Chapter 8: The Secret in the Attic
“Your mother wants her granddaughter back.””
The words hung in the storage unit.
Nobody moved.
Hailey whimpered against my shoulder.
The man in the black coat stepped farther inside.
He looked to be in his fifties, with silver at his temples and a scar running from the corner of his mouth to his jaw.
Behind him stood two other men.
Daniel immediately stepped in front of me.
“Stop right there.””
The man smiled.
“Mr. Reeves.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“You know me.””
“I know everyone involved in this.””
His eyes moved to Liam.
“You've made quite a mess.””
Liam said nothing.
Megan backed toward the wall.
I tightened my hold on Hailey.
“Who are you?””
The man looked at me.
“Your mother's legal representative.””
I almost laughed.
“My mother sent three men to a storage facility to take my baby?””
He shook his head.
“Your mother didn't send them to hurt anyone.””
“Then why are they here?””
“To bring Hailey home.””
“She is home.””
“You know what I mean.””
I stared at him.
“I don't.””
He held up the photograph.
“The child belongs with the people who have protected her.””
I looked at the picture.
My father.
My mother.
A younger Liam.
Me.
And Dr. Harris.
“Who is Hailey's father?””
The man's smile disappeared.
“That isn't a question you should ask here.””
“Then answer it somewhere else.””
“Claire.””
Liam's voice stopped me.
I turned.
He looked exhausted.
“Don't trust him.””
I stared at him.
“You're warning me not to trust someone?””
“I know what they're capable of.””
“And I know what you're capable of.””
He flinched.
The man in the black coat stepped closer.
“Enough.””
Daniel lifted his hand.
“Not another step.””
The man sighed.
“You're making this unnecessarily difficult.””
“Good.””
Daniel glanced at me.
“We're leaving.””
The man smiled again.
“You can try.””
A vehicle engine roared outside.
Then another.
I heard doors slamming.
There were more people.
Daniel looked toward the entrance.
His expression changed.
“Claire, when I tell you to move, run.””
I nodded.
The lights suddenly came back on.
The three men looked toward the far end of the building.
A side door burst open.
Two uniformed officers entered.
For a moment, everyone froze.
One of them shouted, “Nobody move!””
The man in the black coat swore.
Liam immediately stepped backward.
Megan raised both hands.
Daniel shouted, “We're the ones who called!””
The officers moved quickly.
The black-coated man didn't resist.
One of the others did.
The storage unit exploded into motion.
I turned away from the chaos and ran.
Hailey cried against my chest.
I didn't stop.
I didn't know where I was going.
I only knew I needed to get her somewhere no one could reach us.
Outside, cold air hit my face.
Daniel caught up to me.
“Claire!””
I turned.
“Where do I go?””
“Your grandfather's house.””
I froze.
“My dad said the attic.””
“Then that's where we're going.””
“What about the police?””
“They're handling this.””
I looked back toward the storage building.
Liam stood between two officers.
His eyes found mine.
He didn't fight.
He simply stared.
Then he mouthed two words.
*Don't go.*
I turned away.
For the first time in two years, I didn't listen to my husband.
My grandfather's house stood at the end of a narrow country road, hidden behind old oak trees.
I hadn't been there since I was nineteen.
The place looked smaller than I remembered.
The porch sagged.
The paint had peeled.
The windows were dusty.
Daniel parked behind the house.
Megan came with us.
I almost told her to stay in the car.
Then I remembered what she'd said.
I know the way he thinks.
So I let her follow.
Inside, the house smelled like cedar and dust.
The furniture was covered in white sheets.
I walked straight toward the stairs.
“The attic,” I said.
Daniel nodded.
“Your father said behind a loose floorboard.””
We climbed.
Every step creaked beneath us.
At the top, I pushed open the attic door.
Dust floated through the beam of Daniel's flashlight.
Boxes were stacked everywhere.
Christmas decorations.
Old clothes.
Photographs.
Furniture.
I put Hailey down in the portable carrier we'd grabbed from the car.
Then I started searching.
“What exactly are we looking for?”” Megan asked.
“A secret my parents hid from me.””
She gave a sad smile.
“That narrows it down.””
I ignored her.
My father's voice echoed in my memory.
The blue room. Behind the loose floorboard.
I looked around.
There was no blue room.
Then I remembered.
The attic had a small storage chamber at the back.
I opened the door.
Inside, everything was painted faded blue.
I stared.
“This is it.””
Daniel entered behind me.
We checked the floor.
Nothing.
Then I noticed one board near the window.
It was darker than the others.
I knelt.
My fingers slipped beneath the edge.
