Chapter 6 - the missing child)
Grace’s scream brought half the household running.
Nathan moved faster than anyone had ever seen him move.
He locked the estate gates.
Ordered security to search every room.
Called police.
Victoria appeared in the foyer wearing a bathrobe and an expression of perfect confusion.
“What happened?”
Grace turned on her.
“Where is she?”
“Where is who?”
“My daughter!”
Victoria recoiled theatrically.
“I have no idea.”
Grace rushed forward.
Nathan caught her around the waist.
“Grace.”
“She took her!”
Victoria stared at Nathan.
“You cannot seriously believe this.”
Nathan released Grace and turned.
“I believe you accessed my private computer last night.”
Victoria’s face changed.
Only slightly.
But Grace saw it.
“You were spying on me?”
“You were searching my trust.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“I’m marrying you. Of course I’m interested in your legal structure.”
“At one in the morning?”
“This is ridiculous.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Where is Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
Police arrived nine minutes later.
The estate became chaos.
Then Marcus found something.
A service gate at the western wall had opened at 6:42 p.m.
One vehicle had left.
A black estate SUV.
Registered to the Cole household.
The driver field had been manually disabled.
Nathan demanded highway camera access.
Police began tracking the route.
Grace stood frozen beside the kitchen island.
Nathan approached her.
“I’m going to find her.”
Grace looked at him.
“You don’t even know who she is.”
The words came out before she could stop them.
Nathan went still.
Victoria stood ten feet away.
Grace saw her listening.
Nathan lowered his voice.
“Then tell me.”
Grace’s throat tightened.
“She’s—”
A police officer interrupted.
“We found the SUV.”
Grace spun around.
“Where?”
“Four miles east. Abandoned.”
“Lily?”
“No child.”
Grace nearly collapsed.
Nathan grabbed her shoulders.
“Stay with me.”
Victoria watched his hands on Grace.
Her expression hardened.
Thirty minutes later, another call came.
A convenience-store camera had captured a man carrying a small child into a second vehicle.
Marcus identified him.
His name was Dean Walsh.
Former private security contractor.
Currently unemployed.
Nathan had never heard of him.
Victoria had.
That truth emerged when the detective showed his photograph.
Victoria’s eyes moved away.
Nathan noticed.
“You know him.”
“No.”
“You looked away.”
“I’m tired.”
Nathan walked toward her.
“Who is he?”
“I said I don’t know.”
Grace saw fear building.
Nathan saw it too.
He took Victoria’s phone from the counter.
She lunged.
“Give that back.”
Nathan handed it to the detective.
“Search it.”
“You can’t authorize that!”
The detective said calmly, “We’ll request consent or a warrant.”
Victoria snatched the phone.
“No.”
Nathan stared.
The room went silent.
Grace whispered, “What are you hiding?”
Victoria said nothing.
Then Marcus’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression went blank.
“What?”
Everyone looked at him.
He turned toward Grace.
“They found her.”
Grace grabbed the counter.
“Where?”
“A church parking lot.”
“Is she alive?”
“Yes.”
Grace broke.
The sound that came from her was half sob, half prayer.
Nathan drove with the police.
Grace sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
When they arrived, Lily was wrapped in a police blanket.
She had no major injuries.
The instant she saw Grace, she ran.
“Mommy!”
Grace dropped to her knees.
Lily crashed into her arms.
Nathan stood several feet away.
Watching.
Relief should have been enough.
It was not.
Because when Lily finally looked past Grace, she saw Nathan.
And smiled.
Not like a child seeing a stranger.
Like a child recognizing someone she had loved from photographs.
Nathan felt that smile in his chest.
Lily whispered something into Grace’s ear.
Grace shook her head quickly.
“Not now.”
Nathan saw the exchange.
“What did she say?”
Grace stood.
“Nothing.”
“Grace.”
“She’s exhausted.”
A detective approached carrying a plastic evidence bag.
“We found this pinned inside the blanket.”
Inside was a note.
Nathan read it.
ASK YOUR FATHER WHAT HE PAID TO ERASE HER.
Nathan stared at the words.
“My father is dead.”
Grace looked at Lily.
Then at Nathan.
“The person who wrote that knows exactly who she is.”
Nathan turned.
“Who is she?”
Grace could not answer.
Not there.
Not with police.
Not with Victoria’s network still unknown.
Nathan saw fear in her eyes.
“You think she’s still in danger.”
“Yes.”
“From Victoria?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
He looked at the note again.
Then he said something Grace had not expected.
“You and Lily are moving upstairs.”
Grace stared.
“What?”
“Tonight.”
“Nathan—”
“If someone wants her hidden, I want her where everyone can see her.”
Back at the mansion, Victoria stood at the top of the staircase when Grace entered carrying Lily.
Nathan walked beside them.
Victoria’s face went rigid.
“She cannot stay upstairs.”
Nathan stopped.
“My house.”
Victoria smiled coldly.
“Our house soon.”
“No.”
The single word silenced her.
Nathan looked up.
“Not anymore.”
Victoria’s face drained.
Nathan removed his engagement ring from the small chain he wore while traveling.
He placed it on the foyer table.
“The wedding is postponed.”
Grace stared at him.
Victoria did not cry.
She did not scream.
She only looked at Lily.
And Lily looked back.
That night, Victoria called an unknown number.
“We have a problem.”
A male voice answered.
“No. You have a problem.”
“He’s asking questions.”
“Then stop him.”
Victoria looked toward Nathan’s bedroom.
“How?”
May you like
The voice replied.
“The same way Charles planned to if Nathan ever discovered the child.”
