Chapter 6 - WHERE IS LILY?Rachel ripped the IV from her arm.
“Lily!”
Nurses rushed toward her.
She pushed past them.
“Where is my daughter?”
Harrison was already in the corridor.
“Lock every exit!”
Daniel grabbed his radio.
“Hospital security, initiate lockdown. Minor female, nine years old, brown hair, blue sweater. Nobody leaves.”
Rachel ran toward the elevators.
Her ribs screamed with every step.
Daniel caught her.
“You cannot run in your condition.”
“Get off me!”
“We’ll find her.”
“You don’t know that!”
The terror in her face silenced him.
Rachel had spent nine years protecting Lily by staying invisible.
She had changed apartments five times.
Schools twice.
Phone numbers constantly.
She never posted photographs online.
She kept emergency cash taped beneath kitchen drawers.
She taught Lily that if an adult ever said, Your mother sent me, Lily had to ask for a password.
All those precautions.
And Rachel had brought her directly into the Hale family’s world.
“Mom?”
Rachel stopped.
Lily stood at the opposite end of the corridor.
Holding two cups of hot chocolate.
A hospital volunteer beside her looked terrified.
Rachel ran.
This time Daniel let her.
She dropped to her knees and wrapped Lily in both arms.
“Where were you?”
“I went to the cafeteria.”
“You can’t disappear like that!”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“I told the guard.”
Daniel turned.
“What guard?”
“The new one.”
“What new one?”
Lily pointed.
“He said Mr. Cross sent him.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“I didn’t send anyone.”
The original officer assigned to Lily was found seven minutes later inside a maintenance room.
His uniform jacket was missing.
He had been struck from behind.
Security footage showed a man wearing the jacket escorting Lily toward an elevator.
Lily had stopped him.
“I asked for the password,” she explained.
Rachel held her tighter.
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t know.”
“So?”
“I screamed.”
The fake guard panicked and walked away.
Lily went to the cafeteria with a volunteer.
Daniel crouched.
“What did he look like?”
Lily described him.
Late thirties.
Blond hair.
Scar beneath his chin.
Rachel stared at Daniel.
“Grant.”
Daniel nodded.
Grant Bell had been close enough to touch Lily.
That changed Harrison.
Until then, he had been angry.
Now something colder took the anger’s place.
He called an emergency meeting of Hale International’s board.
From the hospital.
“I want Grant Bell terminated effective immediately.”
The chairman protested.
“Harrison, we need procedure.”
“Then follow procedure quickly.”
“We don’t have evidence that Grant—”
“The police are searching for him in connection with an attempted abduction of my nine-year-old granddaughter.”
Silence.
Harrison continued.
“Anyone who wants to debate his severance package is welcome to do so without me.”
Grant was removed unanimously.
Victoria called thirty seconds later.
Harrison answered.
“You fired Grant?”
“Yes.”
“Without consulting me?”
“You’re on administrative leave.”
Silence.
“What?”
“Effective immediately.”
“You cannot do that.”
“The board just did.”
“You humiliated me.”
Harrison looked at Rachel.
“No. I protected you for ten years without realizing it. That ends tonight.”
Victoria’s voice lowered.
“You’re choosing her again.”
Harrison remembered Rachel’s old recording.
If Dad finds out, he’ll choose you.
Suddenly he understood something he should have understood decades earlier.
“This was never about Rachel.”
Victoria did not answer.
“You hated her.”
“I loved my sister.”
“No.”
Harrison stood beside the hospital window.
“You competed with her.”
“She made everything a competition.”
“She was twelve when you started resenting her.”
“She was always your favorite.”
“Victoria, I attended every school play you performed in.”
“You missed one.”
Harrison closed his eyes.
“You remember the one I missed and not the twenty I attended.”
“Because you were at Rachel’s science competition.”
There it was.
Not money.
Not business.
Not even Grant.
A wound preserved from childhood until it became justification for monstrous choices.
Harrison spoke carefully.
“I failed both of you if you believed love was something only one child could win.”
Victoria laughed bitterly.
“Save the therapy.”
“I’m trying to understand.”
“No. You’re trying to forgive yourself.”
That hurt because it was true.
Then Victoria said something unexpected.
“You want Rachel’s truth?”
