Chapter 1 - THE DAUGHTER HE NEVER KNEWNathan stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring at Victoria as if he were seeing her for the first time.
“Did you know about this child?”
Victoria’s lips parted.
For several seconds, no sound came out.
That silence was enough.
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“You knew.”
“Nathan, you’re misunderstanding—”
“Did you know?”
Victoria looked at Grace.
Grace was sitting on the floor, one hand pressed against her injured shoulder while Lily clung to her waist.
Victoria’s eyes hardened.
“Yes,” she finally whispered.
Nathan felt the world tilt.
“How long?”
Victoria swallowed.
“Not long.”
Grace gave a bitter laugh.
“Five years.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Five years?”
Grace nodded.
“She knew before Lily was born.”
Nathan’s eyes returned to Victoria.
“You knew Grace was pregnant?”
Victoria’s expression changed.
“I knew she was carrying a child.”
“My child?”
Victoria said nothing.
Nathan stepped closer.
“My daughter?”
“Yes.”
The word barely escaped her mouth.
Nathan closed his eyes.
A thousand memories crashed through him.
Grace laughing at the old apartment.
Grace falling asleep on his shoulder.
Grace talking about having children someday.
The night she disappeared.
The note.
Don’t look for me.
For five years, he had believed those words were hers.
Now he wondered if Grace had ever written them at all.
“You let me believe my daughter didn’t exist.”
Victoria shook her head.
“You have to understand why.”
“There is no reason.”
“I loved you.”
“That doesn’t excuse this.”
“I was protecting you.”
Nathan laughed once, without humor.
“You destroyed five years of my life.”
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
“You would have chosen her.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Yes.”
Victoria flinched.
“I knew you would.”
“And that was worth destroying my family?”
“You didn't have a family!”
Nathan looked toward Lily.
His voice became quiet.
“I do now.”
Lily peeked around Grace.
Nathan crouched slowly.
He wanted to reach for her.
But he was afraid.
Afraid that she would pull away.
Afraid that he would scare her.
Afraid that if he touched her, this strange dream would become real.
“Lily,” he whispered.
The little girl looked at him.
“Are you really my daddy?”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“Yes.”
Lily studied his face.
Grace watched them both.
Nathan extended his hand.
Lily hesitated.
Then she placed her tiny fingers in his.
Nathan nearly broke.
Her hand was so small.
Warm.
Real.
His daughter.
“My God,” he whispered.
Lily smiled through her tears.
“You have the same eyes.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
“She has your eyes.”
Grace shook her head.
“No. She has yours.”
A strange silence settled over the room.
Then Nathan noticed something.
A small silver bracelet around Lily’s wrist.
“What is that?”
Grace looked down.
“This?”
Nathan pointed to the tiny engraved charm.
“Where did she get it?”
Grace hesitated.
“It was given to me the night I left.”
“By whom?”
Grace looked toward the doorway.
“Daniel.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“Victoria’s brother.”
Grace nodded.
“He was the one person who helped me.”
“Victoria said he was involved.”
Grace shook her head.
“She wants you to believe that.”
Nathan’s phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?”
A man spoke.
“Mr. Cole, if Grace is with you, you need to leave the house.”
Nathan stiffened.
“Who is this?”
“You have ten minutes.”
“Why?”
“Because Victoria wasn't the only person who knew about Lily.”
The line went dead.
Nathan stared at his phone.
Grace saw his expression.
“What happened?”
Nathan told her.
Grace immediately went pale.
“She found us.”
“Who?”
Grace looked at Lily.
“I don't know.”
A loud sound came from upstairs.
Nathan turned.
Grace grabbed Lily.
Nathan moved toward the staircase.
“Stay here.”
Another sound.
A door closing.
Nathan climbed the stairs.
The mansion was silent.
He checked the hallway.
Nothing.
Then he saw the bedroom door.
Open.
He pushed it wider.
On the bed was an envelope.
His name was written across it.
NATHAN COLE.
He opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Grace.
Five years earlier.
Pregnant.
Standing outside a hospital.
Nathan stared at the picture.
On the back was a handwritten message.
YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO FIND HER.
Nathan’s blood ran cold.
Then his phone vibrated again.
A text appeared.
LOOK UNDER YOUR FATHER'S DESK.
Nathan immediately remembered the old study.
His father's study.
A room that had been locked since his father's death.
He rushed downstairs.
Grace followed despite her injury.
“Where are you going?”
“My father's study.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
He unlocked the room.
Dust covered the furniture.
Nathan walked to the desk.
He opened the drawers.
Nothing.
Then Grace noticed something.
“The bottom.”
Nathan looked underneath.
A hidden compartment.
He pressed the wooden panel.
It opened.
Inside was a black notebook.
Nathan pulled it out.
The first page contained his father's handwriting.
VICTORIA HAYES CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
Nathan stared.
Grace covered her mouth.
There were dozens of pages.
Dates.
Payments.
Names.
Meetings.
And one sentence circled in red.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, FIND GRACE.
Nathan looked at her.
His voice shook.
“My father knew.”
Grace whispered,
“He knew about everything.”
Then Nathan turned the page.
A final note waited there.
THE CHILD IS THE KEY.
And underneath it was a name.
Daniel Hayes.
Nathan looked toward Grace.
Before either could speak, the lights in the mansion suddenly went out.
Lily screamed downstairs.
Nathan ran.
Grace followed.
May you like
And from somewhere inside the darkness came Victoria's voice.
“You should have listened when I told you to let the past stay buried.”
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