Chapter 18: The Last Recording
I drove faster than I ever had in my life.
Emma sat beside me.
Sarah followed in an unmarked vehicle.
Robert stayed behind with the police team.
Every few seconds, I looked at the photograph.
Victoria holding Lily.
The image was real.
But something bothered me.
Lily wasn't crying.
She wasn't struggling.
She was looking directly at the camera.
And in her hand—
Bunny.
The same stuffed rabbit she'd left on the bed.
I looked at Emma.
“She wasn't kidnapped.”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
“She went willingly.”
“Lily trusts Victoria.”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
“But why?”
Emma stared at the photograph.
“Because Victoria told her something.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
Then my phone rang.
Victoria.
I answered immediately.
“Where is my daughter?”
“Safe.”
“Put her on.”
Silence.
Then Lily's voice.
“Daddy?”
My heart nearly stopped.
“Lily!”
“I'm okay.”
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because Mommy said you have to listen.”
I glanced at Emma.
“Which Mommy?”
Lily whispered:
“Victoria.”
The line went dead.
A location appeared.
The Carter estate.
I drove through the gates.
The house was dark.
Every window was black.
I stopped.
Sarah pulled in behind me.
“Wait for backup.”
“No.”
“Daniel—”
“My daughter is inside.”
I stepped out.
Emma followed.
We entered through the front door.
Nothing moved.
No alarms.
No guards.
No voices.
Then the lights came on.
Lily stood in the center of the living room.
Victoria stood behind her.
And beside them—
my father.
I froze.
“Let her go.”
Victoria shook her head.
“No one is taking Lily.”
She pointed toward the floor.
A recorder sat there.
“Listen first.”
My father looked at me.
“It's time.”
I walked forward.
Victoria pressed play.
The recording began.
A woman's voice.
My mother's voice.
I had never heard it before.
But somehow I knew.
“My son, if you are hearing this, then Edward failed.”
I couldn't breathe.
The recording continued.
“I know you were told I died giving birth.”
A pause.
“That is not true.”
Emma covered her mouth.
I looked at my father.
He closed his eyes.
My mother's voice continued.
“I survived.”
The room disappeared around me.
My mother had lived.
For years.
Somewhere.
Hidden.
Then:
“Edward took my child.”
I staggered.
My father whispered:
“Daniel…”
I turned on him.
“Don't.”
The recording continued.
“He told me the baby was dead.”
My mother's voice cracked.
“He lied.”
I looked at Lily.
Then Anna.
Then Emma.
The recording continued.
“The child was you.”
I froze.
My mother was my biological mother.
Edward was not.
My father was my biological father.
The previous DNA report had been manipulated.
Edward had created the lie.
The truth was finally clear.
I wasn't Edward's son.
I was my father's son.
And Edward had falsified everything to control us.
The recording continued.
“Your father tried to save you.”
I looked at my father.
He was crying.
For the first time in my life, I saw him cry.
“He gave you to Emma because she was the only person he trusted.”
Emma broke down.
“I carried Lily because she asked me to.”
I looked at her.
The truth hit me.
Emma had been more than Lily's mother.
She had been chosen to protect her.
My mother continued:
“Lily is my granddaughter.”
A pause.
“Anna is her twin.”
Then:
“And both girls belong to you.”
The recording stopped.
Silence.
I looked at Victoria.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“Everything.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your grandfather had one last weapon.”
“What?”
She pointed toward the basement.
“Your father.”
I looked at him.
He whispered:
“He threatened to kill you.”
Victoria continued:
“So I became the villain.”
She looked at Lily.
“I made you hate me.”
I stared.
“The bruises?”
“Rachel.”
“The medicine?”
“Rachel.”
“The locked closet?”
“Rachel.”
“The recordings?”
“Rachel.”
I remembered Lily's first words.
Victoria had hurt her.
But she had also taught her to stay silent.
Not to protect herself.
To protect me.
Victoria pulled out another recorder.
“The last recording.”
She pressed play.
Rachel's voice.
“If Daniel learns Emma survived, we kill Lily.”
Then Thomas.
“And Anna?”
Rachel answered:
“She's worth more alive.”
My blood went cold.
Another voice entered.
Edward.
“Then make Daniel choose.”
The recording ended.
I looked at my father.
“Where is Edward?”
My father pointed toward the basement.
“Waiting.”
We went downstairs.
Edward stood inside the control room.
Rachel was there.
Thomas too.
Anna sat in a chair.
She wasn't hurt.
But she was terrified.
I stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Rachel smiled.
“You finally understand.”
“No.”
I raised my weapon.
“I understand enough.”
Edward looked at me.
“You were always stubborn.”
“And you're a monster.”
His face hardened.
“You have no idea what I sacrificed.”
“You sacrificed everyone but yourself.”
Rachel lifted her gun.
Sarah raised hers.
“Drop it!”
Thomas suddenly stepped between us.
“Enough.”
Rachel looked at him.
“You're choosing them?”
Thomas shook his head.
“I'm choosing my daughter.”
He turned toward Victoria.
“Rebecca.”
She stared at him.
He lowered his weapon.
Rachel shot him.
Thomas collapsed.
Victoria screamed.
Sarah fired.
Rachel dropped her weapon.
Police rushed into the room.
I ran to Anna.
She threw herself into my arms.
“Daddy.”
I held her.
“I've got you.”
Then I heard Edward laugh.
He pressed a button.
The facility began to shake.
Robert shouted:
“Daniel! He's going to destroy the servers!”
I turned.
Edward smiled.
“Let the past die.”
May you like
I ran toward him.
“Not this time.”
