Chapter 11: The Daughter Who Remembered Everything
They moved Ruth to another room before I could ask more.
Security tightened around the entire hospital.
Nobody explained why.
Nobody needed to.
I already knew.
Richard Vale was alive.
And he was close.
The next morning, I was taken to a private office.
A woman in a dark suit was waiting.
She placed a folder on the table.
“My name is Agent Lauren Hayes.””
“FBI?””
She nodded.
I almost laughed.
“Now you show up?””
She didn’t react.
“I understand why you’re angry.””
“No, you don’t.””
She opened the folder.
Inside were photographs.
Richard Vale.
Daniel.
Ava.
And a girl.
Lily.
My hands covered my mouth.
There she was.
Older.
But alive.
Agent Hayes watched me.
“We have been investigating Richard Vale for years.””
“Then why did nobody help me?””
“Because we didn’t have enough evidence.””
I looked at the photos.
“You had my daughter.””
“No.””
She corrected gently.
“We had information.””
“Same thing.””
Her expression softened.
“Emily, Lily was moved through several locations.””
“By who?””
“Different people.””
“Who?””
Agent Hayes hesitated.
“Some willingly.””
My stomach turned.
“Daniel.””
She didn’t answer.
Again.
Silence was becoming everyone’s favorite answer.
“He cooperated,” she finally said.
My chest hurt.
“Why?””
“Because Richard threatened Lily.””
I looked away.
“That doesn’t erase what he did.””
“No.””
She closed the folder.
“But it explains why he kept trying to fix it.””
I thought about Daniel’s warning.
Trust no one.
Maybe he knew.
Maybe he had always known.
“Where is Lily now?””
Agent Hayes looked at me.
“We don’t know.””
I stared.
“You’re kidding.””
“No.””
“Then why am I here?””
“Because Richard contacted you.””
“And?””
“And he made a mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“He gave us something.””
She placed a recording device on the table.
A voice played.
Richard.
“You can have your daughter back, Emily.””
My heart raced.
“But you have to come alone.””
The recording stopped.
Agent Hayes looked at me.
“He wants you.””
“Why?””
“Because you’re the only person he never controlled.””
I looked at the photos.
The answer was obvious.
Richard didn’t want Lily.
He wanted revenge.
That afternoon, Ava was brought to the hospital.
When she saw me, she immediately asked:
“Where’s Ruth?””
“Safe.””
She sighed.
Then looked at me.
“You know.””
“Yes.””
Ava sat down.
“What did she tell you?””
“That Daniel tried to help.””
Ava looked surprised.
“He did?””
“You didn’t know?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
That was the first time I saw Ava genuinely shocked.
I studied her.
“You really hated him.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her eyes lowered.
“Because he was weak.””
I waited.
She continued.
“My father controlled him.””
“That doesn’t excuse him.””
“No.””
She looked at me.
“But I understand him.””
I didn’t answer.
Ava pulled something from her pocket.
A small bracelet.
My breath caught.
It was pink.
With a tiny silver star.
Lily’s bracelet.
“Where did you get that?””
Ava’s eyes filled.
“She gave it to me.””
“When?””
“The last time I saw her.””
I grabbed her hand.
“You saw Lily?””
Ava nodded.
“She asked me to find you.””
My heart broke.
“What did she say?””
Ava looked away.
“She said, ‘Tell my mom I waited.’”
I covered my face.
Years.
Years of thinking my daughter forgot me.
And she had been waiting.
Ava whispered:
“She also told me something else.””
I looked up.
“What?””
Ava’s expression changed.
“She said Richard wasn’t the person you should fear most.””
A chill moved through me.
“Then who?””
Ava looked at the bracelet.
“Someone who already has your trust.””
Before I could ask, Agent Hayes rushed into the room.
“Emily.””
I stood.
“What happened?””
Her face was serious.
“We found the location.””
My heart stopped.
“Lily?””
Agent Hayes nodded.
“She’s alive.””
I could barely breathe.
“Where?””
Agent Hayes looked at me.
“Blackwood Farm.””
The same place.
The place everyone warned me about.
The place where everything began.
Then she said:
“But there’s a problem.””
“What?””
May you like
Her voice became quiet.
“Someone is already there.””
