Chapter 9: The Daughter Hidden From Everyone
I stared at the little girl.
She was standing barefoot on the cold basement floor.
Her yellow dress was dirty, and her hands were trembling.
I recognized the dress.
It was the same one from the hospital photograph.
“Abigail?”” I whispered.
She nodded.
Noah stepped closer to me.
“Who is she?””
I couldn't answer.
The girl looked toward the stairs.
“Grandma said I had to stay quiet.””
I crouched.
“It's okay. Nobody is going to hurt you.””
Abigail shook her head.
“She always says that.””
A loud crash came from upstairs.
Someone was moving furniture.
Daniel appeared at the top of the basement stairs.
“Ryan! We have to go!””
I pointed toward Abigail.
“Who is she?””
Daniel looked at her.
Then his expression changed.
“Oh, God.””
He hurried downstairs.
“Abigail?””
The girl backed away.
“Don't touch me!””
Daniel stopped immediately.
“I'm not going to hurt you.””
She stared at him.
“Are you the man who took me from Mommy?””
Daniel looked as though someone had punched him.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You locked me in the other room.””
I turned toward him.
“What other room?””
He swallowed.
“The basement storage room.””
I looked around.
There was a second door at the far end.
It was locked.
I walked toward it.
A small child's drawing was taped to the wall.
Four girls holding hands.
Underneath, someone had written:
One family. Four sisters. No secrets.
I opened the door.
Inside was a small bedroom.
A mattress.
A blanket.
A collection of children's books.
And dozens of photographs.
Some showed Abigail as a baby.
Others showed her with Eleanor.
One photograph showed my father holding her.
He looked younger.
Happy.
I picked it up.
On the back was a date.
Eleven years ago.
The same week Claire supposedly died.
I turned toward Daniel.
“Why was Abigail here?””
Daniel looked at the floor.
“Because Thomas brought her back after the hospital transfer.””
“Back from where?””
“From the family who adopted her.””
I frowned.
“What happened to them?””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“They died in a house fire.””
I stared.
“Was it an accident?””
He didn't answer.
I felt sick.
“Daniel.””
He finally looked at me.
“No.””
I turned toward Abigail.
“Sweetheart, how long have you been here?””
She held up four fingers.
“Since I was four.””
My chest tightened.
She was only eight.
Four years of her childhood had been spent in a basement.
I crouched again.
“Did Grandma hurt you?””
Abigail looked toward the ceiling.
“Sometimes she got angry.””
“What did she do?””
“She said I was supposed to be special. But I wasn't allowed to go outside.””
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
I reached for her hand.
She allowed me to hold it.
“Do you know who I am?””
She nodded.
“Daddy Ryan.””
I froze.
“Who told you that?””
“Mommy Claire.””
I swallowed.
“Have you seen Claire?””
Abigail nodded.
“She used to come here.””
“Here?””
“She came when Grandma wasn't home.””
I looked toward Daniel.
He seemed stunned.
Abigail continued.
“She told me you were coming.””
I felt my throat tighten.
“When?””
“Before she went away.””
I crouched lower.
“Abigail, where is Mommy Claire now?””
The little girl pointed toward the stairs.
“Grandma took her to the white room.””
I looked at Daniel.
“The hospital?””
He shook his head.
“No. The white room is at the estate.””
My stomach dropped.
The photograph I'd received had shown Claire in a hospital bed.
But it hadn't been a hospital.
It had been this house.
I looked around the basement.
“Where?””
Daniel pointed toward a narrow corridor behind the storage shelves.
“There's a private medical room beneath the east wing.””
I stood.
“Take me there.””
Daniel shook his head.
“We can't.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother has the only key.””
I looked toward Abigail.
She was holding something.
A small silver key.
“What's that?””
She opened her palm.
“Mommy gave it to me.””
I took it.
It was cold.
The shape matched the lock on the corridor door.
I inserted it.
The lock turned.
The door opened.
Beyond it was a narrow staircase leading downward.
A faint electrical hum came from below.
I took Noah's hand.
“Stay beside me.””
Daniel followed.
Abigail held the back of my jacket.
We descended slowly.
At the bottom was a white corridor.
The walls were covered in medical equipment.
There were cameras in every corner.
And at the end stood a glass door.
Inside was Claire.
She was awake.
Her eyes were open.
She looked directly at me.
I ran toward the door.
“Claire!””
She lifted one trembling hand.
I pressed my palm against the glass.
“I'm here!””
Her lips moved.
I couldn't hear her.
Then she pointed toward something behind me.
I turned.
A small monitor was mounted on the wall.
It displayed four names.
*EMMA MITCHELL — STATUS: ACTIVE*
*LILY MITCHELL — STATUS: ACTIVE*
*GRACE BROOKS — STATUS: ACTIVE*
*ABIGAIL HAYES — STATUS: ACTIVE*
Below them was a fifth entry.
