Chapter 14: The Night Emily Died
Chapter 14: The Night Emily Died
The rain poured outside Lucas’s house.
The sky seemed to mirror the chaos inside his mind.
For six years, he had carried one painful memory.
Emily leaving the house that night.
The phone call he never received.
The police arriving.
The hospital.
The words that destroyed his world.
“She didn’t make it.”
For six years, Lucas believed he knew what happened.
Now he realized…
He had only known the version someone wanted him to believe.
Alexander sat across from him.
The man Lucas had once considered a stranger.
The man connected to the biggest secret of his daughter’s life.
But tonight, Lucas needed answers.
Not anger.
Not revenge.
Answers.
“Start from the beginning.”
Alexander looked down.
“The night Emily died…”
His voice became quiet.
“I was supposed to meet her.”
Lucas immediately reacted.
“You?”
Alexander nodded.
“She contacted me.”
“Why?”
“Because she discovered something about my family.”
Lucas stared.
“What?”
Alexander took a deep breath.
“She discovered Richard was involved in illegal activities.”
Lucas already knew part of that.
But Alexander continued.
“She also discovered Vanessa knew about it.”
Lucas clenched his jaw.
“So Emily was going to expose them.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she meet you?”
Alexander looked at him.
“Because Emily believed you and Lily were in danger.”
Lucas looked confused.
“From you?”
Alexander shook his head.
“No.”
A pause.
“From everyone.”
The room became silent.
Alexander continued.
“Emily knew Vanessa was trying to enter your life.”
Lucas looked away.
“She warned me.”
Alexander nodded.
“But she didn’t know how far Vanessa would go.”
“What happened that night?”
Alexander closed his eyes.
“I arrived at the meeting place first.”
“Where?”
“An old warehouse near the highway.”
Lucas frowned.
“Why there?”
“Because Emily didn’t trust phones anymore.”
That sentence made Lucas uncomfortable.
“She thought someone was listening?”
“Yes.”
Alexander continued.
“When Emily arrived, she had documents.”
“About what?”
“About Vanessa.”
Lucas waited.
“She had proof that Vanessa and Mark had been working together.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed.
“Mark was there?”
Alexander nodded.
“Yes.”
The room became colder.
“What?”
“Mark arrived before Emily left.”
Lucas felt sick.
“Why?”
Alexander looked at him.
“Because Mark wanted the documents.”
Lucas remembered.
Mark’s words.
His lies.
His betrayal.
But there was still something missing.
“What happened next?”
Alexander’s face became painful.
“Emily refused.”
“She said she would give everything to the police.”
Lucas swallowed.
“Then?”
Alexander looked down.
“Then someone attacked her.”
The room went silent.
Lucas’s voice became low.
“Who?”
Alexander looked at him.
“I didn’t see the face.”
Lucas froze.
“But…”
Alexander continued.
“I heard the voice.”
Lucas leaned forward.
“Whose?”
Alexander hesitated.
Then said:
“Someone Emily trusted.”
The same words again.
The same mystery.
Lucas felt frustration rising.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Alexander looked at him.
“Because it’s true.”
“Who?”
Alexander opened his mouth.
But before he could answer…
The lights suddenly went out.
The entire house went dark.
Lucas immediately stood.
“What happened?”
No answer.
Then…
A sound.
A door opening.
Lucas’s instincts took over.
He moved toward Lily’s room.
“Lily!”
No response.
His heart stopped.
He ran.
The bedroom door was open.
The window was broken.
And Lily…
Was gone.
The world stopped.
Lucas stood frozen.
Her bed was empty.
Her toy rabbit was on the floor.
The drawing she made earlier was missing.
“LILY!”
His voice shook the entire house.
Alexander rushed inside.
“What happened?”
Lucas turned toward him.
“She’s gone.”
Alexander’s expression changed instantly.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“No…”
Lucas grabbed his arm.
“You know something.”
Alexander looked terrified.
“He found her.”
“Who?”
Alexander looked at him.
“The person Emily was protecting her from.”
Lucas’s breathing became heavy.
“Who?”
Alexander’s voice was almost a whisper.
“Mark.”
Lucas froze.
“No.”
Alexander shook his head.
“Mark wasn’t the mastermind.”
“Then why did he take her?”
Alexander looked at the broken window.
“Because he was ordered to.”
Lucas felt his blood run cold.
“By who?”
Alexander looked toward the darkness outside.
And answered:
“The person who has controlled everything from the beginning.”
Meanwhile…
Far away from Lucas’s house…
Lily sat in the back seat of a car.
She was scared.
A man sat beside her.
She didn’t recognize him.
But she recognized his voice.
Because she had heard it before.
In dreams.
The man looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
Lily hugged her rabbit.
“I want my daddy.”
The man looked away.
“I know.”
“Why did you take me?”
He didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know how to explain something so complicated to a child.
Finally, he said:
“Because I need to protect you.”
Lily shook her head.
“My daddy protects me.”
The man looked at her.
And for a moment…
He looked hurt.
Because he knew.
The man protecting Lily was not him.
It was Lucas.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Yes.”
A cold voice spoke.
“Do you have the girl?”
The man looked at Lily.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
A pause.
“Bring her to me.”
The man hesitated.
“What about Lucas?”
The voice became colder.
“Lucas is no longer a problem.”
The call ended.
The man looked at Lily.
Then whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Because he finally understood.
He had made the same mistake everyone else made.
They all thought Lily was a weakness.
A tool.
A key.
But they were wrong.
Lily was the reason Lucas would never stop fighting.
Back at the house, Lucas stood surrounded by police officers.
But he wasn’t waiting.
He wasn’t sitting.
He wasn’t breaking down.
He was searching.
Sarah arrived and saw his expression.
She immediately understood.
“You know who took her.”
Lucas nodded.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Lucas looked at Alexander.
Then at the evidence scattered around the room.
His voice was cold.
“Everyone thought they could use my daughter.”
A pause.
“They were wrong.”
He picked up Lily’s drawing.
The picture of the mysterious man.
The man who said he was coming for her.
Lucas looked at the face drawn by his daughter.
Then he noticed something.
A small detail.
Something he had missed.
The mark near the eye.
But it wasn’t a scar.
It was a symbol.
A symbol Lucas had seen before.
On one document.
One company record.
One name.
Richard Vale.
Lucas’s expression changed.
Because the person behind everything…
Was not Vanessa.
Not Mark.
Not Alexander.
It was the man who started it all.
Richard Vale.
The father who created the nightmare.
Lucas looked toward the darkness outside.
Then whispered:
“I'm coming for my daughter.”
And this time…
May you like
Nobody would stop him.
To be continued…
