CHAPTER 6 — The Secret Lauren Hid
CHAPTER 6 — The Secret Lauren Hid
My father’s last sentence stayed with me all the way to my parents’ house.
Your mother says she knows who entered your house.
I kept replaying it.
Then came the second part.
Someone she invited.
James drove faster than usual.
Not recklessly.
Just fast enough for me to know he was as unsettled as I was.
Emma slept in the back seat.
Every few seconds, I checked the mirror.
"Do you think Mom did it?"
James kept his eyes on the road.
"I don't know."
"But Lauren said—"
"Lauren also said she doesn't know everything."
I looked down.
"You're still protecting her."
"No."
He glanced at me.
"I'm protecting you from making a decision before we have facts."
I nodded.
That was James.
He never wanted conclusions.
He wanted evidence.
But there was one thing neither of us could ignore.
Someone had taken a photograph of our daughter from inside our home.
Someone who had access.
Someone my mother might have invited.
And if that person was connected to Daniel Reeves...
then our family was already far more compromised than we'd realized.
My mother was waiting in the living room.
She looked terrible.
Her hair was loose.
Her face was pale.
My father stood beside her.
Neither spoke when we entered.
I put my purse down.
"Who was it?"
My mother looked at me.
"I don't know."
My heart dropped.
"You said you knew."
"I know who I invited."
"Who?"
She hesitated.
"An old family friend."
James immediately asked:
"Name?"
"Richard Hale."
My father looked away.
I knew the name.
"Uncle Richard?"
My mother nodded.
Richard Hale had been my grandfather's attorney.
He had attended family weddings.
Funerals.
Business dinners.
He had held me when I was a child.
He was one of those adults who seemed to have always existed.
"Why would you invite him to our house?"
My mother started crying.
"Because he called me."
"When?"
"Two days before Christmas."
"What did he want?"
"To talk."
"About what?"
She looked at my father.
"About the past."
James stepped closer.
"What exactly did he say?"
My mother wiped her eyes.
"He said the Reeves family had returned."
I felt a chill.
"And?"
"He said we needed to settle things before someone got hurt."
My father interrupted.
"He was trying to frighten her."
My mother looked at him.
"No."
She shook her head.
"He knew too much."
James asked my mother to sit.
Then he asked questions one at a time.
"When did Richard visit?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"How did he enter?"
"I opened the door."
"Did he have anything with him?"
"A folder."
"What kind?"
"Black."
"Did he leave with it?"
"I don't know."
My mother looked confused.
"He stayed for about twenty minutes."
"What did you discuss?"
"Daniel Reeves."
"Your husband's brother?"
She nodded.
"Richard said Daniel was searching for something."
"What?"
"The original ownership records."
James frowned.
"Of Horizon Capital?"
My mother nodded.
"But those records were destroyed years ago."
My father suddenly spoke.
"They weren't destroyed."
I turned.
"What?"
He looked at my mother.
She closed her eyes.
"You told me they were."
"I lied."
My heart sank.
"Why?"
My father sat down.
"Because I was trying to protect everyone."
I laughed softly.
"That's what everyone keeps saying."
He looked at me.
"I know how it sounds."
"It sounds like every secret in this family was supposedly for my protection."
My voice trembled.
"And now someone is taking photographs of my baby."
Nobody answered.
James looked at my father.
"Where are the records?"
My father stood.
"I don't know."
James stared at him.
"You're lying."
My father flinched.
"I don't know where they are now."
"Where were they?"
My father looked toward the fireplace.
"Your grandfather kept them in a safe."
"Where?"
"At the old Carter property."
I knew the place.
The house had been abandoned after my grandfather died.
Nobody had lived there in years.
"Why didn't anyone tell us?"
My father answered:
"Because your grandfather left instructions."
"What instructions?"
"Never open the safe."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"He said the truth inside would destroy the family."
James exchanged a look with me.
Then he asked:
"Who knew about the safe?"
