Chapter 6: The Secret My Mother Buried
"Save him from what?""
Emma stood in front of her mother, unable to recognize the woman she had known her entire life.
Margaret's hands trembled.
Adrian remained near the doorway.
Marcus quietly closed the front door behind him.
"Mom," Emma said again.
"What did you do?""
Margaret looked at Adrian.
Then at her daughter.
Finally, she sat down.
"I went to Ravenhurst four months ago.""
Emma felt her throat tighten.
"Why?""
"Because I received a letter.""
"From whom?""
"Your father.""
Silence filled the apartment.
Emma stared at her.
"That's impossible.""
"I know how it sounds.""
"He's been missing for eleven years!""
"I know.""
"Then how did you receive a letter from him?""
Margaret opened a drawer and removed a sealed envelope.
It was old, yellowed at the edges, and addressed to her.
The postmark was dated four months earlier.
Emma took it.
Inside was a short handwritten message.
Margaret,
I am alive. I cannot come home yet. The people who put me here still have eyes everywhere. If you want to see me, contact Ravenhurst and ask for the patient registered under the name Thomas Reed.
Emma's fingers went numb.
"Thomas Reed?""
Adrian stepped forward.
"That's the name of my chauffeur.""
Margaret looked at him.
"Your driver?""
"Yes.""
Emma read the letter again.
The same name.
The same man who had offered to take her home after the gala.
She looked at Adrian.
"Why is your chauffeur connected to my father?""
Adrian shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Margaret wiped her eyes.
"Thomas Reed wasn't always a chauffeur. He was a nurse at Ravenhurst eleven years ago.""
Adrian's expression changed.
"How do you know?""
"Because I met him there.""
Emma sat down.
"Start from the beginning.""
Margaret took a deep breath.
"Four months ago, a woman contacted me. She said she had information about Daniel. She gave me the address of Ravenhurst and told me to ask for Thomas Reed.""
"Who was the woman?""
"I never saw her. We spoke by phone.""
"And what happened when you went there?""
"I found a man who looked like your father. He was older, thinner, and had lost much of his memory. But when I showed him our wedding photograph, he began crying.""
Emma covered her mouth.
Margaret continued.
"He remembered my name. He remembered yours. He asked whether you still liked strawberry cake.""
Emma began to cry.
That was her father's favorite question.
Whenever he returned from work, he brought her something sweet and asked whether she wanted strawberry cake for dessert.
"Why didn't you tell me?"" she whispered.
Margaret looked devastated.
"Because he begged me not to.""
"Why?""
"He said the people who arranged his disappearance were still watching him. He believed they would hurt you if they discovered he had contacted us.""
"Then why did you go back?""
"Because he was getting worse. He needed treatment. The facility had been withholding medication, and I couldn't keep paying for private care.""
Adrian stepped closer.
"I've been funding Ravenhurst.""
Margaret nodded.
"Your father's account paid for his treatment.""
"Why didn't you tell my office?""
"Because I didn't trust anyone connected to the Blackwoods.""
Adrian absorbed the accusation.
Then he looked at Emma.
"Who signed him out?""
Margaret hesitated.
"I didn't.""
"Your signature was on the form.""
"Someone called me yesterday. They said Daniel was being moved to another facility because Ravenhurst was closing.""
"Who called?""
"A man.""
"Did he give you a name?""
Margaret shook her head.
"He knew things about my family. He knew where Emma worked. He knew about the storage locker.""
Emma's blood ran cold.
"What did he say?""
Margaret looked at her daughter.
"He said if I wanted Daniel to live, I would sign the transfer.""
Emma stood.
"Did you?""
"No.""
"Did you send him the key?""
Margaret shook her head.
"Then who did?""
No one answered.
Adrian looked toward Marcus.
"Find Thomas Reed.""
Marcus nodded.
"I'll contact him immediately.""
Thomas Reed was waiting in the underground garage of Blackwood House when Adrian's call came through.
"Sir?""
"Where are you?""
"At the estate.""
"Come to the study.""
"Of course.""
Ten minutes later, Thomas entered the room.
Adrian stood behind his desk.
Emma sat in an armchair near the window, holding the old letter.
Thomas looked at her and immediately stopped.
"Miss Carter.""
Emma stood.
"Do you know my father?""
Thomas lowered his eyes.
"Yes.""
"Where is he?""
He hesitated.
"Miss Carter, I need you to understand—"
"Where is Daniel Carter?""
Thomas looked at Adrian.
Adrian's voice was cold.
"Answer her.""
Thomas slowly removed his chauffeur's cap.
"I was a nurse at Ravenhurst. I helped care for your father after he was transferred there.""
Emma took a step forward.
"Is he alive?""
Thomas nodded.
"Yes.""
Her knees almost gave way.
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
"What do you mean you don't know?""
"He was moved yesterday.""
"By whom?""
Thomas looked at the floor.
"A man claiming to represent the hospital administration.""
"Did you see him?""
"Yes.""
"Who was he?""
Thomas hesitated.
