Chapter 5 - THE VOICE IN THE DARK
I froze.
“Lily?”
Static.
Then her voice again.
“Daddy?”
My mother's hand covered her mouth.
Victor's voice replaced hers.
“Beautiful, isn't it?”
I turned toward the speakers.
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“If you touch her—”
“You'll what?”
I said nothing.
Victor laughed.
“You still think this is about violence.”
“It's about my daughter.”
“Exactly.”
The lights came back.
A screen descended from the ceiling.
Lily appeared.
She was sitting in a room.
Alive.
Safe.
A woman was beside her.
Grace's voice came from behind me.
“No.”
I turned.
She had followed us.
“Grace?”
She stared at the screen.
“My God.”
Lily was holding a stuffed rabbit.
The same rabbit from the photographs.
I stepped toward the screen.
“Lily.”
The child looked up.
“Who are you?”
My heart shattered.
She didn't remember me.
She had been a baby.
Of course she didn't.
But I remembered her.
Every breath.
Every smile.
Every night.
Victor's voice returned.
“She'll stay alive if you bring me the ledger.”
“Where?”
“Your mansion.”
My jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“Because your father left it there.”
“Where?”
“The chair.”
The screen went black.
My mother whispered:
“He knows.”
We returned to Manhattan.
The mansion was under lockdown.
Grace had Amara beside her.
I walked into the dining room.
The table was still set.
One plate.
The chair beside mine.
The chair Amara had sat in.
I ran my fingers along the wood.
Nothing.
Then I remembered Lily.
She had once played beneath this table.
She had loved hiding things.
I crouched.
Underneath the chair was a small metal plate.
I pressed it.
Click.
A compartment opened.
Inside was a key.
And a letter.
I opened it.
My father's handwriting.
Julian.
If you found this, I am probably dead.
There are things about our family you were never supposed to know.
I wanted you to have a life untouched by my mistakes.
The ledger is not money.
It is proof.
Proof of every person who helped build this empire through fear.
Use it to end what I started.
I stared at the final line.
And if Lily is ever in danger, choose her over everything.
I closed my eyes.
My father had known.
He had known someone would come for her.
Silas entered.
“Boss.”
I handed him the letter.
“We found Victor.”
I looked up.
“Where?”
“Lower Manhattan.”
“Take everyone.”
Silas shook his head.
“He specifically asked for you.”
“I know.”
The meeting took place inside an abandoned warehouse.
Victor stood in the center.
Lily was beside him.
My heart nearly stopped.
She looked frightened.
But unharmed.
“Daddy?”
The word broke me.
I stepped forward.
“Lily.”
Victor smiled.
“Give me the ledger.”
I held it up.
“Let her go.”
“First.”
I tossed it across the floor.
Victor picked it up.
He opened it.
Then laughed.
“You think this is the original?”
I smiled.
“No.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
“The real ledger was already sent to federal investigators.”
His eyes widened.
“Impossible.”
“It happened thirty minutes ago.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
I looked at Lily.
“I knew you wouldn't trust the copy.”
Victor suddenly grabbed Lily.
I moved.
But before anyone could act, the warehouse doors exploded open.
Federal agents stormed inside.
Victor looked around.
His empire collapsed in seconds.
He tried to run.
Silas tackled him.
I ran toward Lily.
She backed away.
I stopped.
I didn't want to scare her.
“It's okay.”
She stared at me.
“Are you my daddy?”
Tears filled my eyes.
“Yes.”
She studied my face.
Then whispered:
“I thought you were gone.”
I knelt.
“I thought you were gone too.”
She stepped forward.
Slowly.
Then wrapped her arms around my neck.
I held her.
For two years, I had believed I was mourning my daughter.
Now I realized I had been waiting for her.
Behind us, Victor was handcuffed.
My mother was crying.
May you like
Grace held Amara.
And the empty chair was no longer empty.
