
“Who was Richard’s greatest enemy?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
Then Jason spoke.
“The person who helped him.””
We all looked at him.
“What?””
Jason ran a hand through his hair.
“Before I left, before Richard threatened me, I saw something.””
Emily looked at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I was scared.””
The old anger returned.
“But now?””
Jason looked at my son.
“Now I know running doesn’t fix anything.””
I waited.
“What did you see?””
Jason swallowed.
“Richard wasn’t taking orders from someone.””
“Then who was he working with?””
Jason looked at Emily’s mother.
“Her.””
Everyone turned.
Emily’s mother stepped back.
“No.””
Jason pointed toward the hallway.
“The person who helped Richard hide everything was someone close to you.””
Emily’s face went pale.
“My mother?””
“No.””
Jason shook his head.
“Someone else.””
Before he could say more, the front door opened.
Everyone turned.
A woman stepped inside.
She was holding the missing bracelet.
Emily gasped.
“Claire?””
Her sister stood there.
But she wasn’t crying.
She wasn’t afraid.
She looked calm.
Too calm.
“Claire,” Emily whispered.
Her sister smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry.””
I felt something was wrong.
Jason immediately moved closer to me.
“Don’t trust her.””
Claire looked at him.
“You’re still protecting Daniel?””
The words made my stomach drop.
“You knew?””
Claire looked at me.
“Yes.””
“Knew what?””
She looked at Emily.
Then at my son.
“I knew the truth before anyone else.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
Claire walked forward.
“I knew why Richard was afraid.””
The room became silent.
“Why?””
Claire looked at me.
And then she said the words nobody expected.
“Because the baby isn’t the evidence.””
She placed the bracelet on the table.
“The baby is the reason the evidence exists.””
Emily stared.
“What does that mean?””
Claire smiled faintly.
“It means your son was never part of Richard’s plan.””
A pause.
“He was part of your mother’s.””
My grip tightened around my son.
“What are you saying?””
Claire looked at Emily.
“Your mother didn’t hide the truth in the bracelet.””
She pointed at the baby.
“She hid it in his birth record.””
Emily froze.
“His birth record?””
Claire nodded.
“And if Richard finds it…”
She stopped.
I stepped forward.
“If Richard finds what?””
Claire looked toward the dark window.
Then whispered:
“He won’t just destroy your family.””
A shadow moved outside.
May you like
Claire’s face changed.
“He’ll destroy everyone who knows why this child was born.””
