Chapter 10
We told Lily gently.
Not all of it.
Only enough.
That Claire had loved her from the beginning.
That bad people had kept them apart.
That none of it was Lily’s fault.
Lily listened with solemn eyes.
Then she walked to Claire and touched her hand.
“Did you cry for me?”
Claire dropped to her knees.
“Every day.”
Lily hugged her.
Claire held on like she was holding the missing years.
I turned away because I couldn’t breathe.
Mia joined them.
Then Noah toddled over with his bear.
For one fragile minute, my family existed in the same room.
Broken.
Confused.
Alive.
Then Peter Lang called me.
Unknown number.
I answered on speaker while Harris recorded.
“Ryan,” Peter said calmly. “You need to stop digging.”
“You helped imprison my family.”
“You don’t know the full situation.”
“Then enlighten me.”
He sighed.
“Claire’s father was dangerous. Her trust was not just money. It contained evidence. Your father knew. That is why both men are dead.”
My blood chilled.
“My father died of a heart attack.”
“Did he?”
Claire gripped the bed rail.
Peter continued.
“Caroline is unstable, yes. But this started before her.”
“Where are you?”
“Protect your children. Walk away from the trust. Let the past stay buried.”
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“Then you’ll lose another child.”
The line went dead.
Detective Harris immediately began tracing.
Claire looked at me.
“He threatened them.”
“I heard.”
“What do we do?”
I looked at our children.
Lily still had one hand in Claire’s.
May you like
Mia held Noah close.
“We stop reacting,” I said. “We start hunting the truth.”
