Chapter 11 — The Night Emily Disappeared
Chapter 11 — The Night Emily Disappeared
For three seconds, nobody breathed.
The voice on Richard's phone remained perfectly calm.
“You've had twenty-three years.”
A pause.
“It's time to give my children back.”
Daniel stared at Richard.
“Put the call on speaker.”
Richard didn't move.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Now.”
Richard slowly pressed the button.
The voice filled the chapel.
“Hello, Daniel.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“How do you know my name?”
A soft laugh.
“Because I watched you grow up.”
Daniel looked at Clara.
She was crying.
“You're Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
“My father's first wife.”
“Yes.”
“You're alive.”
“I never died.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Daniel turned toward him.
“You lied to everyone.”
Richard whispered:
“I was protecting you.”
Daniel's anger exploded.
“You stole my entire family!”
Evelyn's voice interrupted.
“Richard didn't steal anything.”
Daniel looked toward the phone.
“You did?”
“I protected what belonged to my children.”
“What belongs to us?”
“The truth.”
Daniel clenched his fists.
“Where are you?”
Silence.
Then Evelyn said:
“Find Emily.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
“Find your sister.”
Daniel turned.
Emily was standing beside Michael.
Then the lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the chapel.
“Emily!”
Daniel reached forward.
His hand caught nothing.
“Emily!”
Michael shouted.
“I'm here!”
Daniel grabbed him.
“Where's Emily?”
“I don't know!”
A door slammed.
Then another.
Someone screamed.
Clara.
Daniel rushed toward the sound.
“Mom!”
A figure collided with him.
He grabbed the person.
It was Clara.
“Where is Emily?”
“I don't know!”
Michael turned on his phone flashlight.
The beam swept across the chapel.
Emily was gone.
So was Richard.
And Peter.
Only Marcus remained tied to the chair.
Daniel ran to him.
“Where did they go?”
Marcus struggled against the ropes.
“The wall.”
“What wall?”
“The one behind the altar.”
Daniel turned.
A section of stone was slowly closing.
He ran.
Too late.
The passage disappeared.
Daniel slammed his hands against the wall.
“Emily!”
Nothing.
Inside the hidden passage, Emily opened her eyes.
She was lying on a cold stone floor.
Her head hurt.
Her wrists were tied.
A dim yellow light hung above her.
She tried to sit up.
“Hello?”
No answer.
Then footsteps approached.
A door opened.
A woman entered.
Emily stared.
The woman looked about fifty.
Elegant.
Pale.
Dark hair streaked with silver.
Emily recognized her face from an old photograph.
Evelyn.
Emily's voice trembled.
“You're my father's wife.”
Evelyn nodded.
“And your mother.”
Emily froze.
“What?”
Evelyn walked closer.
“I am not your biological mother.”
Emily's expression changed.
“I know.”
“But I was supposed to raise you.”
Emily stared.
“Why?”
“Because David asked me.”
“Then why did you disappear?”
Evelyn sat across from her.
“Because someone tried to kill all of us.”
“Who?”
Evelyn looked toward the door.
“Your grandmother.”
Emily's heart pounded.
“Eleanor?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Her name was Margaret.”
Emily frowned.
“Who is Margaret?”
Evelyn smiled sadly.
“Your grandmother's sister.”
Back in the chapel, Daniel tore apart the altar.
Marcus was finally free.
Michael searched the floor.
Nothing.
Then Clara suddenly dropped to her knees.
Daniel rushed toward her.
“What happened?”
She pointed at the stone floor.
There was blood.
A single drop.
Then another.
Daniel's face went white.
“Emily.”
Michael knelt.
“This isn't hers.”
Daniel looked at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because it's fresh.”
Marcus examined it.
“He's right.”
Daniel looked toward the sealed wall.
“Then she's alive.”
Michael stood.
“We have to get through.”
Marcus pulled out a demolition charge.
Daniel stopped him.
“Too dangerous.”
“She's behind that wall.”
“We don't know where the passage leads.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Then we find out.”
Emily sat silently across from Evelyn.
“So my father had two wives?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“David married me when we were young.”
“Then he married my mother?”
“Years later.”
“Why?”
“Because he thought I was dead.”
Emily stared.
“You were alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell him?”
“I tried.”
Evelyn looked down.
“Every attempt failed.”
“Who stopped you?”
“Margaret.”
Emily frowned.
“Your grandmother's sister?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret believed the Carter family fortune belonged to her.”
“How?”
“She had a claim through the original trust.”
Emily stared.
“I don't understand.”
“You don't need to understand the money yet.”
Evelyn leaned closer.
“You need to understand why you disappeared.”
Emily's breathing slowed.
“Tell me.”
“Your birth wasn't an accident.”
“What?”
“David knew someone would try to use you.”
“So he hid me.”
“Yes.”
“From Eleanor?”
“From everyone.”
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
“But my mother didn't know.”
“Your mother knew part of it.”
“And Clara?”
“She was told you were dead.”
Emily looked away.
“So everyone was lied to.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because there was another child.”