Then he reached into his jacket and removed a photograph.
He placed it on the desk.
Emma looked down.
The man in the picture was wearing a dark suit.
His hair was silver.
His face was familiar.
Adrian's father.
Richard Blackwood.
Emma stared at the image.
"He's dead.""
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Yes.""
"Then how could he have moved my father?""
Thomas swallowed.
"Because the man in that photograph isn't Richard Blackwood.""
Adrian looked up.
"What?""
Thomas pointed to the man's left hand.
A gold ring.
A black stone surrounded by silver.
The same ring worn by Victor Hale in the security footage.
Emma felt the room spin.
"He was wearing your father's face?""
"Not exactly," Thomas said.
"He was using your father's identification.""
Adrian stepped closer.
"Why?""
Thomas took another breath.
"Because Richard Blackwood left a private security network behind. Victor Hale inherited control of it after the accident. He has used your father's name to move money, documents, and people without attracting attention.""
Adrian's expression hardened.
"How long have you known?""
"Since the beginning.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Thomas looked at Emma.
"Because Daniel asked me to protect his daughter.""
Emma felt tears rise.
"Where is he?""
Thomas reached into his pocket and removed a small piece of paper.
A hospital room number was written on it.
"Before he was moved, your father left this with me.""
Emma took the paper.
There was an address beneath the number.
An abandoned private clinic outside the city.
"Why didn't you take him yourself?"" she asked.
"I tried. Victor had men watching the building.""
"Then why work for Adrian?""
Thomas looked toward Adrian.
"Because I believed his father had ordered the original disappearance. I thought if I stayed close to the family, I could eventually find a way to get Daniel out.""
Adrian's expression changed.
"You became my chauffeur to watch me?""
"Yes, sir.""
"For how long?""
"Six years.""
Adrian slowly turned away.
The man who had driven him to meetings, hospitals, and business dinners had been hiding a secret inside his own household.
"Did you know I could walk?"" Adrian asked.
Thomas nodded.
"I found out four months ago.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I wanted to see whether you would use your recovery to protect Daniel or to protect the company.""
Adrian stared at him.
"And what did you decide?""
Thomas looked at Emma.
"That you were finally beginning to ask the right questions.""
That afternoon, Emma and Adrian drove toward the abandoned clinic.
Marcus followed in a separate vehicle.
The building stood beyond a line of dead trees, its windows covered with plywood.
A rusted sign hung above the entrance.
*NORTHRIDGE MEDICAL ANNEX.*
Emma stepped out of the car.
"Is this where he is?""
Thomas nodded.
"His room was on the second floor.""
Adrian approached the entrance.
"Stay behind me.""
Emma gave him a sharp look.
"Don't start giving me orders.""
"I wasn't—"
"Then don't.""
She pushed past him.
Inside, the air smelled of dust and disinfectant.
A corridor stretched ahead.
At the far end, a door stood slightly open.
Emma hurried toward it.
"Hello?""
No answer.
She pushed the door wider.
An empty hospital bed stood beneath a flickering light.
A plastic cup rested on the bedside table.
Beside it was a photograph.
Emma picked it up.
It showed her father sitting beside a hospital window.
He looked older, his hair almost completely gray, but he was smiling.
On the back, he had written:
Emma, I hope you still remember my voice.
Her knees buckled.
Adrian caught her elbow.
She pulled away, but didn't have the strength to stand.
"He's been here.""
"Yes," Adrian said quietly.
She looked at the empty bed.
"Where did they take him?""
A sound came from the adjoining room.
Three slow knocks.
Emma froze.
Adrian turned toward the door.
"Hello?""
A faint voice answered.
"Emma?""
Her heart stopped.
She rushed toward the adjoining room.
A frail elderly man sat in a chair near the window.
His hands trembled.
His face was thinner than she remembered, and a scar crossed his forehead.
But his eyes—
His eyes were exactly the same.
"Dad?""
The man looked at her.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to speak.
Then his lips trembled.
"My little girl.""
Emma fell to her knees in front of him.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began sobbing.
"I thought you were dead.""
Daniel Carter held her tightly.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart.""
"Eleven years.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you come home?""
His eyes filled.
"Because I couldn't.""
Emma pulled back.
"Who did this to you?""
Daniel looked beyond her.
At Adrian.
The young man he had once tried to save.
"You're Richard's son," Daniel whispered.
Adrian stepped forward.
"Yes.""
Daniel's expression darkened.
"Then I suppose it's time you heard what really happened that night.""
He reached for Emma's hand.
"Your father didn't die in that warehouse, sweetheart. But there's something worse.""
Emma shook her head.
"What?""
Daniel looked directly at Adrian.
"Victor Hale wasn't the man who ordered the accident.""
Adrian went completely still.
Daniel swallowed.
"The person who ordered it was standing in this room with us.""
Emma slowly turned.
Adrian stared at Daniel.
Then he looked at the doorway.
Marcus was no longer there.
May you like
The door behind them clicked shut.
And from the corridor came the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
