Chapter 8: The Voice From Seven Years Ago
Damon couldn’t speak.
The ballroom disappeared.
The guests disappeared.
The cameras.
The music.
The entire world.
All he could hear was the voice on the phone.
The voice he had mourned.
The voice he thought he would never hear again.
“Where are you?””
His words came out broken.
Silence.
Then:
“I can’t tell you.””
His eyes closed.
The answer hurt.
Even now.
After everything.
“Why?””
A shaky breath came through the phone.
“Because if Vanessa knows I contacted you, she’ll move faster.””
Damon looked at Marcus.
Then Eleanor.
They both understood.
“You’re alive.””
The words escaped before he could stop them.
On the other end, there was silence.
Then a quiet cry.
“Yes.””
Damon pressed the phone closer.
Seven years of questions rushed through his mind.
Seven years of anger.
Seven years of wondering why he wasn’t enough.
But one question came first.
“Why didn’t you come back?””
The silence that followed felt endless.
Finally, she answered.
“Because I thought you would hate me.””
Damon’s expression changed.
“Hate you?””
“I thought you believed Vanessa.””
His chest tightened.
“What did she tell you?””
The voice trembled.
“She told me you wanted nothing to do with me.””
Damon went still.
“She told me you chose your company over us.””
“No.””
The word came instantly.
Too quickly.
“I never said that.””
“I know that now.””
Damon looked down.
Ava was watching him.
She didn’t understand everything.
But she understood pain.
“Where are you?”” Damon asked again.
“I can’t say.””
“You’re asking me to trust you after seven years?””
“No.””
Her voice softened.
“I’m asking you to trust that I was trying to keep Ava alive.””
Damon looked at the child beside him.
The little girl who had been pushed away from a cake table.
The little girl who carried a necklace holding a story nobody wanted told.
“What happened?””
The woman breathed in.
“I found out Vanessa had been hiding something.””
“What?””
“I found documents.””
Damon frowned.
“What documents?””
“About Ava.””
His heart stopped.
“Explain.””
“She knew before I did.””
“Who knew?””
“Vanessa.””
The anger returned.
“She knew Ava existed?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because Vanessa was there when Ava was born.””
Damon looked at Marcus.
His face had gone pale.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Nobody expected that answer.
“What are you saying?””
The voice shook.
“I’m saying Vanessa wasn’t just hiding the truth.””
Damon waited.
“She was part of it.””
The call suddenly became quiet.
Too quiet.
“Part of what?””
Before she could answer, another sound came through.
A door opening.
The woman’s breathing changed.
“Wait.””
Damon stood straighter.
“What happened?””
No answer.
Then a whisper:
“She found me.””
Damon’s blood turned cold.
“Who?””
A pause.
Then:
“Damon, listen carefully.””
The fear in her voice was different now.
Real.
“She cannot know Ava is with you.””
Damon looked at Ava.
The girl stared back.
“She already knows.””
Silence.
Then the voice whispered:
“No.””
The call cut off.
Damon stared at the phone.
He immediately called back.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“What happened?””
Damon looked up.
“She was scared.””
Eleanor shook her head.
“She shouldn’t have called.””
Damon turned.
“What does that mean?””
Eleanor looked toward the door.
“Because now Vanessa knows she reached you.””
Ava suddenly tugged Damon’s sleeve.
“Mr. Cross?””
He looked down.
“Yes?””
“Was that my mom?””
The question destroyed him.
Because he wanted to say yes.
He wanted to promise everything would be okay.
But he didn’t know.
Not anymore.
“It was someone who loves you.””
Ava looked hopeful.
“My mom?””
Damon swallowed.
“I think so.””
She hugged the plate of cake.
A tiny smile appeared.
“She remembers me?””
Damon looked away.
Because he couldn’t answer.
But before he could say anything, the ballroom lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then every screen in the room turned black.
The charity presentation disappeared.
A message appeared.
Everyone gasped.
White letters.
One sentence.
*Damon Cross, stop looking for the past.*
May you like
Then another line appeared.
*Or your daughter will pay for it.*
