Chapter 6: The Woman Raising My Daughter
David immediately took the phone from my hand.
“No one is going anywhere alone.””
I stared at the message.
“Where is the house?””
Victoria gave him the address.
It was a large property in Surrey, approximately forty minutes from central London.
Claire Whitmore lived there with Richard.
And, according to the photograph, my daughter.
David called a solicitor specializing in family law.
He explained the situation, sent copies of the birth records, and requested urgent assistance from the appropriate authorities.
I wanted to leave immediately.
But David stopped me.
“If you storm into that property, Richard will use it against you. We need legal authority to secure the children's welfare.””
“How long?””
“I don't know.””
“David, that's my daughter.””
“I understand. But we have to protect her, not just reach her.””
Nia stood beside the table.
“I want to see her.””
David softened.
“We're going to make that happen.””
Victoria looked at her phone.
“There's something I haven't told you.””
I turned.
“What now?””
“Claire called me last week.””
“Why?””
“She wanted to know whether I had found Nia.””
“Did you tell her?””
“No.””
Victoria hesitated.
“But she told me something strange.””
“What?””
“She said she wasn't going to keep Lily forever.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“She said Richard had promised her a different life. A new house. A new country. She said once the paperwork was complete, Lily would be sent away.””
Nia gripped the edge of the table.
“Sent where?””
Victoria shook her head.
“I don't know.””
David looked up from his phone.
“Then we need to move quickly.””
Within an hour, an emergency legal team had been assembled.
A child-protection officer reviewed the documents.
The forged death certificate, the false adoption application, and the financial records raised immediate concerns.
But one thing was still missing.
We needed confirmation that the children were currently at the locations identified.
At 2:30 p.m., David received a call.
He listened without speaking.
Then he looked at me.
“Daniel is at the Surrey property.””
Nia exhaled sharply.
“And Lily?””
“Also there.””
I stood.
“Both of them?””
“Yes.””
Nia began crying.
For the first time since I had found her, her expression held something other than grief.
Hope.
The legal team arranged for a welfare visit accompanied by police officers.
We followed in a separate vehicle.
The property stood behind tall iron gates.
A stone driveway curved through landscaped gardens.
I recognized the building immediately.
It was the house from the photograph.
My mother had spent the previous Christmas here.
She had told me Daniel was staying with relatives overseas.
Now I knew he had been less than an hour away.
The gates opened.
Two police vehicles entered first.
David's car followed.
Nia sat beside me, gripping my hand so tightly that my fingers hurt.
“Marcus,” she whispered.
“Yes?””
“What if they don't recognize us?””
I looked at her.
“Then we'll introduce ourselves.””
The front door opened before we reached the steps.
Richard Hayes stood in the doorway.
He wore a gray sweater and dark trousers.
He looked perfectly ordinary.
That made me hate him even more.
“Marcus,” he said.
“What a surprise.””
I stepped forward.
“Where are my children?””
Richard sighed.
“I think there's been a misunderstanding.””
A police officer approached.
“Mr. Hayes, we're here to conduct a welfare assessment involving two minors.””
Richard's expression changed.
“On whose authority?””
The officer showed him the paperwork.
Richard read it.
Then he looked directly at me.
“You've made a terrible mistake.””
I stepped closer.
“No. You did.””
He moved aside.
“Come in.””
The house smelled of fresh coffee and expensive furniture polish.
A child's toy truck sat near the stairs.
There were drawings on the refrigerator.
Two small pairs of shoes rested beside the entrance.
Nia saw them.
She covered her mouth.
“Those are children's shoes.””
Richard followed her gaze.
“Yes. Lily likes those.””
Nia turned toward him.
“Where is she?””
“Upstairs.””
“Take me to her.””
Richard looked at the officers.
“I'm sure we can arrange something.””
One of them interrupted.
“Mr. Hayes, please bring both children downstairs.””
Richard's jaw tightened.
He walked toward the staircase.
We waited.
Then small footsteps sounded above us.
A little boy appeared first.
He wore a blue sweater and held a toy airplane.
Daniel.
My son.
I recognized the dimple immediately.
He looked at Richard.
“Is Grandma coming?””
Richard crouched.
“Not right now, sweetheart.””
Daniel noticed me.
He stared.
Then he looked at Nia.
“Who are they?””
Nia took one step forward.
Her voice trembled.
“Hello, baby.””
Daniel moved behind Richard.
“Who is that?””
Richard placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It's okay. They're just people from work.””
Nia's face crumpled.
“No, sweetheart. I'm your mommy.””
Daniel frowned.
“My mommy is dead.””
Nia froze.
I felt my heart tear open.
Richard stood.
“That's enough.””
I stepped forward.
