For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Ramirez whispered:
“That’s not possible.”
The man on the screen had called himself Daniel Mercer.
But Claire had written that Daniel was her brother.
Ramirez stared at the blank monitor.
“He’s lying.”
My husband shook his head.
“Then who is he?”
Before anyone could answer, the laptop chimed.
A new video opened.
This time, Claire was alone.
Her face was bruised, but she was conscious.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Lily, if you’re watching this, please listen carefully.”
Lily stepped closer.
“Mom.”
Claire swallowed.
“Daniel Mercer was never my brother.”
She paused.
“He was my father.”
My husband whispered:
“Then who was your brother?”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“His name was Michael.”
Ramirez suddenly looked confused.
“Michael Mercer?”
Claire nodded.
“Michael was the man who died twenty years ago.”
She continued.
“Daniel used Michael’s identity after his death.”
My husband looked at Ramirez.
“Then the man in the video…”
“Is Daniel,” Ramirez said.
Claire nodded.
“He changed his identity. He built a new life. He became someone nobody would recognize.”
“And Rachel?” I asked.
Claire looked toward the camera.
“Rachel is my half-sister.”
“Why did she help him?”
“Because she believed Daniel would give her the money.”
Lily’s voice trembled.
“What money?”
Claire hesitated.
“The trust wasn’t twenty-three million.”
Everyone stared at the screen.
“Then how much?”
“One hundred and eighty million dollars.”
Silence.
My husband sat down.
Claire continued.
“Your grandfather didn’t create the trust.”
She looked at Lily.
“Your great-grandfather did.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“And he didn’t put the money there for you.”
“Then why?”
“For whoever could prove the family had been protecting it from Daniel.”
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does when you know what Daniel did.”
Claire’s voice became quieter.
“He killed his own father.”
Lily gasped.
Claire continued.
“Your great-grandfather discovered Daniel was stealing from the family company. When he threatened to expose him, Daniel murdered him.”
My husband covered his mouth.
“The trust was created afterward,” Claire said. “It was designed to keep Daniel from ever touching the money.”
“Then why does Lily inherit it?”
“Because she is the last legitimate heir.”
The laptop suddenly flickered.
Claire looked frightened.
“He’s coming.”
“Mom, wait!”
“I love you.”
“Mom!”
The screen went black.
Then a voice came from behind us.
“Touching, isn’t it?”
We spun around.
Rachel stood in the doorway.
She was holding a gun.
Ramirez raised his weapon.
“Drop it.”
Rachel smiled.
“You still don’t understand.”
She looked at Lily.
“Your mother was supposed to disappear quietly.”
“What did you do to her?” Lily demanded.
“I didn’t kill her.”
Rachel glanced at me.
“Yet.”
I stepped between her and Lily.
“Where is Claire?”
“Alive.”
“For now.”
Rachel took a step forward.
“She made one mistake.”
“What?”
“She trusted you.”
I froze.
Rachel smiled.
“She thought you were the one person who would protect Lily.”
She pointed the gun at me.
“But she never realized…”
Rachel’s smile disappeared.
“…that you were the reason Daniel found her.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you talking about?”
Rachel looked at my husband.
“Ask your husband.”
I turned.
He was crying.
“Emily…”
“No.”
He took a step toward me.
“I can explain.”
“Did you tell them where Lily was?”
“No.”
“Did you give them Claire’s number?”
“No.”
“Then what did you do?”
He looked at Lily.
“I made a deal.”
My daughter stared at him.
“What deal?”
He closed his eyes.
“Before Claire died…”
He swallowed.
“I agreed to give them access to the trust.”
I felt the room spinning.
“Why?”
“Because they threatened you.”
He looked at me.
“They said they’d kill you if I refused.”
Rachel laughed.
“And that’s when everything went wrong.”
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from outside.
Rachel’s weapon fell from her hand.
She collapsed.
Police rushed through the doorway.
And behind them stood Claire.
Alive.
Bleeding.
But alive.
Lily screamed:
“Mom!”
Claire ran toward her.
They collided in an embrace.
I stood frozen.
After everything…
after all the lies…
Claire was finally holding her daughter.
Then she looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
She cried.
“Yes, I do.”
I looked at Lily.
Then back at Claire.
“Just don’t leave again.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“I won’t.”
But before we could say anything else, Daniel’s voice came through the laptop.
“You think you’ve won?”
Everyone turned.
His face appeared on the screen one final time.
He smiled.
“You haven’t.”
Then he held up a document.
“The trust has already been transferred.”
Ramirez stepped toward the laptop.
“Where?”
Daniel smiled.
“To the only person Lily trusts completely.”
The screen went black.
Everyone looked at me.
I felt my blood run cold.
Because I suddenly understood.
The transfer hadn’t gone to my husband.
It hadn’t gone to Claire.
It hadn’t gone to Daniel.
It had gone to me.
And I had no idea why.
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