Chapter 8 - The Night Someone Came for Emma
Dominic had escaped during a prisoner transfer.
Within hours, Preston’s home became a fortress.
Emma refused to hide.
Oliver stayed close.
Nathan discovered Dominic and Claire were not running.
They were searching.
For something Serena had left behind.
The lullaby archive was incomplete.
One verse had never been decoded.
Emma remembered Grace always stopping before the final line.
Oliver remembered Serena doing the same.
Then Oliver hummed a melody neither adult recognized.
Nathan did.
“Dad used to whistle that.”
Arthur Hale had contributed the final key.
The last coordinates pointed back to the mansion.
Specifically, Oliver’s nursery.
They searched.
Nothing.
Until Emma noticed one wooden star above the fireplace was slightly crooked.
Behind it was a safe.
Inside lay a ledger.
Not criminal accounts.
Names of children.
Dozens.
Each associated with payments from the Hale Foundation.
Victor had been running an illegal adoption and identity network through corrupt clinics.
Claire had been one of its victims.
Grace had not voluntarily surrendered her.
Claire had been stolen.
Emma sat down.
Everything changed.
Claire’s entire life had been built on a lie.
That did not erase what she had done.
But it explained the wound Victor exploited.
Preston immediately gave the ledger to investigators.
That night, the mansion lost power.
Backup generators failed.
Preston drew his gun.
“Emma.”
“I’m here.”
“Oliver?”
“With me.”
A window shattered downstairs.
Security moved.
Preston took Emma and Oliver toward the safe room.
Halfway there, Claire appeared.
She held no weapon.
Blood covered her coat.
“Dominic is coming.”
Preston aimed.
Claire raised her hands.
“He found the ledger before you did. He knows you sent it out.”
“Why are you here?”
Claire looked at Emma.
“To finish what Serena tried to do.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
“Save me.”
A gunshot sounded downstairs.
Claire flinched.
Dominic’s men entered the house.
Preston had seconds.
He pushed Emma, Oliver, and Claire into the safe room.
“Lock it.”
Emma grabbed him.
“You’re coming.”
“I have to stop them.”
“No.”
He looked at Oliver.
His son was terrified.
Old Preston would have walked toward violence.
New Preston hesitated.
Nathan appeared.
“Go. I’ve got downstairs.”
Preston entered the safe room.
For once, he chose his child over the fight.
Security and federal agents captured Dominic’s men.
But Dominic escaped again.
Claire surrendered voluntarily.
Before authorities took her, Emma hugged her.
Claire froze.
Then slowly hugged back.
Preston watched.
Later, Emma stood on the balcony.
“You were going to propose.”
He joined her.
“Terrible timing.”
“You still can.”
He looked at her.
“Emma Carter.”
She smiled.
“Preston Hale.”
He reached into his pocket.
This time there was a ring.
Before he could kneel, his phone vibrated.
A message from Dominic.
One photograph.
Nathan tied to a chair.
May you like
Beneath it were five words.
COME TO SERENA’S GRAVE. ALONE.
