Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Knew Lily’s Secret
A woman stood outside the mansion gate holding an old hospital file. She whispered: "Sarah, if you want to save Lily, you need to know what Alexander discovered."
When I opened the file, I found a DNA report with Alexander Cole’s signature. But one sentence was circled in red: "Biological connection confirmed." I finally understood why someone wanted my daughter gone.
I couldn't move.
The woman standing outside the office door was someone I had never seen before.
But she knew my name.
She knew Lily.
And most importantly...
She knew Alexander.
My first instinct was to run.
Not because I was afraid of her.
Because I was afraid of what she might reveal.
For years, I had protected Lily from everything.
From poverty.
From people who judged us.
From a world that never made things easy for a single mother.
But now I was standing in the middle of Alexander Cole's mansion, surrounded by secrets that involved my daughter.
I slowly stepped away from the door.
"Who are you?"
The woman didn't answer immediately.
She looked older than me.
Maybe in her late forties.
Her face carried the kind of exhaustion that came from carrying a secret for too long.
Then she whispered:
"My name is Victoria."
My heart stopped.
Victoria Cole.
Alexander's missing wife.
The woman everyone thought disappeared.
The woman from the photograph.
I held the phone tighter.
"You were alive."
Her eyes filled with sadness.
"Yes."
"Why didn't Alexander tell me?"
Victoria looked toward the mansion.
"Because he was trying to keep you alive."
Those words made me angry.
"Keep me alive?"
I stepped closer.
"My daughter was almost taken from me."
Victoria lowered her eyes.
"I know."
The way she said it scared me.
Not because she sounded guilty.
Because she sounded like someone who had watched it happen.
"Tell me the truth."
She looked at me.
"Not here."
I immediately shook my head.
"No."
I thought about Richard.
About someone entering the office.
About how easily people inside this mansion hid things.
"If you know something, you tell me now."
Victoria looked behind me.
Then she whispered:
"Someone inside this house is listening."
My blood went cold.
I looked around.
The hallway was empty.
But I knew better now.
Empty didn't mean safe.
Victoria handed me a small envelope.
"Alexander wanted you to have this if he woke up."
I stared at it.
"He gave this to you?"
She nodded.
"The night before the accident."
My hands tightened.
"Why didn't you give it to me before?"
Victoria looked away.
"Because I didn't know if I could trust you."
That hurt.
After everything.
But before I could respond, she continued.
"Then I saw Lily."
My expression changed.
"What about her?"
Victoria smiled sadly.
"She has Alexander's kindness."
I looked down.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
She pointed toward the envelope.
"Open it."
I did.
Inside was another photograph.
This time, it was not old.
It was recent.
Alexander.
Me.
Lily.
The three of us.
Taken without my knowledge.
I stared at it.
"When was this?"
Victoria answered quietly.
"Two weeks before his accident."
My heart raced.
"Why was he watching us?"
"He wasn't watching."
She looked at me.
"He was protecting you."
I turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
Alexander's handwriting.
Sarah,
I know you will be angry when you discover this.
But I need you to understand.
Lily is not a random child I helped.
She is the reason I started searching for the truth.
My hands trembled.
I continued reading.
Years ago, I discovered that someone had changed records connected to my family.
Someone erased a child from the system.
Someone tried to make her disappear.
My breathing became heavier.
A child.
Lily.
The next line was partially damaged.
But I could still read enough.
"Her real identity..."
The rest was scratched away.
I looked at Victoria.
"What does this mean?"
Victoria didn't answer.
Instead, she asked:
"Has Richard contacted you?"
I froze.
"Why?"
"Because if he knows Alexander left this message..."
She stopped.
"What?"
Victoria looked terrified.
"He will know Alexander remembered everything."
The room became silent.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message.
From Richard.
Sarah.
We need to talk.
I showed Victoria.
Her face changed immediately.
"Do not answer."
"Why?"
"Because he already knows."
I stared at her.
"Knows what?"
Victoria whispered:
"That Alexander is waking up."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
She looked toward the hospital wing.
"Richard didn't want Alexander dead."
I felt confused.
"Then what did he want?"
Victoria's voice became lower.
"He wanted Alexander awake long enough to tell him where the evidence was."
I didn't understand.
"What evidence?"
Victoria looked at the photograph.
"The evidence that could destroy the entire Cole family."
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Richard hurt his own brother?"
Victoria didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
I returned to the hospital immediately.
The entire way there, my mind was spinning.
Alexander had hidden the truth.
Victoria had hidden the truth.
Everyone knew something except me.
But one thing was clear.
Lily was at the center of everything.
When I arrived, the doctor stopped me before I entered Alexander's room.
"Sarah."
His voice sounded serious.
"What happened?"
He looked toward the room.
"Mr. Cole responded again."
My heart jumped.
"He's awake?"
"Not fully."
The doctor lowered his voice.
"But he opened his eyes."
I covered my mouth.
After days.
After everyone gave up.
Alexander was coming back.
I rushed inside.
The room was quiet.
Alexander was lying there.
His eyes were open.
Barely.
But open.
I walked closer.
"Alexander?"
His eyes slowly moved toward me.
A tear appeared at the corner of his eye.
I grabbed his hand.
"I'm here."
His fingers moved.
Weakly.
Slowly.
Trying to write something.
I grabbed a notebook.
"Can you write?"
His hand shook.
But he tried.
One letter.
Then another.
I watched carefully.
The first word appeared.
R.
My heart started racing.
Then another letter.
I.
Then C.
Then H.
I looked at him.
"Richard?"
Alexander's eyes widened.
He was trying to warn me.
Then he suddenly grabbed my wrist.
With more strength than I thought possible.
He opened his mouth.
A whisper came out.
"Not..."
I leaned closer.
"What?"
His eyes filled with fear.
"Not Richard..."
I froze.
Because I had spent days believing Richard was the enemy.
Alexander shook his head weakly.
Trying to finish the sentence.
Then the door behind me opened.
Someone walked inside.
Alexander's eyes instantly filled with terror.
I turned around.
And the person standing there was the last person I expected to see.
Victoria whispered:
"Sarah..."
"That's not who you need to fear."
The person closed the door.
May you like
And Alexander's hand suddenly pointed toward the visitor...
Because the person who entered the room was holding Lily.
