Chapter 6: The Man Outside
The metal door kept sliding.
Slowly.
Grinding against the track with a horrible shriek.
I pulled Hailey against my chest and backed away.
“Liam!”” I shouted.
“Stop!””
The door stopped.
For one second, there was nothing but Hailey's crying.
Then his voice came from the darkness outside.
“I didn't want this to happen, Claire.””
Daniel stepped in front of me.
“Show yourself.””
A low laugh answered him.
“You always were protective, weren't you?””
Daniel raised his flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness and landed on Liam standing several yards away.
He wasn't wearing his work clothes anymore.
Black jacket.
Dark shirt.
No tie.
His face looked different.
Not like my husband.
Not like the man who had brought me flowers.
Like someone who had finally stopped pretending.
I held Hailey tighter.
“What did you do to her?””
His eyes dropped to our daughter.
“I didn't hurt her.””
“You took her!””
“I needed her somewhere safe.””
“You kidnapped my baby!””
“I saved her.””
I stared at him.
“From what?””
His expression hardened.
“From you.””
Megan stepped forward.
“What are you talking about?””
Liam looked at her.
“You should have stayed out of this.””
She flinched.
“You lied to me.””
“I told you what you needed to hear.””
Her face crumpled.
“You said Claire would be gone.””
“I said I was handling it.””
“You said the divorce was coming.””
“It is.””
“You said you loved me.””
He laughed once.
It was cold.
“I said a lot of things.””
Megan looked like she'd been slapped.
I couldn't take my eyes off him.
“Why the insurance policy?””
He looked at me.
“What?””
“The $250,000.””
His face changed.
Just for a second.
Then he smiled.
“So you found that.””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
My stomach dropped.
He didn't look guilty.
He looked almost relieved.
“You've been digging through my office.””
“You lied to me.””
“Yes.””
“You cheated on me.””
“Yes.””
The word struck harder than I expected.
No denial.
No excuse.
Just yes.
“Why?”” I whispered.
Liam took a step closer.
“Because I needed you to trust me.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
He kept walking.
“I couldn't do what I needed to do if you stopped trusting me.””
Daniel moved between us.
“Stay where you are.””
Liam's eyes settled on him.
“You're Daniel Reeves.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“How do you know me?””
“I know exactly who you are.””
That frightened me more than anything else.
Liam knew about Daniel.
He knew about Megan.
He knew I had been at the hotel.
Which meant he had been watching me.
My phone.
My house.
My life.
“You've been following me,” I said.
“Not personally.””
“Then who?””
He didn't answer.
I looked down at Hailey.
She was still crying.
Her little fingers were twisted into my coat.
I kissed the top of her head.
“Why did you put her here?””
Liam looked at our daughter.
“Because I knew you would come.””
My stomach twisted.
“You wanted me to find her?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I wanted you to understand.””
“Understand what?””
“That this isn't about money.””
He took another step.
Daniel raised his hand.
“Don't come closer.””
Liam stopped.
“This is about control.””
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you were never supposed to know.””
“Know what?””
He looked directly into my eyes.
“The baby isn't the problem.””
My heart pounded.
“Then what is?””
He hesitated.
Then said, “The baby is the leverage.””
Megan covered her mouth.
Daniel swore under his breath.
I felt my legs go weak.
“You've been using Hailey?””
Liam's voice softened.
“Claire, listen to me.””
“Don't call me that.””
His face tightened.
“I made a mistake.””
“A mistake?””
“You don't understand the position I'm in.””
“I understand enough.””
“You don't.””
“You wanted me dead.””
He went silent.
I looked at him.
“Did you?””
Liam's eyes narrowed.
“I never said that.””
“The insurance policy says otherwise.””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“The policy was part of a plan.””
“What plan?””
“To make sure you could never leave with Hailey.””
I stared at him.
“I don't understand.””
“You would have taken her.””
“Of course I would have taken my daughter.””
“Exactly.””
His voice sharpened.
“And I couldn't allow that.””
