Chapter 8: The Room Beneath The Church
The lights returned three seconds later.
But three seconds was enough.
Enough for everyone to panic.
Enough for the entire church to change.
Because Lily was gone.
“Lily?””
Her mother’s voice cracked through the room.
She turned in circles.
“No.””
I ran down the aisle.
“Lily!””
Guests started searching between pews.
The pastor called her name.
Someone opened the side doors.
Nothing.
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely think.
“She was right here.””
The words came from Lily’s mother.
I looked at her.
“What happened?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
Then I saw something on the floor.
A small piece of fabric.
From Lily’s dress.
I picked it up.
My hands started shaking.
Adrian stood near the altar.
Watching.
“You know where she is.””
I turned.
“You know.””
He didn’t deny it.
“I know where she went.””
I grabbed his jacket.
“Where is my daughter?””
Several guests gasped.
Adrian didn’t fight back.
He just looked at me.
“You’re asking the wrong person.””
I pushed him away.
“Then who?””
His eyes moved toward Brielle.
Everyone looked.
Brielle froze.
“No.””
The word was barely a whisper.
My anger rose.
“Where is Lily?””
“I don’t know.””
“Stop lying.””
“I’m not!””
The woman beside me walked toward her.
“You knew this would happen.””
Brielle shook her head.
“No.””
“You knew he was coming.””
“I knew Adrian might come.””
“Why?””
Brielle looked away.
Because she had no excuse left.
“Because I contacted him.””
The church went silent.
I stared at her.
“You contacted him?””
She nodded.
“Months ago.””
“Why?””
Her tears fell.
“Because I wanted answers.””
“Answers?””
“Yes.””
She looked at Lily’s mother.
“I wanted to know why you came back.””
The woman stared at her.
“I came back for my daughter.””
Brielle looked broken.
“And I wanted to know if Marcus still loved you.””
Nobody spoke.
I felt something inside me collapse.
All this time.
All these secrets.
All these lies.
And underneath it all was jealousy.
Fear.
A desperate attempt to hold onto something that was never hers.
Then Adrian spoke.
“Your daughter isn’t in danger.””
I turned.
“Where is she?””
He pointed toward the floor.
Everyone looked down.
A small wooden door was visible beneath the carpet near the altar.
I had never seen it before.
The old church floor hid it completely.
Lily’s mother stepped back.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“She found it.””
“Found what?””
Her face turned white.
“The place where I hid everything.””
I walked toward the door.
Adrian stopped me.
“You need to understand something.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Your wife didn’t disappear because someone wanted her gone.””
“Then why?””
“Because she discovered the truth.””
“What truth?””
Adrian looked at Brielle.
“The truth about your family.””
I froze.
“My family?””
He nodded.
“Your father left behind something before he died.””
I stared at him.
“My father?””
The name felt strange.
My father had been gone for years.
“He had secrets.””
Everyone stayed silent.
I opened the wooden door.
A staircase led downward.
Cold air rose from below.
Lily’s voice echoed faintly.
“Daddy?””
My heart stopped.
“Lily!””
“I’m here!””
I started down.
The room below was small.
Old.
Hidden.
A place nobody would find unless they knew where to look.
At the center was a table.
On it were boxes.
Documents.
Photographs.
And Lily sitting beside them.
Crying.
I rushed to her.
“Are you okay?””
She nodded and hugged me.
“Someone brought me here.””
I looked around.
“Who?””
She pointed.
A shadow moved at the end of the room.
Someone was standing there.
A woman.
No.
Not a woman.
A recording.
A screen had turned on.
And a video played.
A younger version of Lily’s mother appeared.
My breath caught.
She looked directly at the camera.
And said:
“Marcus, if you found this room, then I failed to protect you.””
I held Lily closer.
The recording continued.
“But there’s something you need to know.””
The woman on the screen looked terrified.
“Your father’s death was not an accident.””
My blood went cold.
The video paused.
Then one final message appeared on the screen.
A name.
The person who had been hiding the truth all these years.
May you like
And it wasn’t Brielle.
It was someone I trusted.
