Chapter 13 - the second meeting at the chapel)
Daniel did not go alone.
He told Alvarez.
He told Marcus.
He did not tell Claire, Victor or Rebecca.
At eleven fifty-five, Saint Augustine Chapel was dark except for candles near the altar.
Daniel entered through the same doors Eli had walked through during the wedding.
The white roses were gone.
The aisle was empty.
His footsteps echoed.
Police watched from outside.
At midnight exactly, a side door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Mara.
Daniel forgot every question.
Every accusation.
Every month of pain.
For several seconds he simply stared.
She looked thinner.
Her hair was shorter.
A scar ran along one side of her neck.
But she was Mara.
His wife.
Alive.
Daniel walked toward her.
She hesitated.
Then they embraced.
Mara began sobbing.
Daniel held her tighter than he intended.
Eleven months collapsed.
Love did not vanish just because reality became complicated.
When they separated, Daniel touched her face.
"I buried you."
"I know."
"Our daughter needed you."
"I know."
"I needed you."
Mara closed her eyes.
"I know."
Anger returned.
"Then why?"
She looked toward the chapel doors.
"Samuel."
Daniel stiffened.
"Your uncle saved Sophie."
"From whom?"
"Adrian Vale."
"Vale is alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
Mara explained.
Samuel had helped create the early research program that became Juniper.
Vale corrupted it.
Samuel discovered the illegal embryo transfers and tried to stop him.
Robert helped.
Elizabeth Bennett helped.
When the project began unraveling, Vale threatened every family involved.
Years later, Mara discovered Sophie.
Sophie possessed a rare genetic marker.
Not a disease.
A modification.
Daniel stared at her.
"What modification?"
"Experimental mitochondrial therapy."
"On an embryo?"
Mara nodded.
"It wasn't approved."
Daniel felt sick.
Vale had experimented on children before birth.
Sophie survived.
Lila apparently did not receive the altered treatment despite sharing the pregnancy.
That made Sophie living evidence of a crime that could destroy powerful people.
"That's why they took her."
"Yes."
"Why separate her from us?"
"To monitor her."
Daniel struggled to breathe.
"And Vale wants her now?"
"He wants the records inside her body to disappear."
Daniel looked away.
"Samuel is protecting you?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't he come forward?"
"Because he believed Victor was working with Vale."
"Victor says the opposite."
"I know."
"Who is right?"
Mara looked tired.
"Both, at different times."
Victor had unknowingly moved money for Hollow Creek.
Later he discovered the truth and tried to help.
But his secrecy made Mara distrust him.
Vale exploited that.
He forged messages.
Copied phones.
Manipulated evidence.
He kept survivors isolated by convincing each that the others were dangerous.
Daniel suddenly understood the elegance of it.
Nobody needed to be imprisoned if fear kept everyone apart.
"Where is Sophie?"
"Safe."
"I want to see her."
"You will."
"When?"
Mara looked toward the entrance.
"When Vale is caught."
Daniel shook his head.
"No more conditions."
"Daniel."
"I'm her father."
"I know."
"You took eight years from me."
"I didn't take them."
"You took the last eleven months."
Mara flinched.
Daniel regretted it but continued.
"You should have trusted me."
"I wanted to."
"You didn't."
She began crying again.
"I watched Evelyn die because she trusted the wrong person."
Daniel softened.
"What happened that night?"
Mara explained.
Evelyn believed Victor had betrayed them.
She confronted him.
Samuel arrived.
Vale's men followed.
During the chaos, Evelyn took Mara's car.
She intended to draw pursuit away from the children.
Someone forced her off Hollow Creek Road.
The car burned.
Mara found it.
Samuel convinced her to disappear because Vale would assume she was dead.
Daniel whispered.
"And Lila?"
"Jonathan had already moved her."
"Why did she end up near the crash?"
"She escaped from the second house with Eli. Police found them."
Daniel looked at Mara.
"Did you know she stopped speaking?"
Mara nodded.
"Every day."
The answer hurt more than he expected.
"You knew."
"I watched from far away."
Daniel stepped back.
"You watched?"
"I needed to know she was safe."
"She wasn't safe. She was grieving."
"I know."
"You could have ended that."
"And led Vale to Sophie."
Daniel had no response.
A sound came from behind the altar.
Mara's face changed.
She reached inside her coat.
Daniel realized she carried a gun.
"Police?" she whispered.
"No."
Daniel's answer was truthful.
The officers were outside.
The sound came again.
A figure stepped from behind the altar.
Claire.
Daniel stared.
"What are you doing here?"
Claire looked at Mara.
Then Daniel.
"I'm sorry."
Mara raised the gun.
"Don't move."
Claire began crying.
"I remembered."
Daniel felt cold.
"Remembered what?"
Claire looked directly at Mara.
"The restaurant."
Mara's gun lowered slightly.
Claire continued.
"Evelyn told me who Vale was."
Daniel stepped between them.
"What else?"
Claire's voice shook.
"She gave me something before my crash."
"What?"
"A list."
"Where?"
"I hid it."
"Where?"
May you like
Claire looked toward the stone floor beneath the altar.
"Here."