Emily stared.
“Michael.”
“No.”
Evelyn's expression darkened.
“Another child nobody has mentioned.”
Emily's heart stopped.
“Who?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Your father's first son.”
Daniel finally broke through the wall.
The hidden passage opened.
Marcus entered first.
Then Daniel.
Michael followed.
They found an empty room.
A chair.
A broken rope.
And a phone.
Daniel picked it up.
The screen displayed a video.
He pressed play.
Emily appeared.
She was sitting beside Evelyn.
Daniel's heart stopped.
“Emily.”
Evelyn looked directly into the camera.
“Daniel.”
“Where are you?”
“Safe.”
“Let her go.”
“She isn't a prisoner.”
Emily shook her head.
“I'm okay.”
Daniel didn't believe her.
“Come home.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Home?”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Yes.”
“That house was never your home.”
“It is now.”
Evelyn's eyes became cold.
“You don't know what your father did.”
“Then tell me.”
“He chose you.”
“What?”
“He chose you over everyone.”
Daniel stared.
“He knew I was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he never find me?”
“Because he was told you were dead.”
“By whom?”
Evelyn looked away.
“Richard.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
Richard had lied.
Again.
Emily stood.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Because tonight you disappear.”
Emily froze.
“What?”
“Not permanently.”
“Then where am I going?”
“Somewhere Eleanor can't reach.”
Emily shook her head.
“I won't leave my family.”
Evelyn smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
She opened a door.
Behind it was a room filled with photographs.
Emily.
Daniel.
Michael.
Clara.
Vanessa.
Marcus.
Even Richard.
Every person in the Carter story had been watched.
But one wall was different.
It contained photographs of a little boy.
Daniel stared at the video.
“Who is that?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Your father's first son.”
Emily looked at the pictures.
“What's his name?”
Evelyn answered:
“Alexander.”
Daniel's phone rang.
Evelyn.
He answered immediately.
“Where is Emily?”
“She is with me.”
“Put her on.”
Emily's voice came through.
“Daniel.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me where you are.”
Evelyn interrupted.
“You cannot come here.”
“I'll find you.”
“I know.”
“Then let her go.”
“Not yet.”
Daniel's voice became colder.
“If you hurt her—”
“You still think I'm your enemy.”
“Then prove you're not.”
Evelyn was silent.
Then she said:
“Come to the old Carter hospital.”
Daniel froze.
“Why?”
“Because that's where your father met Alexander.”
“Alexander is alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Right beside you.”
The call ended.
Daniel slowly turned.
Michael stood behind him.
His face was pale.
“What?”
Daniel stared at him.
“Your name.”
Michael frowned.
“What about it?”
“Your full name.”
Michael hesitated.
“Michael Rossi.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Michael's expression changed.
“What?”
Daniel looked at the photograph on the screen.
The boy had the same eyes.
The same birthmark.
The same face.
Daniel whispered:
“Alexander Carter.”
Michael stepped backward.
“No.”
Clara began crying.
“I knew.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel stared at her.
“You knew?”
Clara covered her face.
“I suspected.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel approached.
“You're not Michael Rossi.”
Michael's breathing became uneven.
“My father was Robert Rossi.”
“Robert raised you.”
“Yes.”
“But your biological father was David.”
Michael stared at him.
“And your name…”
Daniel whispered:
“Alexander.”
Michael collapsed into a chair.
“No.”
At the old hospital, Emily walked beside Evelyn.
“You brought me here because of him.”
“Yes.”
“Alexander?”
“Yes.”
“Michael?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't anyone tell him?”
“Because Margaret wanted him controlled.”
Emily looked at her.
“Who is Margaret?”
Evelyn stopped.
“You'll meet her tonight.”
Emily's blood ran cold.
“She's alive too?”
Evelyn nodded.
“And she's coming.”
Daniel, Marcus, Michael, and Clara reached the hospital.
The building had been abandoned for years.
Every window was boarded.
Daniel entered first.
The lobby smelled of dust.
A light flickered above the reception desk.
Then the doors locked behind them.
Michael looked around.
“We're trapped.”
Daniel stared at the elevator.
The doors opened.
Inside stood a woman.
Older.
Elegant.
Cold.
Daniel recognized her immediately.
Margaret.
She smiled.
“Hello, children.”
Michael froze.
Emily's voice echoed from somewhere above.
“Daniel!”
He looked up.
“Emily!”
Margaret smiled.
“You came.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Where is she?”
Margaret shook her head.
“You always were impatient.”
“What do you want?”
“The family.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“You'll never have it.”
Margaret laughed.
“I already do.”
Then every light in the hospital turned on.
Screens appeared across the walls.
On every screen was the same image.
David Carter.
Alive.
Standing beside a young boy.
Alexander.
Michael stared.
Then David spoke.
“If you're watching this…”
The recording paused.
Daniel's heart stopped.
His father's voice continued:
“…then my children have finally found each other.”
Michael covered his mouth.
Emily watched from another room.
May you like
And Margaret smiled.
Because the recording had only just begun.
