Chapter 8: The Daughter They Tried to Take
I don’t remember leaving the courthouse.
I remember running.
I remember Mr. Hayes following behind me.
I remember my hands shaking so badly I almost dropped my phone.
But I remember one thing clearly.
The fear.
Not for myself.
Never for myself.
For Lily.
My daughter.
The little girl who used to fall asleep holding my finger.
The little girl who cried when her first tooth fell out because she thought she would never smile the same way again.
The little girl who now believed adults could not be trusted.
“Call the police,” Mr. Hayes said.
I nodded.
My fingers moved automatically.
But before I pressed the button, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?””
Silence.
Then a voice.
“Emma.””
My entire body froze.
Brandon.
“Where is Lily?””
“Calm down.””
“Where is my daughter?””
“You need to listen to me.””
My anger replaced my fear.
“You took her from school.””
“I was protecting her.””
“No.””
I walked faster.
“You were taking her.””
“Emma, you don’t understand what’s happening.””
“I understand perfectly.””
My voice shook.
“You’re losing control.””
Silence.
Then Brandon said something I never expected.
“I need your help.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“I need you to believe me.””
I almost laughed.
After everything.
After the lies.
After the documents.
After the recordings.
“You’re asking me to trust you?””
“I know what it looks like.””
“It looks exactly like what you did.””
He breathed heavily.
“Patricia planned everything.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
His voice changed.
He sounded scared.
“Emma, there’s something you haven’t seen.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What?””
A pause.
Then:
“The custody filing wasn’t the only thing she prepared.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“What else?””
“She had a backup plan.””
I looked at Mr. Hayes.
He immediately understood something was wrong.
“Put him on speaker,” he whispered.
I did.
Brandon continued.
“If the emergency custody request failed, she planned to disappear with Lily.””
My heart stopped.
“Where is she taking her?””
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“She didn’t tell me everything.””
Mr. Hayes stepped closer.
“Brandon, this is Mr. Hayes. Where is Lily now?””
A pause.
Then:
“I picked her up.””
My anger returned instantly.
“You did what?””
“I was trying to keep her away from my mother.””
I stared at the phone.
“You took my daughter to protect her from your mother?””
“Yes.””
“And you thought kidnapping her was the answer?””
“I panicked.””
The honesty almost made me angrier.
Because panic was something I understood.
But choices mattered.
“What did you do with her?””
“She’s safe.””
“Where?””
Silence.
“Brandon.””
“I can’t tell you over the phone.””
Mr. Hayes looked at me.
“Why?””
Brandon answered quietly.
“Because I think someone is listening.””
The three of us went silent.
Then a sound came through the phone.
A door closing.
A child’s voice.
“Daddy?””
My heart broke.
“Lily?””
The line went quiet.
Then Brandon said:
“She’s here.””
“Let me talk to her.””
Another pause.
Then Lily’s small voice came through.
“Mom?””
I covered my mouth.
“Baby.””
The word barely came out.
“Are you okay?””
“Yes.””
“Are you scared?””
Silence.
Then:
“A little.””
Tears filled my eyes.
“I’m coming to get you.””
“Mom?””
“Yes?””
“I’m sorry.””
My heart shattered.
“For what?””
“Because Grandma said you would hate me if I told the truth.””
I closed my eyes.
“No, Lily.””
My voice broke.
“Never.””
The phone shifted.
Brandon came back.
“I’m sending you the location.””
“Why?””
“Because I’m done protecting the wrong person.””
The call ended.
Seconds later, a location appeared.
Mr. Hayes looked at it.
Then his face changed.
“What?””
He stared at the screen.
“Emma…”
“What?””
He looked up.
“That address belongs to Patricia.””
My stomach dropped.
Before I could speak, another message appeared.
Not from Brandon.
From an unknown number.
A picture.
I opened it.
It showed Lily.
Standing beside a suitcase.
And behind her was Patricia.
The message underneath said:
*You should have taken the deal when I offered it.*
Then another message arrived.
*Come alone.*
I stared at the screen.
Mr. Hayes grabbed my arm.
“No.””
“I have to go.””
“It’s a trap.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
I looked at my daughter’s picture.
“Because she’s waiting for me.””
And then my phone received one final message.
May you like
A message that made my blood run cold.
*Bring the divorce papers. Bring the company documents. Or Lily disappears before sunrise.*
