Chapter 3 - THE WOMAN WHO TOLD ME HE WAS DEADSienna went with him.
She told herself it was because Evelyn Voss might possess answers about Lily.
Not because Declan looked like the frightened twenty-three-year-old she remembered.
The lie lasted ten minutes.
Evelyn was taken to St. Catherine’s.
Sienna knew the hospital.
She had trained there before moving to Lakeshore Medical Center.
By the time they arrived, Evelyn was conscious.
Barely.
A toxicology screen suggested sedative exposure.
Not enough to kill her.
Enough to make her easy to move.
The woman in the bed looked older than Sienna remembered.
Seven years earlier, Evelyn Voss had been beautiful in an exhausted way.
Dark hair.
Sharp cheekbones.
Always watching the street behind them.
Sienna had assumed she was anxious because money was tight.
Now she understood the woman had spent Declan's entire childhood hiding from his father.
Evelyn saw Sienna.
Her monitor jumped.
“No.”
Declan stopped beside the bed.
“Mom.”
“No.”
She tried to remove her oxygen.
A nurse intervened.
“Mrs. Voss, leave that in place.”
Evelyn pointed at Sienna.
“She can’t be here.”
Sienna’s anger surfaced.
“Funny. You had no problem speaking to me seven years ago.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Declan’s expression hardened.
“You told her I was dead.”
Silence.
“Mom.”
Evelyn began crying.
“Declan…”
“You told the mother of my child that I was dead.”
Her eyes flew open.
The room became perfectly still.
“Child?”
Sienna watched the surprise.
Real.
Evelyn did not know.
Declan whispered:
“She had my daughter.”
His mother stared at Sienna.
“How old?”
“Six.”
“Oh God.”
Evelyn covered her face.
“Oh God.”
Declan stepped closer.
“Why?”
She shook her head.
“Why did you tell her I died?”
“I was trying to keep her away.”
“From who?”
“Your father.”
“He already knew about her.”
“Not about the pregnancy.”
Sienna froze.
“You knew I might be pregnant?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I knew if Declan kept trying to reach you, Alessandro would eventually stop threatening and start acting.”
Declan’s father.
Alessandro Voss.
The name Sienna had learned only an hour earlier.
Evelyn continued.
“The first letter you sent Declan was intercepted.”
“By who?”
“Alessandro.”
Declan went still.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“What did it say?”
Evelyn looked at Sienna.
“I never saw the contents.”
“Then why tell me he died?”
“Because Alessandro told me if another letter arrived from you, he would bring you to the house himself.”
Sienna’s stomach turned.
“I thought if you believed Declan was dead, you would stop searching.”
“You could have told me he was alive and in danger.”
“And if you called police?”
“I might have.”
“Exactly.”
Evelyn began crying.
“Your father owned officers.”
Declan looked away.
“My mother thought lying to you would save you.”
Sienna stared at Evelyn.
“Did it?”
The question silenced everyone.
Sienna continued.
“I spent months thinking he was decomposing somewhere while I carried his child.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“No. You don't.”
“I had to watch my own son become his father’s prisoner.”
“And that gave you the right to turn me into collateral damage?”
“No.”
The answer came quickly.
“No.”
Sienna stopped.
Evelyn looked directly at her.
“I was wrong.”
No excuses.
That made the anger harder to hold.
“Then the fake letter Declan received?”
Evelyn frowned.
“What fake letter?”
Declan showed her.
She read it.
“I didn't write this.”
“We know.”
“It was mailed near your house.”
“I wasn't living there by then.”
Declan froze.
“What?”
“Your father moved me to the Oak Park property two days after you disappeared.”
“So who had access?”
Evelyn thought.
Then her face changed.
“Peter.”
Declan’s expression hardened.
“Peter Vale?”
Sienna knew the name only from Chicago news.
Peter Vale was Declan’s current legal adviser.
The man whose photograph appeared beside Declan in business articles describing Voss Capital’s transition away from organized crime into legitimate logistics and real estate.
“He handled the old house,” Evelyn said.
“Mail forwarding. Utilities. Everything.”
Declan’s jaw tightened.
Peter had also been the person who arranged Evelyn's current security.
Sienna looked toward the hallway.
“Who found her tonight?”
Declan went still.
“Peter’s security team.”
Evelyn whispered:
“No.”
Declan called Frankie immediately.
“Where is Vale?”
The answer came through speaker.
“On his way here.”
Declan looked toward the door.
“Stop him.”
Too late.
Peter Vale entered.
Sixty years old.
Silver hair.
Dark blue suit.
He carried concern expertly.
Then he saw Sienna.
For one fraction of a second, his expression broke.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
Sienna saw it.
Declan did too.
Peter recovered.
“Sienna Hale.”
She stared.
“We've never met.”
“No.”
“Then how do you know me?”
Peter smiled faintly.
“Declan spoke about you.”
“Recently?”
Silence.
Declan stepped between them.
“What happened to my mother?”
Peter looked toward Evelyn.
“She was found on the floor.”
“Who found her?”
“James.”
“My security?”
“Yes.”
“Why was your team at her house?”
“Routine check.”
Declan stared.