Harrison became still.
“Come to the penthouse.”
“No.”
“Alone.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I have something the police don’t.”
“What?”
“A recording.”
Harrison glanced at Daniel.
Daniel gestured for him to keep talking.
“Of whom?”
“Grant.”
“What does it prove?”
“That he ordered the crash ten years ago.”
Rachel stood.
“Put her on speaker.”
Harrison did.
Victoria heard her sister.
“Rachel?”
“Send the recording to Detective Ruiz.”
Victoria laughed.
“So she can arrest me thirty seconds later?”
“If you’re innocent, why are you afraid?”
“I never said I was innocent.”
Everyone went quiet.
Rachel’s face changed.
“Say that again.”
“You heard me.”
“You destroyed my life.”
“No, Grant destroyed it.”
“You forged my financial approvals.”
“Grant did.”
“You authorized contracts.”
“I made mistakes.”
“You told Samuel to intercept my calls.”
No answer.
Rachel’s voice trembled.
“You let Dad believe I died.”
Still silence.
“Why?”
Victoria whispered, “Because once he believed you were dead, he finally stopped looking for you.”
Harrison looked devastated.
Rachel’s eyes filled.
“Did you ever ask about Lily?”
“I didn’t know she was born.”
“You knew I was pregnant.”
Victoria stopped breathing.
Rachel had guessed.
Now she knew.
“You knew.”
Victoria’s response came too late.
“I found out afterward.”
“You knew.”
Harrison’s face hardened.
“Victoria, send the recording.”
“No.”
“Then there is nothing to discuss.”
“Dad, wait.”
The call disconnected.
Daniel looked at Harrison.
“She confessed to knowledge.”
“Not enough.”
“It helps.”
Rachel sat slowly.
“She has something.”
“Maybe.”
“She wouldn’t invite Dad otherwise.”
Daniel agreed.
“It could be bait.”
Harrison straightened.
“Then we let her think it worked.”
Two hours later, he entered Victoria’s penthouse wearing a concealed microphone.
Detectives waited three floors below.
Victoria stood at the window.
No makeup.
No diamonds.
For once she looked tired rather than glamorous.
“You actually came.”
“You asked.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
Technically true.
Nobody else was in the apartment.
Victoria poured herself whiskey.
“You remember when Mom died?”
Harrison stiffened.
“Of course.”
“She made Rachel that handbag two months before.”
“I know.”
“She made me a necklace.”
Victoria touched her throat.
“I hated it.”
“Why?”
“Because Rachel’s gift was more expensive.”
Harrison stared at her.
Victoria laughed quietly.
“Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I was sixteen.”
“You’re forty-two now.”
Her smile disappeared.
“I spent my entire life watching Rachel get forgiven for being difficult while I was expected to be perfect.”
“Rachel was accused of stealing nine million dollars.”
“And you believed it.”
Victoria looked at him.
“That was the funniest part.”
Harrison’s stomach turned.
“You knew she was innocent.”
“I knew Grant had moved money.”
“And you let Rachel take the blame.”
Victoria drank.
“Grant said it would be temporary.”
“You helped him.”
“I loved him.”
“Did he love you?”
That struck harder than Harrison expected.
Victoria’s eyes changed.
“No.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then what recording do you have?”
Victoria smiled.
“There isn’t one.”
Downstairs, Detective Ruiz cursed.
Harrison remained still.
“Why bring me here?”
Victoria placed her glass down.
“Because Grant will contact Rachel.”
Harrison’s face tightened.
“What did you do?”
“I told him she still has another copy.”
“Does she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Victoria.”
“He’ll go after her.”
“You used your sister as bait?”
Victoria moved closer.
“You wanted Grant.”
Harrison stared at his daughter with a horror that no parent should ever have to feel.
“You’re willing to risk Rachel and Lily to save yourself.”
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
“For once, Dad, choose me.”
Harrison shook his head.
“I choose the truth.”
Police entered seconds later.
Victoria did not resist.
She simply looked at Harrison as handcuffs closed around her wrists.
Then Daniel’s radio erupted.
“Suspect spotted at St. Matthew’s. Service entrance.”
May you like
Grant had taken the bait.
And Rachel was upstairs with Lily.
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