“Don't you dare.””
Before he could respond, another little voice came from upstairs.
“Daddy?””
A little girl appeared at the top of the staircase.
Dark curls.
Pink cardigan.
A stuffed rabbit tucked beneath her arm.
Lily.
She looked down at us.
Then she smiled at Richard.
“Can I have my snack now?””
Nia made a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a gasp.
“Lily.””
The little girl looked at her.
“Do I know you?””
Nia's knees weakened.
I caught her.
“It's okay,” I whispered.
But it wasn't.
Nothing about this was okay.
The police officer approached the children gently.
“Hello. My name is Sarah. We're going to talk for a little while, all right?””
Daniel looked frightened.
Lily hugged her rabbit.
Richard stepped between the officer and the children.
“They don't need to speak to strangers.””
“Mr. Hayes, please step aside.””
He reluctantly moved.
Nia slowly lowered herself to her knees.
“Lily, sweetheart, can I tell you something?””
The little girl stared at her.
“Are you my teacher?””
Nia shook her head.
“No, darling.””
“Are you Daddy's friend?””
Nia's eyes filled.
“I'm your mommy.””
Lily looked confused.
Then she glanced at Richard.
“Daddy, why is she saying that?””
Richard said nothing.
I watched his face.
For the first time, he looked genuinely afraid.
The officer asked the children to come into the sitting room.
Daniel refused to let go of his toy airplane.
Lily sat beside him.
Nia stayed several feet away, allowing them space.
I knelt in front of Daniel.
“Hello, buddy.””
He looked at me.
“Are you a policeman?””
“No.””
“Then why are you here?””
I swallowed.
“Because I wanted to meet you.””
Daniel studied my face.
Then he asked a question that nearly destroyed me.
“Are you my daddy?””
I couldn't speak.
Nia covered her mouth.
I nodded.
“Yes, son.””
Daniel looked at Richard.
“Daddy?””
Richard turned away.
And that was when Daniel said something that made every adult in the room go silent.
“Grandma said my real daddy died in the same accident as my mommy.””
I looked at Richard.
“Who told him that?””
Richard rubbed his forehead.
“Eleanor.””
I stood.
“Where is my mother?””
Richard didn't answer.
Then Lily suddenly spoke.
“Grandma said the real mommy was bad.””
Nia turned toward her.
“Who told you that, sweetheart?””
“Grandma.””
“What else did Grandma say?””
Lily hugged her rabbit tighter.
“She said if the real mommy came back, Daddy would go to prison.””
I stared at Richard.
He looked down.
David stepped forward.
“Mr. Hayes, I think it's time you explained your role in this arrangement.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“I have nothing to explain.””
The police officer moved closer.
“Sir, we need you to accompany us for further questioning.””
Richard shook his head.
“You don't understand. I was following instructions.””
“Whose instructions?””
He looked at me.
“Your mother.””
I took another step.
“Did you arrange the accident?””
Richard's silence lasted too long.
Then he said, “No.””
I stared at him.
“Then who did?””
Richard glanced toward the staircase.
His voice dropped.
“Your mother didn't arrange it, Marcus.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Victoria told me the same thing.””
Richard nodded slowly.
“She only discovered part of the truth.””
“Who arranged it?””
He looked directly at me.
“Your father.””
The room went silent.
“That is impossible,” I said.
Richard shook his head.
“Your father didn't die when you were told he did.””
I felt the blood drain from my face.
I remembered the funeral.
The closed coffin.
My mother's tears.
The business documents declaring him deceased.
I looked at Richard.
“Are you telling me my father is alive?””
He opened his mouth.
But before he could answer, my mother's voice came from behind us.
“Richard, don't.””
Everyone turned.
Eleanor stood in the doorway.
Her emerald coat was perfectly buttoned. Her hair was immaculate.
She looked at the children.
Then at Nia.
Finally, her eyes settled on me.
“Marcus,” she said quietly.
“I told you not to come here.””
I stepped forward.
“Where is my father?””
For the first time, my mother didn't look angry.
She looked terrified.
Then she glanced at Daniel and Lily.
And whispered:
“Because if your father knows you've found these children, none of you will be safe.””
A police officer approached her.
“Mrs. Carter, we need you to come with us.””
Eleanor ignored him.
She stared at me.
“Marcus, you need to understand. Your father didn't just fake his death.””
She swallowed.
“He has been watching you since the day you were born.””
Then she reached into her handbag and pulled out an old photograph.
It showed my father standing beside a hospital bed.
A newborn baby lay in his arms.
But the photograph was not from the year I was born.
It was dated October eighteenth, three years earlier.
And the baby in his arms was not Daniel.
May you like
It was another child.
A child none of us had ever seen.
