Chapter 10: The Person I Trusted Most
I stared at the photo until my fingers went numb.
The hallway in the picture was mine.
The wooden floor.
The family photographs on the wall.
The small pink backpack Lily left near the stairs.
Everything was familiar.
Everything except the person standing there.
David.
My hands tightened around the phone.
“No.””
The word escaped before I could stop it.
Because I had just spent the last two days believing David was the person who could finally give me answers.
The man who brought Claire’s letters.
The man who claimed he tried to reach us.
The man who said he wanted to protect Lily.
And now he was standing inside my house.
Holding her birth certificate.
I called Jordan immediately.
He answered on the first ring.
“Marcus.””
“Where are you?””
“In the kitchen.””
“Where is Lily?””
A pause.
“She’s with Naomi.””
I exhaled.
“Good.””
My voice lowered.
“Do not let David near her.””
Another pause.
Then Jordan whispered:
“Marcus…”
“What?””
“Maybe you should come home.””
“I’m coming.””
I hung up.
The drive back felt longer than it should have.
Every red light.
Every car.
Every second.
My mind kept replaying the same question.
Why would David lie?
When I arrived, the front door was open.
I ran inside.
“Jordan?””
“In here!””
I rushed toward the living room.
Jordan stood beside the table.
Naomi was holding Lily.
And David was gone.
“Where is he?””
Nobody answered.
That scared me more than anything.
“Where is David?””
Jordan looked at the floor.
“He left.””
My jaw tightened.
“Why?””
Jordan pointed.
On the table was the folder David brought.
But it was open.
Pages were missing.
I grabbed it.
“What happened?””
Jordan looked shaken.
“I woke up because I heard someone downstairs.””
“And?””
“I saw him.””
“Doing what?””
Jordan swallowed.
“He was looking through the documents.””
My chest tightened.
“Why didn’t you stop him?””
“I asked what he was doing.””
Jordan’s voice cracked.
“He said he was making sure you never saw the wrong thing.””
I stared.
“The wrong thing?””
Jordan nodded.
“Then he saw me recording him.””
My eyes moved to Jordan’s phone.
“You recorded him?””
He nodded.
“Just like before.””
I took the phone.
The video was only thirty seconds.
David stood in the hallway.
Holding the birth certificate.
His face wasn’t angry.
It was scared.
The recording played.
Jordan’s voice came first.
“Why are you taking Lily’s papers?””
David turned.
“Because Marcus cannot know everything yet.””
My stomach dropped.
Jordan continued.
“Why?””
David looked toward the stairs.
“Because if he knows, he’ll hate Claire.””
The video ended.
I stared at the screen.
Nobody spoke.
Then Naomi whispered:
“That doesn’t make sense.””
I looked at her.
“Explain.””
She looked terrified.
“David loved Claire.””
“Apparently not enough to tell me the truth.””
Naomi shook her head.
“No.””
She walked closer.
“There’s something wrong.””
“What?””
“David would never say that.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“No, Marcus.””
Her voice became urgent.
“You don’t understand.””
She pointed at the folder.
“David didn’t come here for Lily’s birth certificate.””
I frowned.
“Then what?””
“He came for something Claire left behind.””
I looked down.
“What?””
Naomi’s face went pale.
“The original custody agreement.””
The room went quiet.
“Custody agreement?””
She nodded.
“When Claire disappeared, she wasn’t just afraid of Vanessa.””
“What else?””
Naomi looked at Lily.
“She was afraid Vanessa would use the law to take Lily.””
My chest tightened.
“She couldn’t.””
“She almost did.””
I looked at her.
“What are you talking about?””
Naomi took a shaky breath.
“Claire found out Vanessa had been preparing documents.””
“Documents for what?””
“To prove you were an unfit father.””
The words hit like a punch.
I stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“She collected anything she could use.””
“Like what?””
“Your work hours.””
My stomach twisted.
“Photos of Lily crying.””
I looked toward my daughter.
“She took pictures of my daughter crying?””
Naomi nodded.
“She wanted evidence.””
Evidence.
That word made me sick.
Lily wasn’t a child to her.
She was a case.
A weapon.
A way to win.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Just breathing.
“Hello?””
A voice finally came.
Low.
Weak.
“Marcus?””
My entire body froze.
Because I knew that voice.
I had heard it in dreams.
In memories.
In the moments before sleep.
“Claire?””
The line went silent.
Then:
“I don’t have much time.””
My knees almost gave out.
Everyone stared at me.
“Where are you?””
Another pause.
“I can’t tell you.””
“Claire, where is Lily?””
“I know.””
Her voice broke.
“I know what Vanessa did.””
My heart pounded.
“Are you safe?””
“No.””
The answer came immediately.
Then she whispered:
“But I know who helped her.””
The call crackled.
“Marcus…”
“Yes?””
“Do not trust—”
The call cut off.
I stared at the phone.
My hand shaking.
Because the last word never came.
May you like
And I had no idea if Claire was warning me about David.
Or someone else.
