Chapter 15 - THE SECRET MY FATHER BURIED
I stared at my phone.
No one spoke.
The city lights passed across the windows of the SUV.
My mother was crying.
My father was silent.
And Ethan was staring at me.
Finally, I looked at my father.
“What did she mean?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad.”
Still nothing.
I stood.
“What are you hiding?”
He looked at me.
And for the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes.
Not fear for himself.
Fear of the truth.
“Maya,” he whispered, “there are things you don't remember.”
“What things?”
“The night Ethan was born.”
I shook my head.
“I already know.”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“You don't.”
Daniel stepped between us.
“Mr. Sterling, tell her.”
My father looked down.
“You weren't nineteen.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“You were twenty-one.”
My heart skipped.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“The records were altered.”
“Why?”
“Because you weren't supposed to remember the pregnancy.”
My mother covered her mouth.
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
She whispered:
“You were drugged.”
My entire body went cold.
“By who?”
My father closed his eyes.
“Logan.”
I stepped backward.
“Why?”
“Because he needed to convince you that the child had died.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
My father continued.
“You were pregnant again.”
The world stopped.
“What?”
Ethan stared at me.
My mother began crying.
“You had twins.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Twins?”
My father nodded.
“A boy and a girl.”
My hands began trembling.
“Where is the girl?”
Nobody answered.
I looked at Ethan.
Then at my mother.
Then at my father.
“Where is my daughter?”
My father finally spoke.
“We found her.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“Where?”
He looked toward the window.
“In Chicago.”
“Who has her?”
My father hesitated.
Then he said:
“Rachel.”
I stared at him.
“Rachel?”
He nodded.
“Rachel isn't Logan's secret wife.”
“What?”
“She was placed inside Logan's life for one purpose.”
“To protect your daughter.”
My mind couldn't process it.
“You're saying Rachel married Logan to protect my daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she betray me?”
“She didn't.”
My father looked at me.
“She was trying to get close enough to destroy Victor from the inside.”
I remembered Rachel's tears.
Her warnings.
The photograph.
The secret messages.
Everything suddenly looked different.
Then my father reached into his coat.
He removed a small photograph.
He handed it to me.
I looked down.
A young girl stood in front of a Chicago school.
Blonde hair.
Blue eyes.
A tiny silver bracelet around her wrist.
I recognized the bracelet.
I had seen it before.
In the photograph of my newborn children.
My fingers trembled.
“What's her name?”
My father whispered:
“Lily.”
I stared at the photograph.
Then noticed the date.
The picture had been taken three days ago.
My phone rang again.
This time, Rachel was calling.
I answered.
Her voice was shaking.
“Maya…”
“Where is Lily?”
Silence.
Then Rachel whispered:
“She was taken.”
My heart stopped.
“By who?”
Rachel began crying.
“Logan.”
I closed my eyes.
And then she said the words that made everything suddenly more terrifying.
“He took her to the Vance estate.”
May you like
A pause.
“And Victor knows you're coming.”