Daniel spoke.
“Because?””
Liam looked at him.
“Because Hailey isn't safe with her.””
I stepped forward.
“She is perfectly safe with me.””
“Is she?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did you nearly lose her today?””
I froze.
He smiled faintly.
“You didn't even know where she was.””
“You took her.””
“I arranged for her to be moved.””
“You stole her.””
“I protected her.””
“From what?””
He looked at Megan.
“Tell her.””
Megan shook her head.
“Liam, stop.””
“Tell her what you discovered.””
“I won't.””
He stepped toward her.
“You owe me.””
She stepped backward.
“I don't owe you anything.””
“You'd be in prison without me.””
She stared at him.
“What?””
I looked between them.
“What is he talking about?””
Megan's eyes filled with tears.
“Claire, I…”
Liam interrupted.
“She didn't tell you.””
“Tell me what?””
Megan's voice broke.
“Your husband didn't meet me by accident.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
“He approached me.””
“Why?””
“Because I work in finance.””
“That doesn't explain anything.””
She wiped her cheek.
“He wanted access to company accounts.””
I stared at her.
Liam's expression remained blank.
“He was stealing from his company,” she continued.
“Not once. Repeatedly.””
My head spun.
“How much?””
“About three hundred thousand.””
I looked at Liam.
“Is that true?””
He said nothing.
“Liam.””
Still nothing.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Where did the money go?””
Liam's eyes moved to him.
“Do you really think this ends with a stolen three hundred thousand dollars?””
The silence was terrifying.
Daniel frowned.
“What else?””
Liam smiled.
“Ask your wife.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“You've been hiding something too.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
“What are you talking about?””
“You really don't remember?””
I shook my head.
“Remember what?””
“The night Hailey was born.””
The world seemed to narrow.
I looked at my daughter.
Then back at him.
“What about it?””
Liam's voice became strangely calm.
“You weren't the only one who had a difficult delivery.””
“What does that mean?””
He glanced toward Megan.
“Tell her.””
Megan whispered, “I can't.””
“Tell me.””
She began crying.
“Claire, when Hailey was born…”
She stopped.
I stepped forward.
“When Hailey was born, what?””
Megan closed her eyes.
“Someone else was at the hospital.””
My heart hammered.
“Who?””
She opened her eyes.
“Emily.””
The nanny.
I stared at her.
“Why was Emily at the hospital?””
Megan swallowed.
“She wasn't there for Hailey.””
A chill went down my spine.
“Then who was she there for?””
Nobody answered.
I looked at Liam.
“What happened that night?””
His expression was unreadable.
“Ask your mother.””
I froze.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
“What does my mother have to do with this?””
He smiled.
“Everything.””
My phone suddenly rang.
The screen showed *MOM*.
Nobody moved.
I stared at the name.
My mother had not called me in three weeks.
I slowly answered.
“Mom?””
There was silence.
Then a shaky breath.
“Claire…”
Her voice sounded terrified.
“Where are you?””
I looked at Liam.
He was watching me.
“I’m with Hailey.””
“Listen to me carefully.””
My mother began to cry.
“Do not trust Liam.””
I looked at my husband.
He closed his eyes.
My mother whispered:
“He wasn't Hailey's father when you think he was.””
I couldn't speak.
“What does that mean?””
Another pause.
Then she said the words that shattered everything I thought I knew.
“Liam isn't Hailey's biological father.””
I stared at him.
He opened his eyes.
And instead of looking shocked, Liam looked almost relieved.
My mother continued through her tears.
“And Claire… you need to get away from him before he finds out that you know who Hailey's real father is.””
The call went silent.
I looked at Liam.
His face had changed.
The calm was gone.
He took one step toward me.
“Who told you that?””
My mother was still on the phone.
I pressed it against my ear.
And then I heard a man's voice in the background.
A voice I hadn't heard in almost three years.
A voice I had believed was dead.
“Claire?””
May you like
My entire body froze.
It was my father's voice.
