Chapter 8 - The Message From EleanorLily barely slept.
Victoria placed her in the guest room.
But Lily knew the woman was lying.
Her mother was dead.
Everyone had said so.
Then why had Victoria said otherwise?
At midnight, Lily heard three knocks on the wall.
She sat up.
Another three knocks.
She approached the painting near her bed.
Behind it was a small envelope.
Her mother's handwriting.
For Lily.
Lily opened it.
Inside was a tiny recorder.
She pressed the button.
Eleanor's voice filled the room.
"My sweet Lily."
The little girl froze.
"Mommy?"
The recording continued.
"One day you may hear terrible things about me."
Lily started crying.
"Please remember this. I loved you. I never abandoned you."
A pause.
"And if Victoria tells you I left by choice, don't believe her."
Lily's hands trembled.
The recording continued.
"Your father is trying to protect you."
Another pause.
"But someone inside this house is helping the people who want your trust."
Lily stared at the door.
She heard footsteps.
The recording whispered:
"Do not trust anyone who asks you to sign anything."
The door handle moved.
Lily turned off the recorder.
Victoria entered.
"What are you doing awake?"
"Nothing."
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"You look just like your mother."
Lily stepped backward.
"Where is my father?"
"You should be grateful he's not here."
"You lied."
Victoria froze.
"What?"
"My daddy didn't steal my money."
Victoria's face changed.
"Who told you that?"
Lily hugged the recorder.
"Nobody."
Victoria came closer.
"What are you holding?"
Lily ran.
Victoria chased her into the hallway.
Lily screamed.
A door opened.
Maria appeared.
"Leave her alone!"
Victoria stopped.
Maria took Lily behind her.
Victoria's voice turned cold.
"You'll regret interfering."
Then the mansion alarm sounded.
Police vehicles were approaching.
Mark had been released.
The forged recording had already begun to collapse.
The investigators had discovered inconsistencies in the digital file.
Mark ran into the house.
"Lily!"
She rushed to him.
He hugged her.
Victoria stood at the other end of the hall.
Mark stared at her.
"It's over."
She smiled.
"No."
She held up a second phone.
"This is."
She pressed play.
A video appeared.
Eleanor.
Alive.
Sitting in a room.
Speaking directly into the camera.
"If you're watching this, Victoria has already won."
Mark stopped breathing.
Lily whispered:
"Mommy?"
The video continued.
"If Mark trusts Daniel, Lily will die."
Daniel went pale.
Mark turned toward him.
"Why did Eleanor say your name?"
Daniel couldn't answer.
The video cut to black.
Then one final image appeared.
May you like
A date.
Two days after Eleanor was supposedly killed.
Related Stories
