Chapter 7: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
I dropped the phone.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed.
My father.
The word repeated inside my head.
Impossible.
It couldn’t be true.
Alexander picked up the phone.
“Who is this?””
Silence.
Then the voice answered.
“Who are you?””
Alexander looked at me.
“This is Alexander Hayes.””
Another pause.
Then the voice became emotional.
“Alexander?””
Everyone froze.
“You know my father?”” Alexander asked.
The man on the phone breathed heavily.
“I knew him better than anyone.””
My hands covered my mouth.
Tears fell before I could stop them.
“Dad?””
The voice went quiet.
Then:
“Emma?””
That one word destroyed me.
Because it sounded exactly the same.
The same warmth.
The same way he used to say my name when I was scared.
I grabbed the phone.
“Dad?””
My voice broke.
“Are you alive?””
A long silence.
Then:
“Yes.””
I collapsed onto the chair behind me.
My mother covered her mouth.
Olivia and Charlotte stood frozen.
The man I had mourned for twelve years was alive.
Somewhere.
Waiting.
“Where are you?”” I whispered.
“I can’t tell you yet.””
My heart sank.
“Why?””
“Because Richard knows I contacted you.””
Alexander immediately stepped closer.
“Richard Vale?””
“Yes.””
The voice became urgent.
“You need to leave that house.””
I looked around the mansion.
“My house?””
“No, Emma.””
His voice softened.
“That house was never yours.””
My mother closed her eyes.
Because she knew.
“Dad, what happened?””
Another pause.
“I tried to expose Richard.””
“What did he do?””
“He made sure everyone believed I was dead.””
My entire body went cold.
Alexander asked:
“Why didn’t you come back?””
The answer took several seconds.
“Because I had no way to protect Emma.””
I looked at my mother.
Anger burned through me.
“Mom knew.””
The line went silent.
“She knew?””
I looked at Victoria.
“Yes.””
My father’s voice changed.
“What did she tell you?””
“That she was scared.””
A painful silence.
Then my father said:
“She was.””
I stared.
“What?””
“She was scared because Richard threatened her.””
My anger weakened.
Just slightly.
“He threatened her?””
“Yes.””
My father sighed.
“Richard told Victoria that if she exposed him, he would destroy Emma’s future.””
I looked at my mother.
She was crying silently.
For years, I had seen her as the villain of my story.
But now I wondered how many pieces of the truth I never knew.
Not forgiveness.
Not yet.
But confusion.
Painful confusion.
“Dad,” I whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“I tried.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“I sent letters.””
I looked at my mother.
“What letters?””
Her face changed.
My father continued:
“I sent everything. Proof. Documents. Messages.””
“Where did they go?””
Silence.
Then he said:
“Your mother intercepted them.””
The room went still.
I turned slowly.
Victoria looked like she had been punched.
“No,” she whispered.
But nobody believed her.
Alexander’s voice was cold.
“Victoria.””
She shook her head.
“I was going to tell her.””
“Twelve years later?””
She looked away.
That was the answer.
My father spoke again.
“Emma, listen to me.””
I pressed the phone closer.
“Your mother made mistakes. But Richard is still the person you need to fear.””
A sound came from outside.
A car.
Then another.
Alexander looked toward the window.
His security team immediately moved.
“Someone is approaching.””
My father’s voice became urgent.
“Emma, you need to hide.””
“What?””
“He found out.””
“Who?””
A pause.
Then my father whispered:
“Richard.””
The lights suddenly went out.
The mansion disappeared into darkness.
Someone screamed.
Then the front doors opened.
A man’s voice echoed through the entrance hall.
“Victoria.””
Everyone froze.
The voice was calm.
Confident.
Familiar.
May you like
I didn’t need to see his face to know.
Richard Vale had arrived.
