Chapter 7: The Gunshot
The gunshot tore through the house.
Nathan's entire body reacted before his mind could.
“LILY!”
He dropped the blue folder and sprinted toward the basement stairs.
His father grabbed his shoulder.
“Wait!”
Nathan spun around.
“Let go!”
“If you rush up there blindly, you'll get yourself killed.”
“My daughter is upstairs!”
“And that's exactly what they want.”
Nathan shoved his father's hand away.
He ran.
The basement door flew open.
Grace was standing in the hallway.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were wide.
Nathan stopped.
“Where's Lily?”
Grace pointed toward the kitchen.
“She took her.”
“Who?”
“Matthew.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Where?”
Grace shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Nathan rushed into the kitchen.
The room looked completely different.
A chair had been overturned.
The old photograph lay beneath the table.
One of the kitchen windows was shattered.
But there was no blood.
No body.
No Lily.
Nathan's breathing became frantic.
“Lily!”
Nothing.
He searched the room.
“Lily!”
Grace followed him.
“She was here.”
Nathan turned sharply.
“You saw him?”
Grace nodded.
“He came through the back door.”
“Why didn't you stop him?”
“I tried.”
Her voice broke.
“He told me if I followed him, he would kill her.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Where did he take her?”
Grace shook her head.
“He said you would know.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
Grace reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small piece of paper.
“He left this.”
Nathan took it.
Only three words were written on it.
THE LAKE HOUSE.
Nathan's stomach tightened.
The cabin.
The same place where he and Grace had taken the photograph.
The place where their relationship had begun.
And the place Grace had disappeared from his life.
Nathan looked at her.
“That's where he wants me.”
Grace nodded.
“Yes.”
Nathan turned toward his father.
“Where is it?”
His father stared at him.
“You can't go there.”
“Where is it?”
“It's been abandoned for years.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Where?”
His father finally gave him the address.
Nathan grabbed his car keys.
Grace moved after him.
“I'm coming.”
Nathan stopped.
“No.”
“She is my daughter.”
Nathan looked at her.
“I know.”
“Then don't leave me here.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Nathan nodded.
“Get in the car.”
His father stepped forward.
“I'm coming too.”
Nathan looked at him.
“You're staying here.”
“No.”
His father's voice was firm.
“If Matthew has Lily, I know exactly what he's planning.”
Nathan hesitated.
“What?”
His father lowered his voice.
“He won't kill her.”
“That isn't reassuring.”
“He needs her alive.”
“Why?”
“Because she is the legal heir.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“To what?”
“The Cole estate.”
Nathan shook his head.
“You said that already.”
“No.”
His father looked toward the blue folder on the floor.
“I said she inherited the private trust.”
Nathan's face tightened.
“What did I miss?”
His father took a breath.
“The trust doesn't simply contain money.”
“Then what?”
“Control.”
Nathan stared at him.
“Control of what?”
“The company.”
Nathan's eyes widened.
His father continued.
“Your grandfather created a succession clause. If anything happened to you, the shares would automatically transfer to your child.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
“But Lily is four.”
“Exactly.”
“Then who controls the shares?”
His father looked at him.
“Whoever has legal custody of her.”
Nathan understood.
“Matthew.”
His father nodded.
“If Matthew proves Lily is his daughter, he can claim the trust.”
Nathan's expression darkened.
“But he's not her father.”
“We know that.”
“Then why did the DNA report say he was?”
His father looked away.
“Because someone altered it.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
His father didn't answer.
Grace suddenly whispered,
“Victoria.”
Nathan looked at her.
Grace shook her head.
“She was forced to.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“You knew?”
Grace nodded.
“Victoria came to the hospital after Lily was born.”
“What did she want?”
“She brought papers.”
“What papers?”
“Custody documents.”
Nathan stared at her.
“She wanted me to sign them.”
“Why would I sign custody papers for a child I didn't know existed?”
“Because they told you Lily wasn't yours.”
Nathan clenched his fists.
“And you let them?”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
“They threatened Lily.”
Nathan fell silent.
For the first time, he understood the impossible position Grace had been trapped in.
She hadn't abandoned him.
She had been protecting their daughter.
Nathan looked at the broken window.
Then at the lake-house note.
He picked up his phone.
One message had appeared.
COME ALONE.
A second message followed.
BRING THE ORIGINAL TRUST.
Nathan stared at the screen.
Then a third message arrived.
OR GRACE DIES FIRST.
Grace saw it.
Her face went white.
Nathan immediately stepped in front of her.
“He won't touch you.”
Grace shook her head.
“You don't know that.”
“I know enough.”
Nathan looked toward the front door.
“We're going.”
His father grabbed his arm.
“There's something else.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
His father looked directly at Grace.
“Matthew wasn't working alone.”
Grace's face changed.
Nathan noticed.
“You know who?”
Grace hesitated.
Then she whispered,
“Yes.”
Nathan waited.
“Who?”
Grace looked toward the staircase.
“Victoria.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“You said she was forced.”
“She was.”
“Then why is she helping him?”
Grace's voice dropped.
“Because Matthew has something she wants.”
“What?”
Grace looked at Nathan.
“Her son.”
Nathan froze.
“Victoria has a son?”
Grace nodded.
“A son she believed died at birth.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Where is he now?”
Grace swallowed.
“I don't know.”
Nathan's phone buzzed again.
A video had arrived.
He opened it.
The screen showed Matthew sitting inside the old lake house.
Lily was beside him.
She looked frightened but unharmed.
Matthew leaned toward the camera.
“You have thirty minutes.”
Nathan stared at him.
Matthew smiled.
“Come alone, Nathan.”
Then another person stepped into the frame.
Victoria.
She placed a hand on Matthew's shoulder.
Nathan's expression hardened.
But then Victoria turned toward the camera.
Her face was covered in tears.
She whispered four words.
“Your brother is alive.”
The video ended.
Nathan looked at his father.
May you like
His father's face had gone completely white.
Because he knew exactly which brother Victoria meant.
