Chapter 8 - The Three Days Daniel Disappeared
The lights went out.
Completely.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The darkness swallowed the room.
I could hear Lily breathing.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
And somewhere outside the hidden room, someone was walking.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Like they had all the time in the world.
Adrian's voice cut through the darkness.
"Nobody moves."
A small click followed.
His weapon was ready.
Marcus whispered:
"They know we're here."
My sister grabbed my arm.
"Claire, stay close to me."
I almost pulled away.
Almost.
Because twelve hours ago, I would have trusted her with my life.
Then I discovered she had been alive for twelve years and never came back.
But when the lights disappeared and danger surrounded us, my body still remembered one thing.
She was my sister.
The emergency lights flickered on.
Red.
Dim.
Enough to see faces.
Adrian stood near the door.
Marcus watched the cameras.
Elena held Lily.
And my sister stood beside me.
Then the speaker turned on.
Victor Hale's voice filled the room.
"You always did choose the dramatic way out, Adrian."
Adrian looked toward the ceiling.
"Show yourself."
Victor laughed.
"Still giving orders."
The sound of his voice made something inside me tighten.
Because he wasn't angry.
He sounded comfortable.
Like this was his house.
Like we were the ones who broke in.
My sister stepped closer to the speaker.
"Victor."
The laughter stopped.
"Ah."
A pause.
"Sarah Bennett."
My sister closed her eyes.
Hearing her name from him seemed to hurt.
"I thought you were brave enough to stay dead."
I looked at her.
Sarah.
Her real name.
The name I hadn't heard in years.
Adrian noticed my expression.
"Claire."
I ignored him.
"Why does he know her?"
Nobody answered.
Victor continued.
"Claire, I know you have questions."
I looked toward the speaker.
"Where is Daniel?"
Silence.
Then:
"Still asking about him."
My hands tightened.
"Answer me."
Victor sighed.
"Your husband was a good man."
"Don't talk about him."
"He loved you."
The words hurt.
Because they sounded true.
"And he died because he couldn't accept the truth."
"What truth?"
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"That your father was not the victim."
The room became still.
I looked at the screen.
"My father?"
"Thomas Bennett was a liar."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Don't listen to him."
Victor laughed.
"Why?"
A pause.
"Because I know what you did?"
Adrian's face changed.
I noticed.
And Victor noticed too.
"You never told her."
My stomach dropped.
"Told me what?"
Nobody answered.
Victor continued.
"The night Daniel died, Adrian wasn't trying to save him."
I looked at Adrian.
"What?"
Adrian's voice was low.
"Claire."
"No."
I stepped back.
"Let him talk."
Adrian looked at me.
There was something in his eyes.
Something that frightened me.
Regret.
Victor continued.
"Daniel survived the crash."
My entire body went cold.
"No."
"He was alive."
I shook my head.
"The doctors said—"
"The doctors were paid."
Nobody moved.
Victor's voice became softer.
"Daniel lived for three days after the accident."
The room disappeared.
Three days.
Three days Daniel was alive.
Three days when I thought I was planning his funeral.
Three days when I sat alone in our apartment.
Three days when I begged God to let me say goodbye.
I looked at Adrian.
"Is that true?"
He didn't answer.
And that was the answer.
My knees almost gave out.
"You knew."
Adrian looked devastated.
"Yes."
The anger came back.
Stronger.
"You knew my husband was alive."
"Claire—"
"You knew."
"I tried to get him out."
"You tried?"
My voice broke.
"You tried?"
I looked at him.
"While I was burying an empty body?"
Adrian closed his eyes.
For the first time, he looked like a man who hated himself.
Not a powerful man.
Not a feared man.
Just a man carrying something too heavy.
Victor spoke again.
"He didn't tell you because Daniel made him promise."
I looked at the speaker.
"What?"
Victor continued.
"Daniel knew if you knew the truth, you would become a target."
I laughed bitterly.
"A target?"
I looked around.
"That worked out well."
My sister reached for me.
I moved away.
"No."
I couldn't let anyone comfort me.
Not when everyone had taken pieces of my life away.
"Where was he?"
I looked at Adrian.
"Where was Daniel for those three days?"
Adrian was silent.
Then he said:
"In a safe house."
"Why didn't he come home?"
His face changed.
"Because he discovered who caused the accident."
My breathing stopped.
"Who?"
Adrian looked toward Victor's voice.
"Victor Hale."
The room went quiet.
Victor didn't deny it.
Instead, he laughed.
"You finally admit it."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"You killed him."
"No."
Victor's voice became colder.
"You did."
I froze.
Adrian didn't react.
And that scared me.
Because there was a difference between being accused of something impossible and being reminded of something painful.
Adrian looked at the floor.
"I couldn't save him."
Victor laughed.
"Exactly."
My heart raced.
"What does that mean?"
Nobody answered.
So I demanded:
"What does that mean?"
Adrian finally looked at me.
"I found Daniel after the crash."
My chest tightened.
"He was alive."
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you bring him to me?"
His voice became quieter.
"Because he asked me not to."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
Adrian looked away.
"Because Daniel knew someone close to you was involved."
My sister froze.
Elena looked at her.
Marcus stopped moving.
I felt cold.
"Someone close to me?"
Adrian nodded.
"He believed the person responsible would come after you next."
I shook my head.
"No."
The word came automatically.
Because there were too many possibilities.
Too many people.
My father.
My sister.
Adrian.
Daniel.
Everyone.
Victor's voice interrupted.
"And now you know why Daniel left the message."
I looked at the speaker.
"What message?"
Victor didn't answer.
Instead, a file appeared on the monitor.
A video.
The title made my blood run cold.
DANIEL BENNETT — FINAL RECORDING.
My hands started shaking.
Adrian looked at the screen.
"No."
Victor smiled through the camera.
"You should watch this one."
The video began.
Daniel appeared.
But this time, he wasn't alone.
Someone was standing behind him.
Someone whose face was hidden.
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
His eyes were filled with fear.
"Claire."
I covered my mouth.
"If you're seeing this..."
He paused.
"...then Adrian failed to protect you."
Adrian stepped back.
The video continued.
"There's something I never told you."
Daniel looked behind him.
Like someone was listening.
Then he whispered:
"The person who betrayed us wasn't Victor."
Everyone froze.
Daniel continued.
"It was someone we trusted."
The screen glitched.
The hidden figure behind him moved closer.
Slowly.
May you like
And just before the recording ended, Daniel said the one sentence that made my blood turn cold:
"The person standing behind me is..."