My father hesitated.
"Me."
My mother said:
"And me."
A third voice came from the hallway.
"And Daniel."
We all turned.
Lauren stood there.
I didn't know how long she'd been listening.
My father looked furious.
"Why are you here?"
She ignored him.
She looked at me.
"I need to tell you something."
I crossed my arms.
"Go ahead."
She swallowed.
"Daniel knew about the safe."
James asked:
"How?"
"Because I told him."
The room went silent.
My mother covered her mouth.
I stared at my sister.
"You what?"
"I didn't know what it was."
"You knew about a family safe."
"Yes."
"And you told Daniel."
"I didn't know he would use it against you."
"You keep saying that."
Lauren's eyes filled with tears.
"I know."
"Then tell me the truth."
She nodded.
"I will."
Lauren sat down.
Her hands were shaking.
"I didn't meet Daniel by accident."
James's expression hardened.
"What does that mean?"
Lauren looked at me.
"He found me."
"When?"
"Eight months ago."
"Why?"
"Because he knew I was angry with you."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"How did he know?"
"He had been watching the family."
James asked:
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
Lauren continued.
"He knew about my job."
"He knew about my divorce."
"He knew about my debts."
"He knew things nobody outside the family should have known."
I stared at her.
"How?"
She looked down.
"Someone gave him the information."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
James leaned forward.
"Think carefully."
Lauren closed her eyes.
"I heard my uncle talking to him once."
"Which uncle?"
"Daniel."
My stomach dropped.
"My uncle Daniel?"
She nodded.
"They met at a restaurant."
"What did you hear?"
"They were arguing."
"About what?"
"Money."
"How much?"
"I don't know."
Lauren took a shaky breath.
"Then Uncle Daniel said something."
"What?"
"He said, 'The girl will do it.'"
My blood went cold.
"What girl?"
Lauren looked at me.
"Me."
I stood.
"You knew?"
"No."
"You knew they were talking about me?"
"I didn't understand."
"You didn't ask?"
"I was scared."
"You were angry at me."
"I was."
"And you still didn't tell me."
Lauren began crying.
"I thought they were just using me to embarrass you."
I shook my head.
"You gave them access to my life."
"I know."
"You gave them information about my home."
"I know."
"You told Daniel about Emma."
"I know."
"And now someone is inside my house."
Lauren looked devastated.
"I know."
I turned away.
For the first time, I didn't know whether I hated her or felt sorry for her.
Maybe both.
James spoke.
"What else did you hide?"
Lauren looked at him.
"Nothing."
"That's not good enough."
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"I met Daniel again after Christmas."
My heart stopped.
"When?"
"The night you left."
"What did you discuss?"
"He was angry."
"About what?"
"You."
"Me?"
"He said you had humiliated me."
James's voice hardened.
"What did he ask you to do?"
Lauren looked at me.
"Come back to the house."
I felt cold.
"Why?"
"He wanted me to apologize."
James shook his head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I know."
"What did he really want?"
Lauren looked down.
"He wanted me to bring him something."
"What?"
She reached into her purse.
Pulled out a small key.
Placed it on the table.
My father immediately recognized it.
His face went white.
"The old safe."
Nobody moved.
James picked up the key.
"Where did you get this?"
Lauren looked at my father.
"From his study."
My father stared at her.
"When?"
"Three months ago."
"You stole it?"
"I borrowed it."
"You stole it."
She lowered her head.
"Yes."
I stared at the key.
"Why didn't you give it to Daniel?"
Lauren shook her head.
"I was going to."
"What stopped you?"
She looked at me.
"You."
I didn't understand.
"Me?"
"That night at Christmas."
Lauren's voice cracked.
"I saw the way you held Emma."
She wiped her tears.
"And I remembered when we were little."
I remained silent.
"You always protected me."
My heart tightened.
"Even when I didn't deserve it."
She looked at me.
