Chapter 8: The Second Child
Police arrived within minutes.
The cottage filled with flashing lights and heavy footsteps.
Lily sat wrapped in a blanket while I held her.
She kept asking the same question.
“Why did the window break?””
I kissed her forehead.
“Someone made a bad choice.””
“Are they coming back?””
I looked at Dad.
He answered for me.
“No.””
But his voice didn't sound convincing.
Mom sat at the kitchen table.
She was staring at the photograph of the little boy.
Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
I sat beside her.
“Tell me about him.””
She looked at me.
“His name was Daniel.””
My heart sank.
“You named him Daniel?””
“Yes.””
“Why have I never heard about him?””
“Because Frank made sure you wouldn't.””
Mom explained that Daniel had been born two years before me.
He had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition as a baby.
The family struggled financially.
Then Frank offered Dad a business opportunity.
The money paid for Daniel's treatment.
At least, that's what Dad believed.
But the money had come from one of Frank's illegal accounts.
When the investigation began, Frank threatened to expose Dad as part of the scheme.
“He used your son to control you,” Mom said.
Dad looked broken.
“I didn't know.””
Mom nodded.
“I believe you.””
“But Daniel…”
“He died.””
I stared at the photograph.
“What?””
“He died when he was six.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“The heart condition?””
“No.””
Mom's voice cracked.
“He disappeared.””
Silence.
I felt confused.
“You just said he died.””
“That is what they told me.””
“Who?””
“Frank.””
Mom looked at Dad.
“Your father believed Daniel was taken to a specialist hospital. Frank told him the doctors couldn't save him.””
Dad's face twisted.
“I was there.””
Mom shook her head.
“You were shown a body.””
Dad stared.
“What?””
“A child who wasn't Daniel.””
My skin prickled.
“Then where was he?””
Mom looked down at the photograph.
“I don't know.””
Daniel Brooks, the former fire investigator, suddenly spoke.
“Wait.””
We turned.
He was standing near the doorway.
“What's the date on that photograph?””
Mom told him.
Daniel went pale.
“I've seen that face before.””
Dad stood.
“Where?””
Daniel pulled out his phone.
He opened an old newspaper archive.
Then turned the screen toward us.
A photograph appeared.
A young man in his twenties stood beside a community shelter.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
My brother.
Older.
Alive.
I grabbed the phone.
“Who is this?””
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
“His name is listed as Daniel Reed.””
Mom covered her mouth.
“No.””
Dad stared at the screen.
“Where?””
Daniel zoomed in.
The location was a town less than an hour away.
My heart began racing.
“We have to go.””
Dad nodded.
Police insisted we wait.
We didn't.
Two hours later, we stood outside a small community center.
A volunteer opened the door.
“Can I help you?””
I held up the photograph.
“Do you know this man?””
She looked at it.
Then her expression changed.
“You're family?””
I nodded.
The woman stepped aside.
“He's inside.””
My heart nearly stopped.
We walked down a narrow hallway.
At the end was a small office.
A man stood beside a desk.
He was tall.
Dark-haired.
His face was older.
But the eyes—
The eyes were my mother's.
He looked at us.
Then at the photograph in my hand.
His lips parted.
“Mom?””
My mother collapsed into his arms.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Daniel looked at Dad.
“You're my father.””
Dad couldn't answer.
He simply hugged him.
I stood frozen.
My entire life had just changed again.
Daniel eventually looked at me.
“And you're Emma.””
I nodded.
He smiled through tears.
“I knew you existed.””
“How?””
“I've seen pictures.””
“From who?””
His smile disappeared.
“Vanessa.””
My stomach turned.
“What?””
Daniel stepped back.
“She found me twelve years ago.””
Dad's face hardened.
“What did she want?””
“She told me our family had abandoned me.””
“That isn't true,” I said.
“I know that now.””
Daniel walked to a cabinet and pulled out a metal box.
“She gave me this.””
He opened it.
Inside were documents.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
Letters.
And a handwritten ledger.
Daniel handed it to Dad.
“She wanted me to hate you.””
Dad looked at the ledger.
“Why?””
“Because she needed someone outside the family to move money for her.””
Daniel swallowed.
“I refused.””
“What happened?””
“She threatened to expose me.””
I stepped closer.
“Then why did you keep this?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Because I knew one day you'd find me.””
He pulled out a final envelope.
It had my name on it.
I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Not from Vanessa.
From Frank.
The first line made my blood run cold.
*Emma, if you're reading this, your mother has finally told you about the night of the fire.*
I looked at Daniel.
“When did he write this?””
“Three weeks ago.””
Dad grabbed the letter.
I watched his eyes move across the page.
Then he stopped.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“Frank says he has Lily.””
My entire body went numb.
I spun toward the hallway.
A police officer rushed inside.
“Where's the child?””
I couldn't speak.
Daniel looked around.
May you like
“Where is the little girl?””
She was gone.
