Chapter 6: The Man In The Hospital Records
I spent the next hour staring at the birth certificate.
A person can handle one impossible truth.
Maybe even two.
But when your entire childhood begins looking like a carefully built lie, your mind searches for somewhere solid to stand.
I had nothing.
“My father is alive?””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“Where is he?””
“I don’t know.””
The answer shocked me.
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“How can you know everything else but not that?””
Daniel looked down.
“Because someone worked very hard to make him disappear.””
I folded the papers.
“Who?””
He didn’t answer.
I already knew.
“Victor Hale.””
Daniel nodded.
“Victor had power. Money. Connections.””
“And Rebecca?””
“She helped him.””
I thought about the woman who slapped me.
The woman who looked at me like I was beneath her.
Now I wondered if she had spent her entire life carrying someone else’s secrets.
But I still couldn’t forgive her.
Not yet.
Daniel drove me to an old office building near the river.
Inside was a private archive.
Rows of locked cabinets.
Boxes filled with documents.
“You kept all this?””
“Your mother trusted me.””
He opened one cabinet.
Inside was a box with Claire Carter’s name written on it.
My chest tightened.
I touched the label.
“She knew you would find this?””
“She hoped you would.””
I opened the box.
The first thing inside was a letter.
My name was on the envelope.
Lily.
My fingers trembled.
“Why didn’t I get this?””
Daniel looked away.
“Because it was intercepted.””
I opened the letter.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
My mother.
My beautiful, impossible mother.
*Dear Lily,*
*If you are reading this, then something happened that stopped me from coming home.*
I stopped.
My eyes blurred.
Daniel quietly left the room.
Giving me privacy.
I continued.
*I need you to know one thing. I never left because I wanted to. Every day away from you was a punishment I never deserved.*
I pressed my hand against my mouth.
Tears fell onto the paper.
*Your father did not abandon us. He tried to protect us.*
My heartbeat changed.
Your father.
Not the man who left.
Not the man who disappeared.
The man who protected us.
The letter continued.
*Victor Hale knew the truth about my investigation. He knew your father was helping me. When he realized we had proof, he took everything from us.*
I turned the page.
The next sentence made me stop.
*But the person who betrayed us was not Victor.*
I frowned.
Not Victor?
I read again.
*The person who betrayed us was someone closer. Someone I trusted.*
A cold feeling moved through me.
Then the final line on the page appeared.
*Lily, if you find Daniel Harrison, trust him. But do not trust the woman who destroyed my life.*
My hands went numb.
Because I knew exactly who she meant.
Rebecca.
The door suddenly opened.
Daniel stepped inside.
“Lily.””
I looked up.
“You knew.””
His expression changed.
“Knew what?””
I held up the letter.
“My mother warned me about Rebecca.””
Daniel became silent.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face immediately changed.
“What happened?””
I watched him listen.
Then his expression turned serious.
“Where?””
A pause.
Then:
“I’m coming.””
He ended the call.
“What is it?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Your mother.””
My heart stopped.
“What about her?””
He hesitated.
May you like
Then he said:
“We found her.””
