Chapter 3: The Man in the Hallway
Nathan stared at the frozen image.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The man's face was only partially visible in the hospital footage, but Nathan knew him.
He knew him too well.
His closest business partner.
His best friend.
The man who had stood beside him at board meetings, family dinners, charity events, and even Nathan's wedding.
Daniel Mercer.
Nathan's phone slipped slightly in his hand.
“No.”
Grace looked at him.
“You know him.”
Nathan didn't answer.
Victoria's expression changed.
She looked at the screen, then at Nathan.
“You weren't supposed to see that.”
Nathan slowly turned toward her.
“What did you just say?”
Victoria realized her mistake.
“I meant—”
“You said I wasn't supposed to see it.”
Her lips parted.
Nothing came out.
Nathan walked toward her.
“Why?”
Victoria stepped backward.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Then why are you scared?”
“I am not scared.”
“You've been lying since I walked into this kitchen.”
Nathan's voice remained controlled, but something dangerous had entered it.
“You lied about Grace.”
“You lied about Lily.”
“And now I find out Daniel was at the hospital when my daughter was born.”
Victoria shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, people will get hurt.”
Nathan stopped.
Grace looked at her sharply.
“People already got hurt.”
Victoria looked toward Lily.
The little girl was still hiding behind Grace.
Nathan followed her gaze.
His expression hardened.
“Who hurt my daughter?”
Victoria said nothing.
Nathan stepped closer.
“Who?”
Suddenly, a loud crash came from upstairs.
Everyone looked toward the hallway.
The same footsteps from before.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
Nathan immediately moved in front of Grace and Lily.
“Stay behind me.”
Grace grabbed Lily's hand.
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then a man's voice echoed from the upper floor.
“Nathan.”
Nathan recognized it instantly.
Daniel.
His blood ran cold.
“Daniel?”
No answer.
Nathan moved toward the staircase.
Grace whispered,
“Don't.”
Nathan glanced back.
“Why?”
“He knows about Lily.”
Before Nathan could respond, Daniel appeared at the top of the stairs.
He was wearing a dark suit.
Perfectly composed.
Not a single hair was out of place.
He smiled.
“Nathan.”
Nathan stared at him.
“What are you doing in my house?”
Daniel slowly descended the stairs.
“I came to make sure you were safe.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“Safe from whom?”
Daniel's eyes moved toward Grace.
“From her.”
Grace's face went pale.
Lily tightened her grip on her mother's hand.
Nathan stepped between them.
“You're not coming any closer.”
Daniel stopped.
His expression remained calm.
“You've been manipulated, Nathan.”
“By Grace?”
“Yes.”
“Then why were you at the hospital five years ago?”
For the first time, Daniel's smile disappeared.
Victoria looked at him.
“Daniel…”
He ignored her.
Nathan raised his phone.
“I have the footage.”
Daniel's eyes flicked toward the screen.
“You shouldn't have that.”
Nathan stared at him.
“So you admit it's real.”
“I admit nothing.”
“You were there.”
Daniel remained silent.
Nathan's voice became colder.
“Why?”
Daniel finally looked at Grace.
“She knows why.”
Grace shook her head.
“No. You don't get to do this anymore.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You should have stayed gone.”
Nathan heard the words.
His stomach tightened.
“You told her to disappear?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Yes.”
Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“Why?”
“Because I was protecting you.”
“From my own daughter?”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“From the people who wanted to use her against you.”
Nathan stared at him.
“What people?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Nathan stepped closer.
“You knew Grace was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Lily existed.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she was my daughter.”
Daniel hesitated.
Then he said,
“Yes.”
The room seemed to shrink around Nathan.
Four years.
Four years of missed birthdays.
Four years of first steps.
First words.
First fever.
First day of preschool.
All the moments Nathan had never known existed.
Because someone had decided he wasn't allowed to know.
Nathan's voice dropped.
“And you let me believe she abandoned me.”
Daniel looked away.
“I had no choice.”
Nathan's fist tightened.
“You always have a choice.”
Daniel's eyes returned to him.
“Not when Charles Whitmore gives the order.”
Nathan froze.
Victoria closed her eyes.
Grace looked down.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Charles hadn't simply known about Lily.
He had been involved from the beginning.
Nathan turned toward the phone.
“Charles.”
No response.
Nathan checked the call.
Still connected.
“Did you hear that?”
Charles answered quietly.
“Yes.”
Nathan's voice shook with anger.
“You stole four years from me.”
“I kept you alive.”
“You stole my daughter.”
“I protected your daughter.”
Nathan stared at Daniel.
Then at Victoria.
Then at Grace.
Three people.
Three different stories.
And somehow, all of them were connected.
Lily suddenly tugged at Grace's sleeve.
“Mommy.”
Grace crouched beside her.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
Lily pointed toward Daniel.
“He was there too.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
Lily's small face tightened with fear.
“At the hospital.”
Nathan crouched beside her.
“You remember him?”
Lily nodded.
“He gave Mommy the blue box.”
Grace's face went white.
Nathan slowly stood.
“The blue box?”
Lily nodded.
“The one with Daddy's pictures.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
“What else is in that box?”
Grace didn't answer.
Victoria suddenly whispered,
“Nothing.”
Nathan turned sharply.
“How would you know what's inside it?”
Victoria froze.
Grace looked at Nathan.
Then she finally spoke.
“There is one more thing.”
“What?”
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
“Your birth certificate.”
Nathan frowned.
“My birth certificate?”
“No.”
Grace shook her head.
“Lily's.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“What does it say?”
Grace swallowed.
“It doesn't list you as the father.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Then who does it list?”
Grace looked toward Daniel.
Daniel's face became unreadable.
Grace whispered,
“Daniel Mercer.”
Nathan's entire world seemed to stop.
Daniel didn't deny it.
Instead, he looked directly at Nathan and said,
“Because that's the lie we needed everyone to believe.”
Nathan took a step toward him.
“What are you saying?”
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“I'm saying Lily isn't the only thing they hid from you.”
Then every phone in the house began ringing at once.
Nathan's.
Victoria's.
Daniel's.
Even the old landline in the kitchen.
All of them displaying the same unknown number.
Grace stared at the phones.
Lily suddenly covered her ears.
“No…”
Nathan looked at her.
“What is it?”
The little girl whispered,
“That number called Mommy before.”
Nathan's phone continued ringing.
He answered.
A distorted voice spoke from the other end.
“You have ten minutes.”
Nathan's face went cold.
“Ten minutes for what?”
The voice replied,
“To decide which person in that house you're willing to sacrifice.”
May you like
The line went dead.
And upstairs, a timer suddenly began counting down.
