Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN IN THE HALLWAYGrace woke to the sound of Lily crying in her sleep.
“No,” the little girl whimpered. “Don’t hit Mommy.”
Grace’s heart broke so sharply she forgot the pain in her shoulder.
She sat up slowly, fighting the dizziness from the medication, and pulled Lily closer.
“I’m here, baby,” she whispered. “Mommy’s here.”
Lily’s eyes opened.
For one terrible second, she looked around as if expecting Victoria to be standing over them with the hockey stick again.
Then she saw Grace.
Her small body collapsed against her mother’s chest.
Grace held her with her good arm.
The bedroom door opened softly.
Nathan stood there.
He had changed out of his suit jacket, but he still looked like a man who had not slept. His tie hung loose. His hair was disheveled. His eyes were red, not from tears, but from rage held too long inside.
Grace stiffened.
For five years, she had imagined seeing Nathan again.
In her dreams, he was gentle.
In her nightmares, he hated her.
Reality was worse.
He looked broken.
“Is she okay?” he asked quietly.
Grace nodded.
Lily peeked over her mother’s arm.
Nathan stayed near the door, as if afraid that one wrong step might scare her.
“Hi, Lily.”
The little girl studied him.
“You came back,” she whispered.
Nathan’s throat moved.
“I will always come back.”
Grace looked away.
Those words hurt more than they should have.
Five years ago, she had prayed for him to come. To call. To fight. But Nathan had never known she needed saving.
His father had made sure of that.
Nathan stepped inside and placed a tray on the table. Soup. Toast. Juice. A small bowl of strawberries cut into careful halves.
Lily looked at it as if it were treasure.
“Is that for me?”
Nathan smiled faintly. “Only if your mommy says it’s okay.”
Grace nearly cried.
Not because of the food.
Because he had asked her.
Not the lawyers. Not the police. Not the trust managers. Her.
Lily reached for a strawberry.
Nathan watched her tiny fingers close around it.
Something in his face softened, then hardened again.
Grace knew that look.
“What happened?” she asked.
Nathan looked at her.
For a moment, he did not speak.
Then he reached into his jacket and held out the letter.
Grace read the first line.
Her face changed.
“Nathan…”
“Victoria is my father’s daughter.”
Grace’s lips parted.
“I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.”
She looked up sharply.
He stepped closer.
“I believe everything now.”
Before Grace could answer, footsteps sounded in the hall.
A woman screamed from downstairs.
Not Lily.
Not staff.
A grown woman.
Nathan moved first.
Grace grabbed Lily and followed, ignoring the pain tearing through her shoulder.
At the top of the staircase, they saw Mrs. Alvarez, the housekeeper, standing frozen in the foyer.
The front door was wide open.
On the marble floor lay a black envelope.
Nathan picked it up.
Inside was a photograph.
Lily, asleep in the upstairs bedroom.
Taken minutes ago.
On the back, written in red ink, were six words.
A father cannot protect what he cannot find.
Grace made a sound that was not quite a scream.
May you like
Nathan looked up.
Every camera in the mansion had gone dark.
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