Chapter 12: The Secret My Father Protected
The person standing in the doorway was Marcus.
My father.
For one second, I felt relieved.
Then I saw his face.
He wasn’t angry.
He wasn’t surprised.
He looked terrified.
“Lily.””
I stepped away.
“How did you find me?””
He looked at Sarah.
Not me.
And that hurt.
Because it meant he knew exactly where I was.
Exactly who I was with.
“Dad?””
He finally looked at me.
“I can explain.””
I laughed softly.
“Of course you can.””
Sarah stood beside me.
“You shouldn’t have followed her.””
Marcus’s expression hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re doing.””
Sarah shook her head.
“No. I know exactly what I’m doing.””
I looked between them.
“You two know each other.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
“How long?””
He didn’t answer.
I felt the familiar pain.
The pain of another missing piece.
“How long have you known she was alive?””
“Lily…”
“How long?””
His silence answered.
I stepped back.
“I can’t believe you.””
Marcus looked broken.
“I was trying to keep you away from this.””
“By lying?””
“I was scared.””
That stopped me.
Because my father rarely admitted fear.
“I was scared,” he repeated.
“Every person I loved was taken from me.””
His voice cracked.
“And I thought if I kept you out of the Holloway family’s world, you would survive.””
Sarah looked at him.
“But you forgot she deserved the truth.””
Marcus looked at Sarah.
“I never forgot.””
“Then why?””
He didn’t answer.
I did.
“Because you thought I was too young.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“I was ten when Mom disappeared.””
His eyes filled.
“I know.””
“I was ten when I stopped asking questions because I thought nobody wanted the answers.””
That broke him.
He looked away.
Sarah quietly said:
“Lily…”
I held up my hand.
“No.””
I looked at my father.
“I need to know one thing.””
He waited.
“Who is my biological father?””
The question he had avoided for years.
The question everyone feared.
Marcus looked at Sarah.
Then at me.
Then he finally answered.
“His name was supposed to be Thomas Holloway.””
My heart sank.
“Supposed to be?””
Marcus nodded.
“Because the records were changed.””
I felt cold.
“Changed by who?””
He didn’t speak.
Sarah did.
“By your grandfather.””
Marcus nodded.
“He wanted control.””
I looked at him.
“And you let him?””
His face collapsed.
“No.””
The answer came immediately.
“I fought him.””
“Then why does everyone act like you’re the villain?””
Marcus looked at the floor.
“Because I failed.””
The words were quiet.
“I failed to protect your mother.””
Sarah looked away.
I noticed.
There was more.
“Dad.””
He looked at me.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
The sound filled the classroom.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
Not fear.
Not this time.
Shock.
“Who is it?””
He didn’t answer.
He turned the phone toward me.
The number was unknown.
But the message preview was visible.
Only six words.
*I know Lily found Sarah.*
Marcus slowly looked up.
May you like
And whispered:
“He’s back.””
