A Voice from the Past
Chapter 05 - A Voice from the Past
Daniel answered before his father could stop him.
For several seconds, no one spoke. Then a man’s voice came through the speaker—low, cautious, and painfully familiar.
“You always were faster than me,” the caller said.
Daniel gripped the phone. The voice sounded like his own, only rougher.
“Lucas?”
Mia covered her mouth. Olivia reached for Daniel’s free hand.
The man gave a quiet laugh without humor. “So she found you.”
“Where are you?”
“Far enough away.”
Daniel turned on the speaker. “You used my identity. You married Mia. You have a daughter.”
Silence.
Mia stepped closer. “Sophie asks about you every night.”
The call filled with uneven breathing. When Lucas finally spoke, the anger was gone.
“I never meant for her to grow up without me.”
“Then why did you leave?” Mia asked.
“Because Richard said he would destroy you if I stayed. He had already erased me once. I believed he could erase both of you.”
Richard reached for the phone, but Daniel pulled it away.
Lucas continued. He said he had spent his childhood watching Daniel receive praise while he received warnings. After the boating accident, he survived but chose not to return. He wanted to punish their father and prove he could live Daniel’s life better than Daniel could.
At first, stealing the identity had been revenge. Then he met Mia.
“I should have told you the truth on the first day,” Lucas said. “Every good thing after that was built on a lie.”
Mia was crying, but her voice remained firm. “Where are you now?”
“I came back for the wedding.”
Everyone looked at the windows.
Lucas explained that he had seen Olivia and Daniel’s engagement online. He feared the new marriage would expose his own, so he sent anonymous tips to Mia, expecting her to stop the ceremony. He had watched from across the street.
“You used me again,” Mia said.
“Yes.”
A faint sound came through the call—a station announcement.
Olivia recognized the name of the downtown train terminal.
Daniel did too.
“We’re coming,” he said.
“No. I called to say goodbye.”
The line went dead.
Mia grabbed her bag. Daniel was already moving toward the door, but Olivia stopped long enough to face Richard.
“You can continue protecting your reputation,” she said, “or you can help save what remains of your family.”
Richard did not answer.
May you like
Ten minutes later, as their car left the estate, another vehicle pulled out behind them.
Richard was driving.
