Chapter 8: The Last Voss Secret
Lily Voss lived two hours away in a small town nobody would ever notice.
That was probably why she survived.
People like Adrian Voss looked for enemies in powerful places.
They forgot about the quiet ones.
The witnesses.
The people who waited.
When I arrived, Lily was standing outside an old farmhouse.
She looked nothing like Adrian.
No expensive clothes.
No confidence.
Just tired eyes.
“You look like him.””
I stopped.
“Daniel?””
She nodded.
“Same eyes.””
I looked away.
“Where is Rose?””
Lily opened the door.
“Inside.””
My heart jumped.
But when I entered, I didn’t see Rose.
I saw documents.
Hundreds of them.
Photos.
Files.
Evidence.
Lily noticed my confusion.
“She didn’t leave you.””
I looked at her.
“She went after the final piece.””
“What final piece?””
Lily picked up a folder.
“The reason Adrian wanted Emma.””
She opened it.
Inside was a birth record.
But something was wrong.
The father’s name was covered.
I looked at Lily.
“Why?””
“Because Adrian changed it.””
My eyes narrowed.
“What was the original name?””
She looked at me.
“Daniel Voss.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
Lily sighed.
“Adrian was never Emma’s grandfather.””
The room went silent.
“What?””
“Daniel was adopted.””
I stared.
“Then…”
“Adrian had no blood connection to Emma.””
My mind raced.
“Then why did he care?””
Lily placed another document in front of me.
A medical report.
“Because Adrian discovered something.””
“What?””
“That Emma carried information he couldn’t destroy.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
Lily pointed to the report.
“Daniel knew Adrian’s empire would collapse if the truth came out.””
“So he hid it?””
“Yes.””
“Inside Emma’s necklace.””
She nodded.
“But the necklace wasn’t the only thing.””
My chest tightened.
“What else?””
Lily looked toward the window.
“Rose.””
I frowned.
“What about her?””
“Rose wasn’t running from Adrian.””
“Then who?””
Lily whispered:
“Someone inside the police investigation.””
I felt cold.
“What?””
“Someone protected Adrian for years.””
I thought about every conversation.
Every delay.
Every missing piece.
Lily handed me a phone.
“Rose found out who.””
I played the recording.
Rose’s voice came through.
“If you’re hearing this, Cole, I’m sorry.””
My eyes closed.
Not again.
“I found the person helping Adrian.””
A pause.
“I can’t tell you who yet because if I’m wrong, they’ll come after Emma.””
Then another voice appeared.
A man.
Familiar.
My blood ran cold.
Because I knew that voice.
“Officer Daniels.””
The recording ended.
I stared at the phone.
“No.””
Lily watched me.
“You trust him.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Because Daniels had helped us.
Because he had stood beside us.
Because I had believed he was different.
But the truth was…
Trust was exactly how people got hurt.
My phone rang.
Daniels.
I answered.
“Cole.””
His voice sounded normal.
Too normal.
“Where are you?””
I said nothing.
He continued.
“I need you to bring Emma somewhere safe.””
My grip tightened.
“Why?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because someone is coming for her.””
I looked at Lily.
She shook her head.
Don’t tell him.
I lowered my voice.
“Where?””
Daniels gave an address.
I recognized it.
An abandoned police storage facility.
The perfect place to hide something.
Or someone.
“I’ll be there.””
I hung up.
Lily looked at me.
“You’re going?””
“Yes.””
“You know it could be a trap.””
I nodded.
“I do.””
“Then why?””
I looked at the necklace in my hand.
At the memory card.
At everything Rose sacrificed.
“Because if Daniels is innocent, I need to know.””
“And if he isn’t?””
I walked toward the door.
“Then he picked the wrong family to betray.””
When I arrived at the storage facility, the lights were off.
I entered slowly.
“Daniels?””
No answer.
Then a light turned on.
Daniels stood in the center of the room.
But he wasn’t alone.
Rose stood beside him.
My heart stopped.
For one second, I thought she had betrayed me.
Then I saw her face.
The fear.
The warning.
She wasn’t standing with him.
She was trapped.
Daniels smiled.
“You always were too trusting, Cole.””
I stared.
“Why?””
He looked almost sad.
“Because I needed to know if you still believed in protecting people.””
I stepped forward.
“Where’s Emma?””
His smile faded.
“I don’t have her.””
“Then who does?””
A slow clap echoed from the darkness.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped forward.
Older.
Calmer.
A man I had never seen before.
But Rose’s reaction told me everything.
She whispered:
“No…”
The man smiled.
“Hello, Rose.””
My stomach dropped.
Because Rose looked terrified.
Not of Adrian.
Not of Marcus.
Of him.
And then he said the name that changed everything:
“Did you really think Adrian Voss was the beginning of this?””
He looked at me.
“Cole Walker…”
May you like
His smile widened.
“I’m the reason Rose disappeared eight years ago.””
