Chapter 3 - Clara Hid More Than My Son—She Had Been Protecting a Second Secret
I didn't shout.
That frightened Clara more than if I had.
“Who is the second child?”
She sat down slowly.
“A girl.”
My chest tightened.
“Mine?”
She nodded.
I couldn't speak.
Marcus stepped out, giving us privacy.
Clara rubbed her hands together.
“Her name is Lily.”
“Where is she?”
Clara looked away.
“She doesn't know you're her father.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because she was taken.”
“When?”
“After she was born.”
My blood ran cold.
“By Victor?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered:
“Your father.”
I stepped backward.
“That makes no sense.”
“He took her to protect her.”
“My father was dead by then.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Clara finally looked at me.
“Because he had arranged everything before he died.”
She explained that my father knew Victor planned to eliminate anyone connected to the evidence.
He believed Leo would eventually be discovered.
So he created an escape plan.
Leo would stay with Clara.
Lily would be moved to a remote sanctuary.
But something went wrong.
Victor found out.
The people transporting Lily disappeared.
“We don't know where she is.”
I felt sick.
“Five years?”
“Yes.”
“She could be anywhere.”
“I've searched.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“And that's why you stayed in hiding.”
“Yes.”
The room fell silent.
Then I asked:
“Who was the man in the photograph?”
Clara swallowed.
“Daniel Hart.”
“The lawyer?”
She nodded.
A name I knew.
Daniel Hart had once been my father's most trusted attorney.
He disappeared fifteen years ago.
I thought he had fled.
Apparently, he hadn't.
“Where is he?”
“I don't know.”
Marcus came back in.
“We do.”
He placed a file on the table.
“Daniel Hart owns a law office under another name in Queens.”
I looked at him.
“Find him.”
Two hours later, we were standing in front of a small brick building.
Daniel opened the door.
He was older than I remembered.
He saw me.
His face collapsed.
“Ethan.”
I stepped inside.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Clara survived.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I had children.”
He closed his eyes.
“Not at first.”
I slammed the door.
“Don't lie to me.”
“I am not.”
He looked at Clara.
“I protected them because your father made me promise.”
“Where is Lily?”
Daniel's hands shook.
“I don't know.”
“Then why are you still alive?”
He gave a bitter smile.
“Because some promises cost a lifetime.”
He took out a small file.
Inside was a photograph of a little girl.
Silver bracelet.
Brown curls.
Bright green eyes.
My eyes.
I stared.
“Lily.”
Daniel nodded.
“She was six months old when she was moved.”
“To where?”
He handed me a location.
“Saint Agnes Children's Home.”
I stared.
“That place closed.”
“Officially.”
Marcus looked at the paper.
“There's no record of it.”
“Because it was never a legal orphanage.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“It was a hiding place for children whose parents were being targeted by the families.”
I looked at Clara.
“You sent her there?”
“No.”
Daniel interrupted.
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor's men were looking for her.”
“And you thought a secret orphanage would be safer?”
“It was.”
“Then where is she now?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Gone.”
“Meaning?”
“Someone took her three years ago.”
The room went silent.
“Who?”
“We never found out.”
Marcus asked, “Why didn't you tell us?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Because whoever took her left a message.”
“What message?”
He opened another envelope.
Three words.
Stop looking, Ethan.
My jaw tightened.
“That's all?”
“No.”
He turned the paper over.
On the back was a drawing.
A red toy truck.
Exactly like Leo's.
I felt a chill.
Someone had been watching us for years.
“Who has access to your old family records?” I asked.
Daniel shook his head.
“Everyone.”
“That answer doesn't work.”
“Then there's only one person.”
“Who?”
Daniel's eyes filled with fear.
“Victor isn't the real leader anymore.”
I stared.
“Then who is?”
He whispered:
“Your mother.”
The room froze.
“My mother died when I was six.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Your mother disappeared.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“Everyone in my life has apparently disappeared.”
Clara looked down.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“When I found Lily.”
I stepped away.
“For fifteen years, you kept telling yourself you were protecting me.”
“Yes.”
“But all you did was leave me alone.”
Her eyes filled.
“I know.”
I wanted to stay angry.
But I couldn't.
Because I looked at her and saw the same girl who had once held my hand beneath a streetlamp and promised we'd escape together.
We had both failed.
Just in different ways.
Marcus's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“There's a fire at the Westchester house.”
I stood instantly.
“Clara?”
“She was still inside.”
Everything went black.
We raced back.
Smoke filled the road.
The house was burning.
I ran toward it.
Marcus grabbed me.
“Boss!”
“Let go.”
“We have fire crews.”
“Clara is inside.”
Then a small hand caught mine.
Leo.
He was standing outside with blood on his forehead.
“Where's Mom?”
I looked around.
She was nowhere.
“Leo, where did you come from?”
His face crumpled.
“Two men took Mommy.”
He handed me something.
A silver bracelet.
A child's bracelet.
Lily's name was engraved on it.
May you like
And beneath her name was another word.
ALIVE.
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