Chapter 16 — THE FATHER WHO NEVER DIED
For eleven years, I had imagined the moment I would see my father again.
I had imagined tears.
I had imagined anger.
I had imagined myself asking why he had left me.
I had never imagined him standing in a hidden room beneath my house with a gun pointed at my daughter.
Robert Bennett stared at Emma.
Not me.
Not Sarah.
Emma.
His daughter.
The words still rang inside my head.
“She was never yours.”
I stepped forward.
“Put the gun down.”
Robert's expression didn't change.
“You still have your mother's temper.”
Sarah moved toward Emma.
Robert immediately raised the weapon.
“Don't.”
Sarah stopped.
“Robert…”
“You've had four years.”
Her face crumpled.
“I did what you asked.”
“No.”
“You told me to disappear.”
“I told you to protect her.”
“I did!”
“You failed.”
Emma clung to my leg.
I could feel her trembling.
I looked at Robert.
“You're her father?”
Robert laughed softly.
“Biologically?”
He shook his head.
“No.”
My heart stopped.
“Then what do you mean?”
Robert looked at Emma.
“She's my daughter because I chose her.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You're lying.”
Robert turned toward him.
“You're still protecting Sarah?”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“I'm protecting the girls.”
“You always were weak.”
“And you're a coward.”
The room went silent.
Robert slowly turned his weapon toward Daniel.
“Careful.”
Daniel didn't move.
“Tell him the truth.”
Robert smiled.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You can't handle it.”
“I've spent eleven years handling it.”
Robert's eyes hardened.
“Then tell Michael what happened on the night I died.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I tried to stop him.”
My stomach tightened.
“Stop who?”
Robert answered.
“Your grandfather.”
I frowned.
“Charles?”
Robert shook his head.
“Not Charles.”
He reached inside his coat.
Sarah whispered:
“Robert, don't.”
He pulled out an old photograph.
He threw it onto the table.
I picked it up.
It showed a group of people standing outside St. Mary's Hospital.
Charles Bennett.
Daniel.
Sarah.
Rachel.
Margaret Hale.
And Robert.
But there was one more person.
A woman.
I recognized her immediately.
Evelyn Cross.
She was holding a newborn baby.
Lily.
Beside her stood another woman.
Margaret Hale.
Holding Emma.
I looked at Sarah.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“You all knew.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
Sarah's voice broke.
“Because the moment you knew, they would have killed you.”
“Who?”
Robert answered.
“The Board.”
Daniel looked at him.
“They're gone.”
“No.”
Robert smiled.
“They're waiting.”
Suddenly the lights went out.
Total darkness.
Emma screamed.
I grabbed her.
“Stay with me.”
A gunshot exploded somewhere in the room.
Then another.
Glass shattered.
Someone shouted.
“GET DOWN!”
Emergency lights flickered on.
Robert was gone.
So was the photograph.
Sarah was on the floor.
Daniel was beside her.
Rachel had Lily in her arms.
I looked around.
“Where's Emma?”
Silence.
My blood froze.
“Emma?”
I turned.
She was gone.
“EMMA!”
I ran into the corridor.
Nothing.
“Emma!”
Then I heard her voice.
Far away.
“Daddy!”
I sprinted toward it.
The corridor split into three tunnels.
I stopped.
“Emma!”
Her voice came again.
“Daddy, I'm here!”
Left.
I ran left.
The tunnel narrowed.
Then I saw a small pink shoe on the floor.
Emma's shoe.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
I picked it up.
“Emma!”
No answer.
I kept running.
At the end of the tunnel was a steel door.
It was open.
Inside was a small room.
A chair.
A table.
A monitor.
And a video already playing.
Robert appeared on the screen.
“If you're watching this, Michael, then your daughter has been taken.”
My fists clenched.
“Robert!”
The recording continued.
“Don't blame yourself.”
I stared at the screen.
“Bring the silver key to the old Bennett foundation.”
The image changed.
Emma appeared.
She was sitting in a chair.
Her hands were not tied.
She looked strangely calm.
Beside her stood a woman.
An elderly woman with silver hair.
She looked into the camera.
Then she smiled.
“Hello, Michael.”
I stopped breathing.
Sarah's voice came from behind me.
“No…”
I turned.
She was staring at the screen.
“Who is she?”
May you like
Sarah whispered:
“Evelyn.”