*NOAH MITCHELL — STATUS: TRANSFER PENDING*
I stared.
“What's transfer pending?””
Daniel approached the screen.
His face changed.
“Ryan, we need to leave.””
I grabbed his arm.
“Explain!””
He pointed toward the monitor.
“Your father created a system to transfer the children's trust accounts when they reached certain ages. But someone has activated the final transfer.””
I looked at the names.
“Who?””
A new message appeared.
*AUTHORIZED BY: ELEANOR MITCHELL.*
Then another line appeared.
*BENEFICIARY: VICTOR HAYES.*
Sophia's biological father.
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Who is Victor Hayes?””
Daniel looked toward the ceiling.
“Your father's former business partner.””
“Why is he receiving the money?””
“Because Thomas owed him something.””
I looked back at Claire.
She was tapping the glass.
I placed my hand against it again.
Her lips moved.
This time, I understood.
Behind you.
I turned.
A man stood at the far end of the corridor.
He was holding a medical syringe.
He wore a white coat.
But he wasn't Dr. Reed.
“Step away from the patient,” he said.
I moved in front of Noah and Abigail.
“Who are you?””
He smiled.
“Someone who has been waiting a very long time for this family to come together.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Victor?””
The man nodded.
“Hello, Daniel.””
I looked at him.
“Victor Hayes?””
He smiled again.
“Your father told me you were smarter than this, Ryan.””
I tightened my grip on the children.
“What do you want?””
Victor glanced at the monitor.
“The trust.””
“It's not yours.””
“Your father disagreed.””
I stepped closer.
“Those accounts belong to the children.””
Victor laughed.
“Children don't own anything. Adults decide what happens to them.””
He raised the syringe.
Abigail began trembling.
“That's him,” she whispered.
I looked down.
“Who?””
“The man who took Mommy away.””
Victor's smile disappeared.
“Abigail, you've grown.””
She hid behind me.
I looked at him.
“You've been hurting these children?””
“I've been managing a complicated situation.””
“By locking them up?””
“By preserving their value.””
I felt rage rising through my chest.
Then Claire suddenly began pounding on the glass.
Victor turned toward her.
“Quiet.””
He pressed a button.
The glass door clicked.
Claire's room began filling with a low mechanical noise.
I lunged toward the control panel.
Victor grabbed my jacket.
Daniel tackled him.
The syringe flew across the floor.
Noah pulled Abigail away.
I reached the control panel and pressed the emergency release.
Nothing happened.
A red light flashed.
*SECURITY OVERRIDE REQUIRED.*
Victor laughed from the floor.
“You can't open it.””
Then a voice came through the corridor speakers.
“Actually, he can.””
Everyone froze.
It was Eleanor.
She appeared on the monitor.
She was sitting in a chair in the main office.
Beside her stood Arthur Collins.
And behind them was Melissa.
My wife was holding a document.
Eleanor smiled.
“Ryan, darling, I think it's time we stopped pretending.””
I stared at the screen.
“What do you want?””
She looked toward the children.
“Bring them upstairs.””
“No.””
“Then Claire dies.””
I looked through the glass.
Claire was struggling to breathe.
I pressed my hand against the control panel.
“Let her go.””
Eleanor tilted her head.
“Give me the children.””
Victor stood slowly.
He brushed dust from his coat.
Then he walked toward the control panel.
Daniel stepped in front of him.
Victor pulled a small gun from his waistband.
“Move.””
Daniel didn't.
A gunshot exploded.
Daniel collapsed.
“DANIEL!””
Noah screamed.
Abigail covered her ears.
I dropped beside Daniel.
Blood was spreading across his shirt.
He grabbed my wrist.
“Ryan…”
“Don't move.””
“Listen…”
His voice was weak.
“Your father… left another recording.””
I leaned closer.
“Where?””
Daniel looked toward Claire's room.
“Inside… the wall behind her bed.””
His hand tightened around mine.
“Your father knew Victor would come back.””
Then Daniel's eyes closed.
I shouted for help.
Victor stepped over him.
“Enough.””
He raised the gun toward me.
But before he could fire, the entire building went dark.
A loud explosion shook the corridor.
The emergency lights came on.
And Claire's glass door suddenly unlocked.
I pulled it open.
Claire fell into my arms.
She was weak, trembling, and barely able to stand.
But she was alive.
She touched my face.
“Ryan…”
I held her tightly.
“I'm here.””
She looked over my shoulder.
Then her expression changed.
“Where's Emma?””
I froze.
“She's safe with Melissa.””
Claire shook her head.
“No.””
Her voice became urgent.
“Ryan, Emma isn't with Melissa.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Claire gripped my jacket.
“Your mother took her.””
May you like
Then she whispered something that made my blood turn cold.
“Emma is the child Eleanor has been searching for all these years.””
