Chapter 6: The Phone Call From The Dead
Nobody moved.
Daniel stared at the screen.
The name glowing on his phone was impossible.
*Grace Blackwell.*
A name that should have belonged only to memories.
To photographs.
To a grave.
But there it was.
Calling.
My first instinct was disbelief.
My second was anger.
Because someone was playing with us.
Someone had taken the one thing that could still break me and turned it into a weapon.
“Answer it.””
My voice was quiet.
Daniel looked at me.
“Marcus.””
“Answer it.””
He didn’t move.
That was when I knew.
Not because of the phone.
Not because of the secrets.
Because Daniel was afraid.
A man who had walked into dangerous situations without blinking was now terrified of pressing a button.
“Why are you scared?”” I asked.
His eyes moved to mine.
“I’m not.””
“Then answer.””
The phone continued ringing.
Evelyn whispered:
“Marcus, you don’t understand.””
I looked at her.
“Then explain.””
She shook her head.
“Not here.””
The phone stopped.
Silence followed.
Then immediately rang again.
Daniel looked down.
This time, he answered.
“Hello?””
Everyone watched him.
For five seconds, he said nothing.
Then his expression changed.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Pain.
“Where are you?””
A pause.
His voice became softer.
“Grace?””
My entire body froze.
I stepped closer.
Daniel turned away from us.
“No. You can’t do this.””
Another pause.
Then his face broke.
A tiny crack in the wall he had built for years.
“I thought you were dead.””
The words hit me.
Because Daniel wasn’t pretending.
At least not now.
He looked like someone hearing a voice he had spent seven years mourning.
Then he said:
“I kept my promise.””
My heart tightened.
“What promise?”” I asked.
Daniel looked at me.
The phone still pressed to his ear.
But before he could answer, the call ended.
He lowered it slowly.
I stared at him.
“What promise?””
Daniel didn’t speak.
“Daniel.””
He closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“The promise I made to Grace the night she disappeared.””
My anger exploded.
“Disappeared?””
I stepped toward him.
“She died.””
Daniel looked at me.
“No.””
The word was barely audible.
“No?””
He shook his head.
“She didn’t die.””
The world went silent.
Even the air felt different.
I heard Lily’s voice behind me.
“Daddy?””
I turned.
My daughter was standing beside Emma.
Both of them were watching us.
I forced my voice to soften.
“Girls, go with Robert for a minute.””
Lily didn’t move.
“But—”
“Please.””
Something in my face must have convinced her.
She nodded.
Emma held her hand.
The two girls walked away.
Only then did I look back at Daniel.
“Tell me everything.””
Daniel stared at the ground.
“I found Grace after the accident.””
My jaw tightened.
“You found her?””
“Yes.””
“And you told me she was dead?””
His silence answered.
My hands shook.
“You watched me bury an empty coffin?””
Daniel looked devastated.
“I watched you bury the only version of Grace that the world was allowed to know.””
I almost couldn’t breathe.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at Evelyn.
Then back at me.
“It means Grace wanted you to believe she was gone.””
I laughed bitterly.
“My wife wanted me to think she died?””
“No.””
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“She wanted the people hunting her to think she died.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because they were watching you.””
The words settled heavily.
“Who?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then said:
“The same people who caused the accident.””
My eyes narrowed.
“And you know who they are?””
Daniel looked away.
“Yes.””
My anger turned cold.
“Who?””
He didn’t answer.
“Who, Daniel?””
He swallowed.
“The people inside Blackwell Holdings.””
I felt sick.
My company.
My family.
My home.
Everything Grace was trying to protect.
“How long have you known?””
“Since before the accident.””
I took a step back.
“Seven years?””
Daniel nodded.
“And you said nothing?””
“I was trying to keep Lily alive.””
My voice dropped.
“What about me?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“I failed Grace because I couldn’t save both of you.””
The honesty almost made it worse.
Before I could respond, Evelyn spoke.
“Grace made him promise.””
I looked at her.
“Promise what?””
“To protect you from the truth until she could come back.””
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“Come back?””
I looked around.
“At what point was she planning to return?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
This time, from an unknown number.
*COME TO THE OLD HAWTHORNE HOUSE. ALONE.*
I looked at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
A photo.
Grace.
Standing beside a hospital bed.
Holding a newborn baby.
Emma.
My breath caught.
The photo was dated seven years ago.
Three days after the accident.
Three days after everyone told me my wife was dead.
I looked at Daniel.
“You knew.””
He didn’t deny it.
“I knew she survived.””
My voice became dangerously quiet.
“And you let me believe she didn’t.””
“I was following her instructions.””
I stared at him.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You were following someone’s orders.””
Daniel looked hurt.
“Marcus.””
“Don’t.””
I turned away.
Because if I looked at him any longer, I didn’t know what I would do.
A part of me wanted to believe him.
Because Daniel had been there when nobody else was.
But another part of me remembered Grace’s warning.
Don’t trust Daniel.
My phone buzzed again.
A video message.
No number.
No name.
Just a file.
I opened it.
The screen showed a dark room.
Then Grace appeared.
My heart stopped.
She looked exhausted.
Her hair was shorter.
There was a scar near her eyebrow.
But it was her.
My wife.
Alive.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Marcus.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“If you’re watching this, then Daniel has finally told you.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.””
I sat there frozen.
Seven years of grief.
Seven years of questions.
All coming back at once.
Grace continued.
“I wanted to come home.””
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Every single day.””
My hand covered my mouth.
“But I couldn’t.””
She looked away.
Like she was gathering courage.
“Because the person who tried to kill me was someone we trusted.””
A pause.
“Someone who knew our routines.””
Someone who knew our home.
Someone who knew Lily.
My stomach tightened.
Grace looked back at the camera.
“And Marcus…”
Her voice broke.
“I need you to understand something.””
The video flickered.
Her final words came through clearly.
“The accident wasn’t meant to kill me.””
A pause.
“It was meant to kill Lily.””
My blood froze.
The screen went black.
Behind me, Lily screamed.
“Daddy!””
I turned.
Emma was standing beside her.
Holding something in her hand.
A small necklace.
A necklace I recognized.
Grace’s necklace.
The one she wore every day.
The one I buried with her.
Emma looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Mommy said if I ever saw you…”
She swallowed.
“She said I should give you this.””
I took the necklace.
My fingers trembled.
Inside the small pendant was a hidden compartment.
Something was inside.
A tiny memory card.
May you like
And engraved on the metal was one sentence.
*THE PERSON WHO DID THIS IS STILL WATCHING YOU.*