The board lifted easily.
Underneath was a metal box.
My pulse raced.
I pulled it free.
There was a small brass lock.
Megan whispered, “Do you have the key?””
I searched the box.
Nothing.
Daniel examined the lock.
“Old-fashioned.””
“Can you open it?””
“Probably.””
He pulled out a small tool from his pocket.
I looked at him.
“You carry that around?””
“Experience.””
The lock clicked.
I opened the lid.
Inside were documents.
Birth certificates.
Hospital records.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
And one sealed envelope.
My name was written across it.
*For Claire, when the truth can no longer be hidden.*
I stared at my mother's handwriting.
My hands began trembling.
I opened it.
The first sentence made the room disappear around me.
*Claire, your father did not die because of an accident.*
I read the next line.
*He disappeared because we were trying to protect you from Liam.*
I looked at Daniel.
He said nothing.
I continued.
*Three years before your wedding, Liam discovered that your father knew about his financial crimes. He threatened him.*
My breath caught.
*Your father confronted him. That night, Liam followed him.*
My fingers shook.
Then I reached the sentence that made my chest hurt.
*Your father survived the attack, but we knew Liam would come after you next.*
Megan whispered, “Oh my God.””
I kept reading.
*That was when we made a decision you may never forgive us for.*
I turned the page.
*We changed Hailey's paternity records.*
My eyes blurred.
I read it again.
*Hailey's biological father is not Liam.*
My breath caught.
I looked at Hailey.
Then at the envelope.
The next line was underlined twice.
*Her father is Daniel Reeves.*
The room went silent.
I looked up.
Daniel had gone pale.
“No.””
The word came out barely audible.
I stared at him.
“Daniel?””
He didn't answer.
Megan stepped backward.
“You knew?””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“You knew my family?””
“I didn't.””
I held the letter toward him.
“Then why is your name here?””
He finally looked at me.
And the expression in his eyes frightened me more than anything Liam had done.
Because it wasn't confusion.
It was recognition.
“Claire,” he whispered.
“You knew.””
“I knew the name.””
“What name?””
He swallowed.
“Your father's.””
I stared at him.
“You said you didn't know my family.””
“I said I didn't know you.””
“That's not what I asked.””
He looked down.
Then reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small photograph.
He placed it on the floor.
I picked it up.
My father stood beside a much younger Daniel.
They were outside a courthouse.
On the back was a date.
Eight years ago.
The same year I had first met Liam.
“What is this?””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Your father hired me.””
“For what?””
“To investigate Liam.””
My heart pounded.
“And you never told me.””
“I couldn't.””
“Why?””
“Because I lost track of him.””
My hands tightened around the photograph.
“For years?””
“Yes.””
“And then you became my attorney?””
“I didn't know who you were at first.””
I stared at him.
“When did you realize?””
“The moment I saw your birth date.””
My stomach twisted.
“You knew all along.””
“No.””
He stepped closer.
“I knew something was wrong. I didn't know your father was alive. I didn't know about Hailey.””
“Then why did you say my daughter was in danger?””
“Because Liam hired me once.””
I froze.
“What?””
“Before I knew he was your husband.””
Megan suddenly whispered, “Daniel…”
He ignored her.
“Liam asked me to investigate you.””
My blood went cold.
“Why?””
“To find out whether you'd inherited anything from your family.””
“What did you find?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why did he keep me?””
Daniel looked at the letter.
“That is the question.””
A floorboard creaked downstairs.
We all froze.
Hailey stirred in her carrier.
Daniel slowly reached for the flashlight.
“Someone's here.””
Megan whispered, “We left the doors locked.””
Another creak.
A step.
Then another.
Coming upstairs.
Daniel motioned for us to move back.
I grabbed Hailey.
The attic door handle turned.
I held my breath.
The door opened.
A woman stepped into the attic.
I almost screamed.
It was my mother.
She looked older than she had on the phone.
Her hair was disheveled.
Her face was streaked with tears.
She looked at me.
Then at Hailey.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered.
I stared.
“You're the one who took my father away.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“You lied to me.””
“Yes.””
“You changed my daughter's records.””
“Yes.””
“You hid the truth about her father.””
“Yes.””
I stepped toward her.
“Why?””
My mother looked at Daniel.
Then at Megan.
Finally, she looked at Hailey.
“Because her father isn't Daniel.””
Daniel's face went white.
I couldn't move.
My mother closed her eyes.
“We changed the records because the real father was someone Liam would kill to find.””
She opened her eyes.
“And Claire…”
May you like
Her voice broke.
“You already know him.””
