Chapter 9 - The Woman Who Disappeared
The officer’s words echoed through the house.
"Marilyn Carter, you are under arrest for faking your own death."
Nobody moved.
Not even Victor.
For the first time, he looked completely caught off guard.
My mother stood frozen near the doorway.
Her face was pale.
Not because she was afraid of the police.
Because she knew this moment would eventually come.
I looked at her.
My mother.
The woman I had buried.
The woman I had hugged only minutes ago.
The woman who had returned from the dead.
And now three strangers were telling me she was a criminal.
"Wait."
My voice cut through the silence.
Everyone looked at me.
I stepped between my mother and the officers.
"You can't just walk in here and take her."
The officer looked at me calmly.
"Lucas Carter?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
He showed me his badge.
"We understand this is confusing."
"Confusing?"
I almost laughed.
"My mother was dead for six years."
I looked at her.
"Now she's alive."
Then at the officers.
"And you're telling me she's under arrest."
The officer nodded.
"We have evidence."
My mother closed her eyes.
She knew.
She knew this was coming.
"Lucas."
I turned.
She looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
Those words hurt more than anything.
Because everyone who had hurt me always started with the same words.
I'm sorry.
"I need the truth."
She nodded.
"You deserve it."
The officer stepped forward.
"Mrs. Carter, please come with us."
My mother looked at him.
"I will."
Then she looked at me.
"But before I go, you need to know something."
I waited.
"The person who ordered my disappearance is still out there."
Everyone became silent.
I looked toward Victor.
But he was gone.
The door was open.
The flash drive was gone.
My stomach dropped.
"He left."
Richard whispered.
I looked at him.
"What?"
Richard walked toward the door.
"Victor knew this would happen."
I looked back at the officers.
"Then why are you here?"
The officer exchanged a glance with his partner.
That bothered me.
"Why?"
He sighed.
"Because Victor contacted us."
My eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"He claimed Marilyn Carter was involved in a conspiracy."
My mother's expression changed.
"He planned this."
The officer looked at her.
"That's what you believe."
"No."
Her voice became firm.
"That's what he wanted you to believe."
The officer didn't respond.
But I saw doubt in his eyes.
They didn't know the entire story.
Nobody did.
Except Victor.
And maybe my mother.
The officers escorted her toward the door.
I followed.
"Mom."
She stopped.
Slowly turned.
For a moment, she wasn't a woman accused of a crime.
She was just my mother.
The person who used to pack my lunch.
The person who kissed my forehead when I was sick.
The person I thought I would never see again.
"I don't know if I can forgive you."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I know."
"But I don't want to lose you again."
She nodded.
"I know."
Then she reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
She handed it to me secretly.
"Don't let anyone see this."
I looked at it.
"What is it?"
Her voice dropped.
"The one thing Victor was afraid of."
Before I could ask anything else, the officer called her name.
She walked away.
I watched my mother disappear through the doorway again.
But this time, she wasn't leaving because she was dead.
She was leaving because someone had taken the truth away from her.
The door closed.
And I was left standing there with more questions than answers.
Emma came beside me.
"Lucas."
I looked at her.
She looked exhausted.
Broken.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
She nodded.
"I know."
"No."
I shook my head.
"You don't."
My voice softened.
"I spent five years thinking I lost everything."
I looked toward the hallway.
"Then tonight I found out I had a family I never knew existed."
My eyes moved to the twins.
They were sitting quietly.
Watching.
Waiting.
I walked toward them.
The older one looked up.
"Is Grandma coming back?"
The question almost destroyed me.
Because he wasn't asking about the woman who was arrested.
He was asking about family.
I knelt down.
"I don't know."
He looked sad.
"But she loves you."
The boy nodded.
"She said she waited a long time to see you."
My throat tightened.
I looked at Emma.
She wiped away a tear.
Then I unfolded the paper my mother gave me.
Three words were written on it.
"Trust Daniel Cross."
I froze.
Daniel.
The name from the birth certificate.
My real father.
Or at least the man who was supposed to be.
I turned the paper over.
There was an address.
A location.
And underneath it, another sentence.
"Before you find him, find out why Richard lied."
I looked at my father.
He was standing by the window.
Silent.
Broken.
"Richard."
He turned.
I held up the paper.
His face changed immediately.
"You know this address."
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
"You know where Daniel is."
Richard looked away.
"Lucas..."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"I am done waiting."
He closed his eyes.
"Daniel is dead."
The words hit me.
"What?"
Richard looked at me.
"He died before you were born."
I stared.
"Then why is my mother telling me to find him?"
Richard didn't answer.
Emma looked confused.
"Maybe she didn't mean Daniel."
I looked back at the paper.
But I knew.
She meant him.
The address.
The warning.
Everything connected.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone looked at it.
I answered.
No one spoke.
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a man's voice came through.
"Lucas Carter."
My heart stopped.
Because I recognized that voice.
Not from today.
Not from messages.
From somewhere deeper.
Somewhere I had forgotten.
"Who is this?"
A quiet laugh.
"You don't remember me."
I looked at Richard.
His face turned pale.
Because he recognized the voice too.
The man continued:
"But your father does."
I gripped the phone.
"Tell me your name."
Another pause.
Then:
"I’m Daniel."
The room went silent.
My breathing stopped.
The man who was supposed to be dead.
The man whose name was on my birth certificate.
The man my father said never existed.
Was calling me.
"Lucas."
His voice became serious.
"You need to leave that house immediately."
"Why?"
A long silence.
Then he whispered:
"Because Victor isn't the person you should be afraid of."
I looked at Richard.
And Richard stepped backward.
Like he had just heard something impossible.
May you like
Then Daniel said one final thing.
"The person who ordered your mother's disappearance is standing right beside you..."
