Chapter 17 - THE VANCE ESTATE
The Vance estate rose above the Connecticut countryside like a fortress.
Black iron gates.
Stone walls.
Security cameras hidden beneath the trees.
Luxury SUVs parked outside.
Every window illuminated.
It wasn't a home.
It was a kingdom built to keep people out.
And somewhere inside was my daughter.
Lily.
My little girl.
A child I had never held.
A child whose first steps I had never seen.
Whose first words I had never heard.
Whose birthday candles I had never watched her blow out.
I sat in the back of the SUV beside Ethan.
He stared through the window.
“Do you think she'll know us?”
I looked at him.
“I don't know.”
He swallowed.
“But we'll make sure she does.”
Ryan handed Daniel a small device.
“Security system is offline for exactly four minutes.”
Daniel nodded.
“That's enough.”
We entered through the underground garage.
No alarms.
No guards.
No sound.
Then Rachel appeared from the darkness.
She looked exhausted.
Her expensive dress was torn.
There was a bruise near her eye.
But when she saw me, she ran toward me.
“Maya.”
I caught her.
“Where is Lily?”
“Third floor.”
“Is she hurt?”
“No.”
Rachel shook her head.
“But Logan has her.”
“Why?”
Rachel looked at Ethan.
“Because Logan found out the truth.”
“What truth?”
Rachel's face tightened.
“Lily knows everything.”
I frowned.
“She knows?”
“She knows who her mother is.”
My heart stopped.
“How?”
Rachel looked away.
“Because I've been telling her.”
I stared at her.
“You knew she was my daughter?”
Rachel nodded.
“For years.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Victor would have killed her.”
I wanted to be angry.
I was angry.
But I saw the fear in her eyes.
And suddenly I understood.
Rachel hadn't been my enemy.
She had been trapped inside the enemy's house.
“Where is Logan?”
“Library.”
“And Victor?”
“Not here.”
That surprised me.
Rachel lowered her voice.
“He left twenty minutes ago.”
“Where?”
She looked at Ethan.
“To meet your father.”
My stomach dropped.
“Dad is alive?”
“For now.”
We hurried upstairs.
The hallway was silent.
Then we heard a child's voice.
A girl.
“Let me go!”
I stopped breathing.
Lily.
Rachel pointed toward the library.
I pushed the door open.
Logan stood beside the fireplace.
One hand on Lily's shoulder.
My daughter looked about ten years old.
Blonde hair.
Blue eyes.
A small silver bracelet.
The same bracelet from the photograph.
She stared at me.
For a moment, she looked confused.
Then her eyes widened.
“Mama?”
My heart shattered.
I couldn't move.
Logan smiled.
“You finally came.”
I stared at him.
“Let her go.”
“She doesn't even know you.”
Lily shook her head.
“Yes, I do.”
Logan looked down.
Lily stepped away from him.
“She comes to me in my dreams.”
My eyes filled with tears.
Logan's smile disappeared.
Lily walked toward me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then she stopped inches away.
“Are you really my mother?”
I knelt.
“Yes.”
She touched the bandages covering my face.
“Did he do this?”
I nodded.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I knew he was bad.”
Logan suddenly reached for her.
Ethan stepped between them.
“Touch her and you'll regret it.”
Logan stared at Ethan.
His expression changed.
“You.”
Ethan looked directly at him.
“You stole fifteen years from me.”
Logan whispered:
“I raised you.”
“No.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You owned me.”
Logan's face hardened.
Then he reached inside his jacket.
A gun appeared.
Rachel screamed.
But before Logan could raise it—
The library doors burst open.
Police officers flooded the room.
Logan froze.
Daniel stepped inside behind them.
“Logan Vance.”
He held up a warrant.
“You're under arrest.”
Logan stared at me.
“How?”
I looked at the security cameras.
Then at Rachel.
Then at Ethan.
“We stopped running.”
Logan's face went pale.
May you like
Because for the first time…
he realized the trap had been his.