“There are no routine checks on Thursdays.”
Peter’s eyes sharpened.
“You're upset.”
“My mother was drugged.”
“We don't know that.”
“We do.”
Peter glanced at Sienna.
Declan noticed again.
“Why are you looking at her?”
“I’m trying to understand why an ER nurse is in a private family matter.”
Sienna almost laughed.
“Bad choice of words.”
Declan’s voice became quiet.
“She is family.”
Peter stopped breathing for half a beat.
That was enough.
Declan stepped closer.
“You already knew.”
“Knew what?”
“About Lily.”
Peter’s face remained blank.
Sienna felt cold.
Declan continued.
“I didn't say her name.”
Silence.
“You did.”
Peter looked toward the door.
Frankie appeared there.
Behind him stood another security man.
Peter sighed.
“This is becoming theatrical.”
Declan held up Sienna’s old photograph of the pregnancy test.
“Did you intercept this?”
Peter looked at it.
His expression did not change.
“No.”
“Did my father?”
“Possibly.”
“Did you send me the fake letter?”
“No.”
“Did you know Sienna had my child?”
Peter smiled without humor.
“You're asking dangerous questions in a hospital.”
Sienna said:
“That's not a denial.”
He looked at her.
For the first time, the polite lawyer disappeared.
“You were supposed to move on.”
Declan became still.
Sienna’s throat tightened.
“What did you say?”
Peter realized he had said too much.
Evelyn whispered from the bed:
“Peter.”
He looked at her.
She was crying.
“You promised me she was safe.”
Peter's face changed.
Declan looked between them.
“What promise?”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“After I told Sienna you were dead, I asked Peter to keep people away from her.”
Sienna stared.
“You asked him to watch me?”
“To make sure Alessandro didn't find you.”
Peter had known where Sienna lived.
Where she worked.
Maybe when Lily was born.
Declan’s voice dropped.
“What did you do?”
Peter straightened.
“What was necessary.”
That answer changed everything.
Declan moved.
Frankie caught his arm before he reached Peter.
“Boss.”
Declan stopped himself.
Peter looked almost relieved.
Sienna hated him for that.
“Did you know Lily was mine?” Declan asked.
Peter said nothing.
“Answer.”
“Yes.”
The word entered the room quietly.
Sienna sat down because her knees suddenly stopped working.
Declan stared.
“How long?”
“Since she was born.”
Six years.
Declan’s hands shook.
“You knew I had a daughter for six years.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Peter looked at Evelyn.
Then back to Declan.
“Because your father was still alive.”
“For three of those years.”
“Yes.”
“And after?”
Peter’s expression hardened.
“By then you had become head of the organization.”
“I was dismantling it.”
“You were trying.”
“Why keep Lily from me after he died?”
“Because blood creates weakness.”
Declan stared.
Peter continued.
“Your father understood that.”
“You sound like him.”
“I kept you alive long enough to become stronger than him.”
“You kept my daughter from me.”
“I kept your daughter out of a war.”
Sienna stood.
“No.”
Peter looked at her.
“You do not get to say that.”
His face tightened.
“You worked double shifts while raising her alone.”
“I know.”
“You nearly lost your apartment twice.”
Sienna stopped breathing.
How did he know?
Peter continued.
“You think I didn't watch?”
Declan looked murderous.
Peter held his gaze.
“I made sure no one touched them.”
Sienna whispered:
“You watched us struggle.”
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing.”
“I kept dangerous money away from you.”
“You could have sent a letter.”
“I could not risk Declan finding you.”
Declan laughed bitterly.
“You let me believe she had rejected me.”
“Yes.”
“You let her believe I was dead.”
“I did not create that lie.”
“You maintained it.”
“Yes.”
For once Peter did not hide.
Then Evelyn whispered:
“Why drug me?”
Peter’s eyes shifted.
“I didn't.”
She stared.
“Someone searched my house.”
Declan looked at him.
Peter frowned.
“What?”
Evelyn’s voice shook.
“The box with Sienna’s letters was hidden beneath my floor.”
Peter had gone pale.
Sienna noticed.
Not guilt.
Fear.
Declan did too.
“You knew about the box?”
Peter said nothing.
“Peter.”
He looked toward the door.
Then whispered:
“Those letters were not supposed to exist.”
Silence.
“Why?”
Declan asked.
Peter swallowed.
“Because your father ordered them burned.”
Everyone froze.
Evelyn stared.
“I kept them.”
Peter’s face lost color.
“Then whoever searched your house wasn't looking for you.”
Sienna felt ice move down her spine.
“What were they looking for?”
Peter looked directly at Declan.
“Proof.”
“Of what?”
“That Alessandro knew about Lily before he died.”
Declan’s expression changed.
“You said he didn't.”
“I said he wasn't supposed to.”
Peter looked suddenly older.
“He found out.”
“When?”
“Two days before his death.”
Silence.
Declan’s father had supposedly died from a stroke three years earlier.
Sienna watched Peter.
“What happened two days later?”
Peter did not answer.
Declan did.
“My father died.”
May you like
The room went cold.
And for the first time, Declan began to wonder whether his father's death had been natural at all.
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