Chapter 7: The Person Behind the Threat
The message stayed on my screen.
Five words.
*THEY FOUND ME.*
I read it again.
Then again.
But the meaning didn’t become clearer.
It only became heavier.
Vanessa was staring at my phone like she had seen a ghost.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Terrified.
I slowly lowered the screen.
“Who found you?””
Nobody answered.
The silence was unbearable.
Andre looked at Vanessa.
“You never told him.””
Vanessa’s eyes moved toward him.
“Don’t.””
That one word carried years of history.
Years of secrets.
Years of things I didn’t understand.
I stepped between them.
“No.””
My voice echoed through the empty chapel.
“No more warnings. No more people telling me I don’t understand.””
I held up the phone.
“Who sent this?””
Vanessa looked at Lily.
Then at me.
“Marcus, we need to leave.””
I almost laughed.
Leave.
That was the word that started everything.
The word written on the note.
The word that had brought me to this moment.
“No one is leaving until I get answers.””
Andre nodded.
“For once, I agree with him.””
I looked at Andre.
“I’m not on your side.””
He nodded slowly.
“I know.””
“Then don’t act like we’re partners.””
“I’m not trying to be.””
His eyes moved to Lily.
“I’m trying to make sure she’s safe.””
I felt anger rise.
“You don’t get to walk in after seven years and say that.””
His face tightened.
“I know.””
The answer surprised me.
Most people would have argued.
He didn’t.
“I know I missed years,” he said quietly.
“I know I wasn’t there for birthdays, school plays, nightmares, and every moment she needed someone.””
Lily looked at him.
For a second, I saw something complicated in her expression.
Curiosity.
Fear.
Confusion.
“She doesn’t know you,” I said.
Andre swallowed.
“I know.””
“Then don’t pretend you can fix this.””
“I’m not trying to fix it.””
He looked at me.
“I’m trying to stop someone from destroying it.””
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone turned.
The chapel doors shook slightly.
Nia moved closer to Lily.
“What was that?””
I looked toward the entrance.
My instincts screamed.
Something was wrong.
Richard walked toward the doors.
“Stay back.””
He carefully opened them.
Nobody was there.
Only the empty parking area.
But something had been left on the ground.
A small envelope.
Richard picked it up.
My stomach tightened.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“What?””
“Don’t open another thing without knowing what it is.””
Richard studied the envelope.
Then carefully opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
He looked at it.
His face changed.
“What?””
He handed it to me.
I stared.
The picture showed Vanessa.
Not from today.
Years earlier.
Standing outside a courthouse.
Holding a baby.
Holding Lily.
But there was someone else beside her.
A man.
Someone I didn’t recognize.
Andre looked over my shoulder.
His face went pale.
“You know him?””
I asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Andre.””
His jaw tightened.
“That’s Daniel.””
“Who is Daniel?””
Andre looked at Vanessa.
“Your old partner.””
Vanessa looked away.
My chest tightened.
“You had a partner?””
She whispered:
“Yes.””
“Before me?””
“Yes.””
“And he’s connected to all this?””
No answer.
Richard stepped closer.
“Marcus, there’s something you need to understand.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Daniel wasn’t just Vanessa’s partner.””
The way he said it made me afraid.
“What was he?””
Richard hesitated.
Then:
“He was the person who originally helped create the custody strategy.””
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You worked with him?””
“I had no choice.””
I stared.
“No choice?””
Her eyes filled.
“He knew things about me.””
“What things?””
She looked at Lily.
Then away.
“I was trying to keep him away from her.””
Andre shook his head.
“You were trying to keep him away from her by controlling everything around her.””
Vanessa snapped.
“You don’t know what he’s capable of.””
“Neither did you.””
Their argument sounded personal.
Old.
Painful.
I looked between them.
“You both know something.””
Nobody answered.
I picked up the photograph.
“Tell me who Daniel is.””
Vanessa finally spoke.
“Daniel was the reason I left.””
I waited.
“He was dangerous.””
“How?””
Her voice became quieter.
“He wanted control.””
“Control over what?””
She looked at Lily.
“Over everything.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Why would he care about Lily?””
Vanessa looked at me.
And said the one thing I wasn’t ready to hear.
“Because Lily is the only person who can expose him.””
The chapel went silent.
I looked down at my daughter.
Seven years old.
A little girl in a flower dress.
Somehow connected to a man who scared everyone in the room.
“What does Lily know?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“She doesn’t remember.””
“Remember what?””
Before she could answer, Richard’s phone rang again.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He turned the phone toward us.
A security alert.
Someone had accessed the chapel’s private camera system.
The time stamp showed one minute ago.
Someone had been watching us.
Richard whispered:
“He was here.””
My eyes moved toward the chapel entrance.
“Daniel?””
Richard nodded.
May you like
Then the lights flickered.
And the chapel doors slowly locked.
