Chapter 9 - SARAH'S SECRETDaniel couldn't make sense of the photograph.
His wife had supposedly died eleven years ago.
He had attended her funeral.
Seen the coffin.
Identified the body.
Or at least he thought he had.
His hands trembled.
“That's my wife.”
Vale stared at the photograph.
“No.”
“You know her?”
“Yes.”
“You said Sarah trusted you.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Vale remained silent.
Daniel grabbed him.
“Tell me!”
Vale finally spoke.
“That isn't Sarah.”
Daniel stopped.
“What?”
“She looks like Sarah.”
Daniel stared at the photograph.
The resemblance was almost perfect.
Same hair.
Same face.
But there was one difference.
A scar near the jaw.
Sarah didn't have that scar.
Vale whispered:
“Her twin sister.”
Daniel stepped back.
“Sarah had a sister?”
“Nora.”
“Why did I never know?”
“Because Nora disappeared before Sarah met you.”
Daniel looked at Lena.
“Then who raised you?”
Lena looked at him.
“Amira.”
Daniel nodded.
“And Mara?”
Vale shook his head.
“Not Amira.”
“Who?”
“Adrian Cross.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
Cross had taken Mara.
Raised her.
Tracked Lily.
Funded Daniel's search.
And controlled Marcus Vale.
Everything was connected.
Then the basement lights suddenly switched on.
A woman stood at the entrance.
Lena froze.
Daniel slowly turned.
The woman looked exactly like her.
Not similar.
Exactly.
Same eyes.
Same mouth.
Same expression.
Lena whispered:
“Mara?”
The woman smiled.
“Yes.”
Daniel's heart nearly stopped.
He moved toward her.
“Where have you been?”
Mara looked at him.
“Where I've always been.”
“Who are you?”
“A daughter you were never allowed to meet.”
Daniel approached.
Mara stepped back.
“You need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian Cross isn't trying to kill you.”
Daniel stared.
“Then what does he want?”
Mara looked at Lena.
“He wants her.”
“Why?”
“Because she has something I don't.”
“What?”
Mara's expression changed.
“The memory.”
Daniel felt confused.
“What memory?”
Mara looked directly into his eyes.
“The memory of where the money was buried.”
Daniel frowned.
“What money?”
Mara whispered:
“The money that bought us.”
A gunshot rang out.
Mara collapsed.
Lena screamed.
Daniel caught her.
Blood spread across Mara's sweater.
Daniel looked toward the doorway.
No shooter.
Only a note taped to the wall.
He tore it down.
Three words.
ONE DAUGHTER LEFT.
Daniel looked at Lena.
Then at Mara.
Mara was still breathing.
Barely.
And Daniel suddenly realized the terrifying truth.
May you like
Someone wasn't hunting them because they wanted Lily dead.
They were hunting them because Lily knew something that could destroy an empire.
