Chapter 10 - What Lily SawLily's memory came in fragments.
A hallway.
Rain against glass.
A woman crying.
A man shouting.
And a door.
Red.
Locked.
Ethan knelt in front of her.
“What do you remember?”
Lily squeezed her eyes shut.
“Mommy was there.”
“Which mommy?”
She pointed at Grace.
“Her.”
Grace began crying.
Lily continued.
“She was holding me.”
Ethan turned toward Grace.
“You were there?”
Grace nodded.
“I found her that night.”
“What night?”
“The night your mother disappeared.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
“You mean the night you supposedly died?”
Grace looked down.
“I escaped.”
“And Lily?”
“I took her.”
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted the child.”
Robert interrupted.
“She was proof.”
Grace turned.
“You wanted to sell her.”
Robert laughed.
“I wanted to transfer the trust.”
“By killing her?”
“By controlling her.”
Ethan stared.
“What did Lily see?”
Grace whispered:
“Your father murdered Victor Vale.”
Ethan froze.
“But Madison…”
“Madison was Victor's daughter.”
Ethan's eyes widened.
“So that's why she came after us.”
Grace nodded.
“She wanted revenge.”
Ethan looked at Madison.
She was standing against the far wall.
Silent.
Crying.
“You knew my father killed yours?”
Madison nodded.
“I found out two years ago.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know who I could trust.”
Ethan looked at her coldly.
“You could have trusted me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I loved you.”
He stared.
“I wanted you alive.”
“So you destroyed Clara's life?”
Madison's voice broke.
“I was afraid.”
Clara stepped forward.
“You used my daughter.”
“I know.”
“You threatened her.”
“I know.”
“You hurt me.”
Madison looked down.
“I know.”
Ethan felt no sympathy.
“You don't get to call that love.”
Madison closed her eyes.
Robert suddenly raised his gun.
“Enough.”
He looked at Lily.
“Bring her here.”
Nobody moved.
Robert nodded.
The armed men advanced.
Clara screamed.
Ethan fired.
The room exploded into chaos.
Gunshots.
Shattering glass.
People running.
Ethan grabbed Lily.
Grace pulled Clara toward the passage.
Madison fired at one of Robert's men.
They escaped into the corridor.
But then the passage door slammed shut.
Ethan hit it.
Locked.
He looked at Lily.
She was crying.
Then she pointed upward.
“There’s another door.”
“Where?”
“Behind the red picture.”
Ethan looked.
A painting hung on the wall.
Red.
Exactly like the one from Lily's memory.
He pulled it down.
Behind it was another passage.
They entered.
At the end stood a steel door.
Ethan opened it.
Inside was a surveillance room.
Monitors covered the walls.
Every camera in the mansion.
Every hallway.
Every bedroom.
Ethan stared at the screens.
Then he saw one marked:
LILY - ORIGINAL FOOTAGE
He pressed play.
The screen showed Madison standing over Clara.
Then Madison walked away.
A second person entered.
Robert.
He carried a small black case.
He looked directly into the camera.
Then he said:
“Record this.”
Ethan leaned closer.
Robert opened the case.
Inside was a syringe.
He turned toward the camera and smiled.
“Lily's blood will finally unlock the trust.”
The video ended.
Ethan stared.
Then another clip began automatically.
This one was timestamped:
THE NIGHT GRACE DISAPPEARED.
Ethan watched.
His mother entered the room.
Robert followed.
They argued.
Then something unexpected happened.
Grace handed Robert a baby.
Lily.
Then Robert said:
“She's not our daughter.”
Ethan froze.
Grace replied:
“No.”
She looked toward the camera.
“She is his.”
The footage showed the face of the baby's father.
Ethan saw him.
And realized the truth.
Lily’s father was not Robert.
May you like
It was someone else.
Someone Ethan knew.
