Chapter 7 - The Night Emma Disappeared
Emma stared at the document.
Forty-eight million dollars.
It made no sense.
Lorenzo had created a restitution trust for Evelyn.
After her death, it passed to Emma.
But Isabella had concealed it.
The condition was simple:
The money could only be released when evidence concerning Evelyn’s case became public.
That had now happened.
Emma was wealthy.
She felt sick.
“I don’t want it.”
Vincent looked at her.
“It belongs to you.”
“It belonged to your father.”
“No. He decided it belonged to your mother.”
“It won’t bring her back.”
“No.”
Emma walked away.
For someone who had spent years worrying about bills, the number felt unreal.
She decided eventually to use much of it to create a rehabilitation foundation.
No child would be denied care because a parent couldn’t afford it.
No caregiver would be dismissed simply because of a job title.
Vincent watched her make the decision.
That was the moment he knew gratitude had nothing to do with what he felt.
He loved her.
He did not tell her yet.
He wanted the words to arrive without crisis surrounding them.
Crisis refused to cooperate.
Two nights later, Emma vanished.
Her bedroom was empty.
Phone left behind.
No signs of struggle.
Only a note.
DON’T FOLLOW ME.
Vincent knew instantly she had not written it.
Emma always crossed her sevens.
The note contained a seven.
Uncrossed.
Security footage showed her leaving through the kitchen at 1:14 a.m.
Alone.
But another camera showed why.
A photograph had been slipped under her door.
Sophie.
Someone had taken the little girl.
Emma had traded herself.
Vincent became terrifyingly calm.
Marco knew that calm.
“Where?”
“We’re tracing Celeste.”
“Find Emma.”
“We will.”
“Find her now.”
Emma awoke inside an abandoned medical clinic.
Celeste sat across from her.
“You ruined everything.”
Emma’s wrists were tied.
“Where’s Sophie?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“I don’t hurt children.”
Emma stared at her.
“You helped keep Lucy weak.”
Celeste flinched.
“That wasn’t supposed to hurt her.”
“You paid Mercer.”
“I wanted control of the trust.”
“She’s a child.”
“She would have had everything anyway.”
Emma realized Celeste actually believed that.
Money had distorted every moral line in the family.
“Your mother killed mine.”
Celeste looked away.
“Mother solved problems.”
“And you became one.”
Celeste slapped her.
Emma tasted blood.
Then Celeste placed documents on the table.
“Sign.”
“What?”
“Transfer the restitution trust.”
Emma laughed.
“No.”
“You think Vincent will save you?”
“I think you’re terrified of him.”
Celeste leaned closer.
“You think he loves you?”
Emma said nothing.
“He loves what you did for Lucy.”
The words found their target.
Celeste saw it.
“When Lucy no longer needs you, what are you?”
Emma calmly looked at her.
“Still Emma.”
Celeste’s smile faded.
“You people never understand your place.”
“My mother did.”
Emma leaned forward.
“That’s why yours was afraid of her.”
Celeste struck her again.
Outside, a vehicle stopped.
Celeste froze.
Vincent had found them.
But when the clinic doors opened, it wasn’t Vincent.
Isabella entered.
Celeste stood.
“Mother?”
Isabella looked at her daughter.
“You were told not to touch Emma.”
“I can fix this.”
“No.”
Isabella drew a gun.
Emma’s blood ran cold.
Celeste whispered, “Mother?”
Isabella aimed.
Not at Emma.
At Celeste.
“You became a liability.”
May you like
A gunshot exploded.
And the lights went out.
