Nobody moved.
The man we’d trusted for months stood in the middle of the warehouse wearing a police badge.
But now the name on it was clear.
Michael Mercer.
Daniel’s son.
My stomach turned.
Lily stepped behind me.
“You lied to us.”
Michael’s expression softened.
“I never wanted anyone hurt.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You’ve been leading the investigation.”
“Yes.”
“You knew where Claire was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew my husband was being targeted.”
Michael looked away.
“Yes.”
Claire stepped forward.
“Why?”
Michael looked at her.
“Because my father destroyed my family.”
Claire frowned.
“Then why help him?”
“I didn’t.”
He pointed toward the badge.
“This wasn’t mine.”
“What?”
Michael pulled it off and threw it onto the floor.
“I stole it from the real Detective Ramirez.”
I froze.
“Where is he?”
Michael’s face changed.
“Dead.”
Claire gasped.
“When?”
“Three months ago.”
My blood ran cold.
“Then who was investigating with us?”
Michael looked at Lily.
“Me.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted Daniel.”
He took a breath.
“My father killed my mother. He destroyed my grandfather. He used Rachel. He used everyone.”
“Then why didn’t you stop him?”
“Because I needed proof.”
He looked at the laptop.
“And Claire had it.”
Claire stared at him.
“You knew I was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell Lily?”
“Because Daniel would have killed her.”
Lily stepped forward.
“You could have told me.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because there was another person inside your family.”
My husband.
I felt a chill.
“Who?”
Michael looked at me.
“Your husband.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He wasn’t working for Daniel.”
“Then what?”
“He was working for me.”
Silence.
“What?”
Michael continued.
“Your husband knew I wasn’t a detective.”
My heart stopped.
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
I looked toward the hospital.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because I asked him not to.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was monitoring you.”
Michael pulled out his phone.
He showed me a series of messages between himself and my husband.
Keep Emily away from the trust.
I’ll protect Lily.
Don’t tell her who I am.
I stared at the screen.
My husband had known.
He’d lied again.
But this time…
maybe he had done it to save us.
Then Michael said something that made my blood run cold.
“There’s one thing you don’t know.”
“What?”
“The real Daniel Mercer isn’t the man we arrested.”
Claire’s face went white.
“What?”
Michael nodded.
“The man you arrested is Daniel’s son.”
“Your father?”
“My father is still free.”
I felt dizzy.
“Then who is he?”
Michael looked toward the warehouse doors.
“He’s the man who has been giving Daniel’s orders.”
“Where?”
Michael’s eyes moved toward Lily.
“He’s already inside the hospital.”
My heart stopped.
“My husband.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
He whispered:
“He’s there for your husband.”
We ran.
The hospital corridor was chaos.
Police officers everywhere.
Nurses shouting.
An alarm blaring.
I ran toward my husband’s room.
The door was open.
The bed was empty.
My husband was gone.
On the pillow was a note.
I picked it up.
Five words.
You should have listened, Emily.
Claire looked over my shoulder.
Her face went white.
“He’s taken him.”
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Daniel.”
Then my phone rang.
I answered.
Daniel’s voice came through.
“Emily.”
“Where is my husband?”
“Alive.”
“Give him back.”
“Bring me Lily.”
“No.”
“Then he’ll die.”
I closed my eyes.
“Why do you want her?”
Daniel laughed.
“Because she has something that belongs to me.”
“What?”
“The truth.”
The line went silent.
Then a video arrived.
I opened it.
My husband was tied to a chair.
Beside him stood an older man.
White hair.
Cold eyes.
And a familiar face.
My husband’s father.
But beneath the video was a name.
Daniel Mercer.
The man we’d been hunting for fourteen years.
The man everyone thought was dead.
The man who had orchestrated everything.
And then he looked into the camera.
“Emily.”
He smiled.
“You’ve spent your whole life protecting my granddaughter.”
He paused.
“Now I’m going to make you choose between her…”
and your husband.
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