Chapter 7 - Nathan could barely hear the police around him.All he could hear was Victoria.
Noah was there.
Four years ago.
The night Emma disappeared.
Nathan stared at the birth certificate.
“You're saying Noah knew Emma?”
Victoria nodded.
“How?”
“He was there.”
“Where?”
“With her.”
Nathan shook his head.
“Noah was an infant.”
“Yes.”
“Then how could he know anything?”
Victoria looked at Lily.
“Because Lily remembers.”
Nathan turned.
Lily stood beside the detective.
She was holding Noah's drawing.
Three birds.
She looked terrified.
“Daddy…”
Nathan knelt.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“Mommy told me not to trust the lady.”
Nathan's blood ran cold.
“What lady?”
Lily looked toward Victoria.
“Her.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Nathan stood.
“Why did Emma tell you not to trust Victoria?”
“She didn't mean Victoria.”
Nathan stopped.
“Then who?”
Lily pointed toward the lake.
“The woman in the white coat.”
Police searched the area.
Nothing.
Then one officer found a metal door built into the rear wall of the boathouse.
Behind it was a narrow staircase.
The stairs led underground.
At the bottom was a medical room.
Old equipment.
An IV stand.
A hospital bed.
And a faded photograph.
Emma.
Holding baby Noah.
Nathan stepped closer.
On the wall was another photograph.
Emma pregnant.
Nathan had never seen it.
He turned to Victoria.
“You knew she was pregnant.”
Victoria nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Emma didn't want you to know.”
“Why?”
“Because she believed someone inside your company wanted the baby.”
Nathan stared at the photographs.
“Why would they care about Noah?”
Victoria whispered:
“Because he wasn't supposed to survive.”
Nathan felt sick.
“What does that mean?”
Before Victoria could answer, the lights came on.
A projector activated.
A video began.
Emma appeared on the screen.
Older.
Exhausted.
Her face thinner.
But alive.
Nathan stepped forward.
“Emma?”
She looked directly into the camera.
“Nathan.”
His chest tightened.
“If you're watching this, everything has gone wrong.”
Victoria covered her mouth.
Emma continued.
“I couldn't trust the police.”
The video flickered.
“I couldn't trust your company.”
She paused.
“And I couldn't trust Victoria.”
Nathan looked at Victoria.
Emma's voice became softer.
“But I knew she would stay.”
Victoria began crying.
“I knew she would hate me for asking.”
“What did you ask her to do?” Nathan whispered.
The video continued.
“Take care of my children.”
Nathan's eyes filled with tears.
“Children.”
Emma looked down.
“Yes, Nathan.”
The video cut to black.
A new image appeared.
A hospital record.
Nathan read it.
PATERNITY TEST PENDING.
His heart stopped.
The video resumed.
Emma spoke again.
“Noah is not your biological son.”
Nathan staggered.
Victoria grabbed his arm.
He pulled away.
“Who is Noah's father?”
Emma looked into the camera.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because the truth would put him in danger.”
The screen went black.
Then a final sentence appeared.
THE FATHER IS STILL ALIVE.
Nathan stared.
A sound came from behind him.
A soft cough.
They turned.
A man stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Older.
Gray hair.
Scarred face.
Marcus.
He raised his hands.
“I didn't take Noah.”
Nathan aimed the gun.
“Then who did?”
Marcus looked at Victoria.
She began trembling.
Marcus whispered:
“Your brother.”
Nathan frowned.
“I don't have a brother.”
Marcus gave a sad smile.
“You do.”
Then he pointed toward Nathan.
“You just don't remember him.”
Nathan felt the room tilt.
“My brother died.”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“He was the reason your father started all of this.”
Nathan's mind filled with fragments.
A childhood bedroom.
A boy standing beside him.
A locked door.
A scream.
A fire.
Then nothing.
Nathan grabbed his head.
“What did you do to me?”
Marcus said:
“Your father didn't erase your brother.”
He paused.
“He erased you.”
Victoria whispered:
“Because you saw what happened.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What happened?”
Marcus answered.
“You watched your father murder a man.”
Nathan froze.
“Who?”
Marcus looked at him.
“Your brother.”
Silence.
Then Nathan's phone rang.
The kidnapper.
Nathan answered.
A man's voice spoke softly.
“You want Noah back?”
“Yes.”
“Come alone.”
“Where?”
A location was sent.
Nathan looked at the screen.
It was an abandoned psychiatric hospital.
The man added one final sentence.
“Bring Victoria.”
Nathan looked up.
“Why?”
The voice laughed.
“Because she was the only person who saw your brother survive.”
The call ended.
Victoria whispered:
“Don't go.”
Nathan stared at her.
“You know who took Noah.”
“No.”
“You know who my brother is.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
She took a shaky breath.
Then said the name.
“Ethan.”
Nathan went completely still.
He hadn't heard that name in twenty years.
May you like
Yet somewhere deep inside his memory...
he recognized the voice.
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