Chapter 3 - The Woman Behind The Locked Door
"Don't trust Ethan."
My wife's voice repeated inside my head.
Again.
And again.
I stood frozen in the basement doorway, staring into the darkness where I had heard her voice.
For three years, I had imagined what I would do if I ever saw her again.
I thought I would run to her.
I thought I would hold her.
I thought I would ask why she left me.
But I never imagined hearing her warn me.
I never imagined that the first words from the woman I loved would be a warning about my own brother.
Behind me, Ethan took a step forward.
"Adrian..."
I turned around immediately.
"Stay where you are."
The look on his face changed.
Pain.
Confusion.
Fear.
But not anger.
That bothered me.
If he had betrayed me, I expected him to defend himself.
I expected excuses.
Instead, he looked like someone who had been waiting years for this moment.
"Why would she say that?" I asked.
Ethan looked at the frozen video screen.
"I don't know."
I laughed quietly.
A cold laugh.
"You really think I believe that?"
He looked down.
"Your wife was afraid of many people."
"She named you."
His eyes closed.
"I know."
That answer shocked me.
"You know?"
Ethan didn't speak.
I walked toward him.
"How long have you known she was alive?"
His silence lasted too long.
Too long for a brother.
Too long for someone who claimed he wanted to protect me.
"Three years."
My chest tightened.
"You knew for three years?"
Ethan nodded slowly.
I stepped back.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
"You watched me mourn her."
"I did."
"You watched Lily grow up without her mother."
"I did."
"You watched me destroy myself trying to understand what happened."
His eyes filled with regret.
"I did."
I wanted to hit him.
I wanted answers.
I wanted him to feel even a fraction of the pain I had carried.
But then I looked at the photograph of Lily.
And I remembered one thing.
My daughter was upstairs.
Whatever happened next, I couldn't lose control.
Not in front of her.
"Tell me everything."
Ethan looked at the basement door.
"Not here."
I looked around.
"This room was built for secrets."
He shook his head.
"This room was built to protect someone."
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
And that was when I heard it.
A small sound.
A movement.
From behind the shelves.
I turned quickly.
The basement was empty.
But something was wrong.
The old wooden cabinet against the wall was slightly open.
I was certain it had been closed.
I walked toward it.
"Ethan."
He immediately became nervous.
"Adrian, don't."
I stopped.
"Why?"
He stared at the cabinet.
"Because that wasn't meant for you yet."
The words made my entire body tense.
"Who was it meant for?"
Before he could answer, I opened the cabinet.
Inside was a small box.
Black.
Simple.
No name.
No label.
Only one thing written on top.
"L."
My daughter's initial.
I looked at Ethan.
"What is this?"
He didn't answer.
I opened the box.
Inside was a necklace.
A small silver necklace with a tiny heart pendant.
I knew it immediately.
Lily wore one exactly like it.
But this one was older.
And inside the heart pendant was a photograph.
I opened it.
My wife's face appeared.
But she wasn't alone.
She was standing beside someone.
Someone I knew.
Someone I trusted.
My fingers tightened around the necklace.
Because standing beside my wife was my mother.
The same woman who told me my wife died.
The same woman who told me she would help raise Lily.
The same woman who disappeared the moment I discovered the basement.
I looked at Ethan.
"Explain."
His face turned pale.
"I didn't know about that."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I'm telling the truth."
I held up the picture.
"My mother was with my wife."
Ethan stared at it.
Then whispered:
"That's impossible."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
His answer came slowly.
"Because your mother wasn't supposed to know she was alive."
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
Ethan ran his hand through his hair.
"I thought your mother was helping your wife disappear."
"Helping?"
"Yes."
I stepped closer.
"Then why did my wife tell me not to trust you?"
Ethan looked at me.
"I don't know."
A sound came from upstairs.
A crash.
We both turned.
"Lily."
I ran.
I didn't care about the questions anymore.
I didn't care about the secrets.
I only cared about my daughter.
I rushed up the stairs.
"Lily!"
The living room was empty.
The television was off.
The front door was closed.
But my daughter was gone.
My heart stopped.
"Where is my daughter?"
Margaret appeared from the hallway.
Her face was terrified.
"Sir..."
I grabbed her shoulders.
"Where is Lily?"
She looked toward the window.
Then whispered:
"Someone came inside."
I released her.
"What?"
"The cameras went offline five minutes ago."
My blood turned cold.
"Who?"
Margaret looked like she was afraid to say the name.
Then she whispered:
"Your mother."
I froze.
"My mother took my daughter?"
Margaret shook her head quickly.
"No."
"Then where is Lily?"
She pointed toward the garden.
I ran outside.
The entire mansion security system was down.
The gates were open.
The garden lights were flashing.
And near the fountain, I saw something lying on the ground.
A pink ribbon.
The same ribbon Lily had been wearing.
I picked it up.
My hands started shaking.
"Lily!"
No answer.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered immediately.
"Where is my daughter?"
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a woman's voice spoke.
A voice I had not heard in three years.
A voice that made my entire world stop.
"Adrian..."
I couldn't breathe.
"Who is this?"
A quiet sob came from the other end.
Then the woman whispered:
"I never left you."
My knees almost gave out.
"Lily is with me."
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that voice.
I had spent years trying to forget it.
"Your wife..."
The woman continued.
"She's not the only one who was hiding the truth."
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Then another message appeared.
One photo.
One location.
And one sentence.
"Come alone if you want to see your daughter."
I looked at the address.
It was the same place where my wife was declared dead.
The old abandoned house outside the city.
I turned around.
Ethan was standing behind me.
His face had lost all color.
Because he recognized the address too.
May you like
And before I could ask why, he whispered one name:
"Adrian... that's where they buried her."
