Chapter 6 - Grace Walked Back Into My Life Alive, but She Wasn't the Woman I Remembered—and She Told Me Who Had Tried to Kill HerGrace arrived after midnight.
I stood outside.
The car stopped.
The door opened.
She stepped out.
Older.
Thinner.
Scarred.
But still Grace.
My wife.
The woman I had buried.
I couldn't move.
Neither could she.
Then she whispered:
“Caleb.”
I crossed the distance.
I held her.
She cried against my shoulder.
“I am sorry.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
“No.”
“You suffered.”
“So did you.”
She looked at me.
“I never stopped loving you.”
I closed my eyes.
“I never stopped loving you.”
Then a little hand grabbed mine.
Lily.
I turned.
She was crying.
“Dad.”
I pulled her close.
Then another little girl appeared.
Emma.
Grace had brought both.
My daughters stood beside us.
For the first time.
Together.
I fell to my knees.
I hugged them both.
“My girls.”
Lily cried.
Emma whispered:
“I knew you'd find me.”
I couldn't speak.
Grace knelt beside us.
“I promised.”
“You did.”
Then Grace explained.
The accident had been staged.
She survived.
She escaped.
My father helped her.
She spent years hiding.
She visited Emma secretly.
She kept Lily safe.
But every time she tried to return, the consortium found her.
“What made you come back now?”
“You.”
I frowned.
“You?”
“You finally found Emma.”
“And?”
“I knew the lies were collapsing.”
She looked at me.
“And I was tired of watching my children grow up without their father.”
I held her hand.
“I should have found you.”
“You didn't have the information.”
“Still.”
She smiled sadly.
“You loved us.”
“Yes.”
“I knew.”
We kissed.
Not like a reunion.
Like two people finally allowed to breathe.
Then Grace became serious.
“Michael is still dangerous.”
“We know.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“He's not the leader.”
“Who is?”
“My father.”
I froze.
“My father?”
She nodded.
“Your grandfather.”
I stared.
“He's alive?”
“Yes.”
“The man I thought died twenty years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He controls the consortium.”
“What does he want?”
“Your daughters.”
“Why?”
“Because they are the only legal heirs.”
I felt cold.
“Then we end this.”
Grace nodded.
Together.
We prepared.
But before we could move, the house lost power.
Security alarms screamed.
Someone had breached the perimeter.
Men entered.
Gunfire.
I pulled the girls behind cover.
Grace took one.
I took the other.
My father fought beside us.
The attack lasted ten minutes.
Then silence.
Michael was gone.
But he left a message.
COME TO THE BLACKWOOD MANOR.
My grandfather's estate.
We knew it was a trap.
We went anyway.
Because Grace had already found something.
A list.
Names of every person in the consortium.
May you like
Including our own board members.
The truth would finally come out.
Related Stories
