Chapter 12 - Thomas Vale’s DaughterHer name was Sophia Vale.
She was thirty-two.
A lawyer.
Elegant.
Calm.
And she looked exactly like Thomas.
She entered Marcus’s office carrying a folder.
“I know what you’re looking for.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Where is my daughter?”
Sophia looked at Lily.
“She’s safe.”
“Where?”
“Not with me.”
Daniel’s patience snapped.
“Then tell me who has her.”
Sophia lowered her voice.
“People who want the eight million dollars.”
Daniel stared.
“The money?”
“Yes.”
“Why does everyone keep talking about it?”
“Because the money is not eight million.”
Daniel frowned.
“How much?”
“Eight million was only what they stole.”
She opened the folder.
“The full fund is worth over forty million.”
Marcus whistled softly.
“Where is it?”
Sophia smiled sadly.
“That’s the problem.”
She placed a document on the table.
A trust agreement.
The beneficiary was listed as:
LILY MERCER.
Daniel stared.
“My daughter.”
Sophia nodded.
“Rachel moved the money into a protected trust before she died.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew people would come for it.”
“Why does Lily control it?”
“Because the trust requires her DNA.”
Daniel finally understood.
“The baby is the key.”
Sophia nodded.
“That is why they need her alive.”
Daniel felt sick.
“Who are they?”
Sophia opened another file.
Names.
NorthStar executives.
Judges.
Police officers.
Bankers.
Government contractors.
A network spanning multiple states.
Then one name appeared.
Daniel froze.
Daniel Mercer.
He stared.
“No.”
Sophia pointed at the document.
“You’re listed as the secondary trustee.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I never signed anything.”
“You did.”
“When?”
Sophia opened a scanned document.
Daniel’s signature was at the bottom.
He recognized it.
But he had never seen the contract.
Maya leaned over.
“That was from Rachel.”
Daniel stared at the signature.
Then he understood.
Rachel had forged nothing.
She had used a power of attorney Daniel had signed years earlier.
A document he had given her when Emma was born.
Daniel whispered:
“She planned all of this.”
Sophia nodded.
“She knew you would never understand until it was too late.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
“Where is she?”
Sophia hesitated.
Then gave him an address.
An abandoned farmhouse outside town.
Daniel and Marcus drove there.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, there was a crib.
A bottle.
A blanket.
But no baby.
Then they heard crying upstairs.
Daniel ran.
The bedroom door was locked.
He broke it open.
Lily was there.
Alone.
Daniel grabbed her.
“She’s here.”
Maya sobbed with relief.
Then Marcus noticed something on the floor.
A small audio recorder.
He pressed play.
Rachel’s voice filled the room.
“Daniel, if you found Lily, then the plan failed.”
Daniel stared.
Rachel continued.
“I need you to know something.”
A pause.
“I didn’t hide Lily because I didn’t trust you.”
Another pause.
“I hid her because I trusted you more than anyone.”
Daniel’s eyes filled with tears.
Then Rachel said:
“The person you should fear is already inside your house.”
The recording ended.
Daniel stared at Maya.
At Marcus.
At Emma.
Nobody moved.
Then Emma whispered:
“Daddy…”
Daniel turned.
May you like
She was staring at the staircase.
“Someone was here.”
