Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO NEVER LEFT
“Daniel!”
I hit the door.
No answer.
Adrien grabbed the handle.
Locked.
He stepped back.
“Move.”
He kicked it.
The old wood splintered.
Cold air rushed through the opening.
The corridor was empty.
But on the floor lay a photograph.
Adrien picked it up.
It showed my mother holding me.
Behind her stood Daniel.
Alive.
And beside him was Stefano Viscari.
I stared.
“My father knew Stefano.”
Adrien looked at the picture.
“Apparently.”
Marcus whispered, “That means the fire wasn't an accident.”
Adrien turned.
“What?”
Marcus pointed to the photograph.
“Stefano was there that night.”
Adrien's face hardened.
“My uncle was supposed to be dead.”
“He wasn't.”
We followed the corridor.
At the end was another door.
This one wasn't locked.
Inside sat a man.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
Older.
Tired.
He looked at me.
“Lena.”
I couldn't move.
“You're my father.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
I wanted to hate him.
I wanted to run into his arms.
Instead I stood frozen.
“Why did you leave me?”
His eyes filled.
“I didn't.”
“You were alive.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me grow up.”
“No.”
My voice broke.
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I believed it was the only way to keep you alive.”
Adrien stepped forward.
“You abandoned her.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You're Adrien Viscari.”
“Yes.”
“Your father saved my daughter.”
Adrien froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father discovered what your mother was doing.”
“What was she doing?”
“Selling information.”
Adrien's expression changed.
“To whom?”
“Stefano.”
The name hung in the room.
Daniel continued.
“Stefano wasn't the mastermind.”
Adrien frowned.
“Then who?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Your mother.”
I felt sick.
“My mother?”
“She believed she was protecting you.”
Adrien's jaw tightened.
“She caused the fire?”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She ordered the fire.”
Adrien looked stunned.
“She wanted the records destroyed.”
“But my father stopped her.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't he expose her?”
Daniel looked down.
“Because he loved her.”
That answer hurt more than I expected.
My mother hadn't been protecting me from strangers.
She had been protecting herself.
But Daniel reached into his coat.
He removed a small wooden box.
Inside was a child's bracelet.
I recognized it.
Mine.
I had worn it the night of the fire.
Daniel handed it to me.
“Your father gave this to me.”
Adrien stared.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew Lena would someday need proof that he had tried to save her.”
I looked at the bracelet.
There was a tiny metal plate.
A number.
The same number as the door.
Daniel said quietly, “Your father hid the records beneath this room.”
Adrien looked around.
“We already searched it.”
“Not properly.”
Daniel walked toward the coat rack.
He pulled the old coat away.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside was a metal case.
Adrien opened it.
Documents.
Bank records.
Photographs.
Names.
And a red notebook.
He opened it.
The first page contained dozens of payments.
The final name was my mother's.
I felt tears rise.
“She did all of this?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
He turned the page.
There was another signature.
Marcus Blake.
Marcus went white.
I stared at him.
“You.”
Marcus backed away.
“I didn't know what it was.”
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
Adrien stepped toward him.
“Explain.”
Marcus swallowed.
“Your mother paid me to watch Lena.”
“For how long?”
“Six months.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked at me.
“Because she knew someone else was watching too.”
“Who?”
Marcus opened his mouth.
Then a gunshot shattered the room.
Daniel collapsed.
I screamed.
Adrien pulled me behind the desk.
Marcus ran toward the door.
Then stopped.
A second shot hit the wall.
Adrien shouted, “Nobody move!”
Silence.
Then a woman's voice came from the corridor.
“Lena.”
My mother's voice.
“She knows where your father is.”
I looked at Daniel.
He was bleeding.
But alive.
May you like
Then my mother said something that made my blood run cold.
“Ask him why he killed Adrien's father.”