"That night, when you looked at Emma..."
Her voice broke.
"I realized what I had almost become."
Nobody spoke.
Lauren continued.
"I couldn't give Daniel the key."
James asked:
"Where has it been since then?"
"With me."
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Of Daniel?"
"Yes."
She looked toward the window.
"He's not the man I thought he was."
James stood.
"Tell me everything."
Lauren took a deep breath.
"Daniel doesn't just want the company."
"What does he want?"
"The safe."
"What's inside?"
"I don't know."
"Then why is he willing to threaten a baby?"
"Because he believes the safe contains proof that his father was betrayed."
My father shook his head.
"That's impossible."
Lauren looked at him.
"Then why are you afraid?"
My father didn't answer.
She continued.
"Daniel believes someone in our family stole something worth more than money."
James asked:
"What?"
Lauren shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Who does?"
"Daniel."
"Anyone else?"
She hesitated.
"My uncle."
I felt a chill.
"Which one?"
"Daniel Carter."
My father suddenly stood.
"Enough."
Everyone turned.
He looked at Lauren.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Lauren stared at him.
"Then tell them."
"Tell them what?"
"The truth."
My father's face changed.
Lauren's voice became stronger.
"You knew Daniel Reeves's father."
My father said nothing.
"You knew what happened to Horizon."
Nothing.
"You knew about the safe."
Silence.
"And you knew someone was watching Evelyn."
My mother gasped.
My father finally shouted:
"I was trying to protect you!"
The room went silent.
My father breathed heavily.
Then he whispered:
"All these years..."
He looked at me.
"I thought if I buried the past, it would stay buried."
James answered:
"Buried things don't disappear."
My father looked at him.
"They wait."
Suddenly, a car horn sounded outside.
Everyone froze.
James moved toward the window.
"Stay back."
He pulled the curtain aside.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
No headlights.
No visible driver.
Then it slowly drove away.
Lauren whispered:
"They found us."
James turned.
"Who?"
She looked terrified.
"Daniel."
"How do you know?"
"Because he always does that."
"What?"
"Before he comes closer..."
She swallowed.
"...he watches first."
James immediately called the police.
My father locked every door.
My mother took Emma upstairs.
Lauren remained beside me.
For the first time, I saw genuine fear in her eyes.
Not jealousy.
Not anger.
Fear.
I asked:
"Did Daniel ever threaten you?"
She nodded.
"What did he say?"
Lauren stared at the floor.
"He said if I betrayed him, he'd make sure nobody believed me."
"That's all?"
She shook her head.
"He said something else."
"What?"
She whispered:
"He said the baby wasn't his target."
I looked at her.
"Then who was?"
Lauren lifted her eyes.
"You."
I felt my blood turn cold.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the only person who can unlock the safe."
I stared at her.
"What?"
Lauren shook her head.
"I don't know how."
Before she could continue, my father spoke from the doorway.
"I do."
We turned.
My father was holding an old photograph.
He walked toward us.
"This is why your grandfather left the key."
He handed it to James.
It showed my grandfather standing beside my mother.
On my mother's neck was a small gold necklace.
I recognized it.
I'd seen it in old family photographs.
"What does this have to do with me?"
My father pointed to the pendant.
"Your grandfather gave that to your mother the night before he died."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because he told her to keep it safe."
James examined the photograph.
"What's inside?"
My father looked at me.
"Not inside."
He pointed to the pendant.
"Behind it."
My heart began pounding.
"What?"
"There's a hidden compartment."
I stared at him.
"What does it contain?"
My father looked toward the locked front door.
Then toward the dark window.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"The last piece of evidence."
And suddenly, the photograph on the table no longer looked like an old family memory.
It looked like a map.
A map leading directly to the secret everyone had been willing to kill to protect.
And somewhere in the city, Daniel Reeves was already looking for the same thing.
The only difference was—
May you like
he knew exactly what he was searching for.
We didn't.
