Chapter 8: The Voice From My Past
I couldn’t move.
The screen had gone black, but Sophie’s voice was still echoing in my head.
*“Grandma said I should never trust him.””*
I had heard my daughter say those words.
But I still couldn’t accept them.
Because the person I had trusted most after losing my father was the person my mother had warned us about.
Ethan.
My best friend.
My business partner.
The man who stood beside me at my wedding.
The man who held Sophie when she was born and whispered, “I’ll always look out for you.””
I looked at Claire.
She looked as lost as I felt.
“What did my mother know?””
My voice sounded empty.
Claire sat down slowly.
“I don’t know.””
“You knew she was investigating something.””
“I knew she was scared.””
“But you didn’t tell me?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Michael, your mother made me promise.””
I stared at her.
“A promise?””
She nodded.
“The night before she died.””
The room became silent.
“What did she say?””
Claire looked down at her hands.
“She called me.””
I frowned.
“My mother called you?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Claire took a deep breath.
“She said she had made a mistake.””
My stomach tightened.
“What mistake?””
“She said she thought she could handle it alone.””
I looked around the hidden room.
At the photographs.
The notes.
The secrets.
“She knew about Ethan.””
Claire nodded.
“She didn’t know everything. Not at first.””
“When did she find out?””
“She started noticing things after Sophie disappeared.””
I walked toward the desk.
There were files everywhere.
Years of someone collecting information about my family.
“How did my mother even know?””
Claire hesitated.
“Because Sophie told her something.””
I stopped.
“What?””
Claire looked toward our daughter.
“Sophie trusted your mother.””
I looked at Sophie.
She was sitting on the floor with Max beside her.
Quiet.
Watching.
My little girl had been carrying things she couldn’t explain.
Things adults around her kept asking her to hide.
I walked over and sat beside her.
“Sweetheart.””
She looked at me.
“Do you remember Grandma?””
A small smile appeared.
The first real emotion I had seen from her all day.
“She made the pancakes with chocolate chips.””
I smiled sadly.
“Yes, she did.””
“She said chocolate was healthy if you loved someone.””
A tear slipped down my face before I could stop it.
That was my mother.
Always making impossible things sound reasonable.
“Do you remember talking to Grandma about Ethan?””
Sophie’s smile disappeared.
She looked down.
A few seconds passed.
Then she nodded.
“What did you tell her?””
She rubbed her fingers together.
“I told her he was nice.””
I waited.
“But?””
Her eyes moved to mine.
“He wasn’t.””
My chest tightened.
“Why?””
Sophie swallowed.
“Because he asked me questions.””
“What kind of questions?””
She looked afraid.
“About you.””
“What about me?””
She whispered:
“If you were happy.””
I frowned.
“That’s all?””
“No.””
Her voice became smaller.
“He asked if you loved Mommy.””
I felt confused.
“That’s a strange question, but…”
“He asked if you would leave us.””
The room went cold.
Claire covered her mouth.
“Why would he ask that?””
Sophie shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I looked back at the files.
Something was missing.
A motive.
Why Ethan?
Why my family?
Then I saw another folder.
A label written in black ink.
*PROJECT: FAMILY SEPARATION*
My hands went numb.
I opened it.
Inside were documents.
Not just about Sophie.
About Claire.
About me.
About our marriage.
There were dates.
Arguments.
Private conversations.
Things nobody should have known.
I picked up one page.
A report.
*Target: Michael Carter.*
My heart pounded.
*Objective: Increase emotional distance between husband and wife.*
I kept reading.
*Method: Create doubt. Isolate subject. Damage trust.*
I looked at Claire.
“He was trying to destroy us.””
She nodded slowly.
“I know.””
“But why?””
Claire didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t know.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
“Hello?””
No response.
Then a woman’s voice.
A voice I recognized immediately.
Rachel.
“Michael.””
My jaw tightened.
“Where are you?””
“I need you to listen.””
“You were starving my daughter.””
Silence.
Then:
“No.””
Her voice shook.
“I was trying to protect her.””
I almost laughed.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“I know how it sounds.””
“You left my daughter hungry.””
“I didn’t.””
“Then explain.””
Rachel took a breath.
“I was trying to get her away from Ethan.””
My eyes moved to Claire.
Rachel continued.
“He threatened me.””
“What?””
“He knew I was going to tell you.””
“Tell me what?””
“That he was using your daughter.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because he’s watching.””
I looked around the room.
The hidden cameras.
The devices.
The evidence.
“How did you know about the cameras?””
“Because I installed one.””
My anger returned.
“You did what?””
“Listen to me.””
“No.””
I stepped away from Claire and Sophie.
“You don’t get to explain this away.””
“I know I made mistakes.””
Her voice cracked.
“But Ethan forced me.””
“Why should I believe you?””
“Because I have proof.””
A pause.
Then:
“The reason Sophie was hungry wasn’t because I refused to feed her.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“She wouldn’t eat.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“She was scared.””
Rachel’s voice became quieter.
“She thought the food was poisoned.””
My entire body went still.
I looked at Sophie.
Claire looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
Rachel continued.
“She told me Ethan said people who betrayed him would get hurt.””
My heart dropped.
“What exactly did he tell her?””
Silence.
Then Rachel whispered:
“He told her if Daddy found out the truth, Daddy would disappear.””
I looked at Sophie.
The dog bowl.
The hunger.
The fear.
Suddenly it made sense.
She wasn’t refusing food because she was being punished.
She was afraid.
Afraid of something only a child would believe.
But something an adult had planted in her mind.
“Where is Ethan now?””
Rachel hesitated.
“Michael…”
“Where?””
“He knows you found the room.””
My blood ran cold.
“How?””
“Because he always knows.””
The call crackled.
Then Rachel said:
“You need to get out of the house.””
I looked toward the front door.
“Why?””
“Because he’s not trying to hide anymore.””
The line went silent.
“Rachel?””
Nothing.
Then the call ended.
I turned toward the window.
And froze.
A car was parked outside.
Black.
Engine running.
I knew that car.
I had seen it hundreds of times.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
One photo.
Taken from outside my house.
It showed me standing in the hidden room.
The caption underneath was simple.
*You finally opened the door.*
I felt every muscle in my body tighten.
Because whoever sent it wasn’t watching from far away.
They were close.
Very close.
Claire grabbed Sophie’s hand.
“What do we do?””
I looked at the front door.
Then at the hidden room.
Then at the photo.
Another message appeared.
This time there were only four words.
*Ask your wife why.*
I turned slowly.
“Why what?””
Claire looked at the screen.
And her face changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
She whispered:
“He knows.””
I stared at her.
“Knows what?””
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“The reason Ethan chose our family.””
A sound came from downstairs.
The front door handle moved.
Once.
Twice.
Someone was trying to open it.
And Claire whispered the words that made my blood freeze:
“Because Ethan isn’t after Sophie.””
May you like
She looked toward the door.
“He’s after you.””
