Chapter 8: The Daughter Richard Buried
Ryan stood beside his car, holding his phone against his ear.
His face had gone completely white.
"Where?"" he asked.
A pause.
"Are you sure?""
Another pause.
Then he whispered:
"Don't let her leave.""
He ended the call and looked toward my house.
I stepped onto the porch.
"Who was that?""
Ryan didn't answer.
"Ryan?""
He swallowed.
"Emily's daughter.""
I stared at him.
"You said you didn't know where she was.""
"I didn't.""
"Then who found her?""
He looked toward the street.
"Richard.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Where is she?""
Ryan hesitated.
"At the old maritime headquarters.""
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
"Why would Richard take a five-year-old child there?""
Ryan looked at him.
"Because she's the only person who can prove what happened to her mother.""
The words sent a chill through the room.
Sarah reached for her phone.
"We need to contact the authorities.""
Ryan shook his head.
"That won't work. Richard has already arranged for her to be moved.""
"Moved where?"" I demanded.
"I don't know.""
I stepped closer.
"Ryan, you have one chance to tell me everything.""
He looked exhausted.
Then he began speaking.
"Emily's father was a major investor in Richard's shipping company. When Richard's business started collapsing, he arranged for me to marry Emily. It was supposed to strengthen the partnership.""
"Did you love her?""
Ryan looked down.
"No.""
"Did she know?""
"Eventually.""
He explained that Emily had discovered Richard was moving company funds through offshore accounts. She had copied several documents and threatened to expose him.
Shortly afterward, she died in a car accident.
Her daughter was placed under the guardianship of a woman connected to Richard.
"Why wasn't the child given to you?"" I asked.
"Because Richard told me Emily's family had taken her.""
"And you believed him?""
Ryan didn't answer.
I felt disgust rising inside me.
"You didn't even look for your daughter?""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Years ago.""
"How many times?""
He looked away.
I laughed bitterly.
"You couldn't be bothered to look for your own child, but you had plenty of time to pursue Vanessa.""
Ryan flinched.
Daniel interrupted.
"Where is the original archive?""
Ryan looked at him.
"At the headquarters.""
"Can you get us inside?""
"Yes.""
Sarah immediately objected.
"That's dangerous.""
Ryan shook his head.
"If we don't get there before Richard moves the child, we'll lose our only witness.""
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded reluctantly.
"We go with security and contact the authorities before entering.""
Two hours later, we arrived at the old maritime headquarters.
The building stood near the industrial docks, surrounded by warehouses and rusted shipping containers.
A security guard recognized Ryan.
He opened the gate.
Inside, the corridors smelled of dust, oil, and old paper.
Ryan led us toward a private office.
"Richard keeps the original company records here.""
Daniel pointed toward a locked door.
"That's the server room.""
Ryan entered a code.
The door opened.
Rows of black equipment filled the room.
A computer terminal glowed in the corner.
Daniel connected the flash drive Michael had given us.
Files began appearing on the screen.
Bank transfers.
Company registrations.
Internal messages.
And a folder labeled:
*EMILY — FINAL RECORDS.*
I opened it.
The first document was a medical report.
The second was a photograph of Emily holding a newborn baby.
The third was a handwritten statement.
I recognized the handwriting from the letter my father had left me.
It was his.
Emily came to me because she feared Richard. She told me she had discovered the offshore transfers and that Ryan had unknowingly signed documents used to conceal them.
I read the next line.
She also told me that Richard had threatened to take her daughter if she went to the police.
My eyes filled with tears.
My father had known.
He had tried to help her.
Then I saw another document.
It was a guardianship agreement.
The child's name was listed as Sophie Cole.
Her guardian was Vanessa Cole.
I looked at Ryan.
"Vanessa has been raising your daughter?""
Ryan's face collapsed.
"Apparently.""
"All this time?""
He nodded.
I felt a strange mixture of anger and pity.
Then I opened the final file.
It contained an audio recording.
Daniel played it.
A woman's voice filled the room.
Emily.
"If anything happens to me, please protect Sophie. Richard has been using my signature to authorize transfers. Ryan doesn't know everything, but he knows enough to be dangerous.""
A man's voice followed.
Richard.
"You should have stayed out of the business.""
Emily replied:
"You stole from my father.""
Richard's voice became colder.
"Your father is dead. Your husband is weak. And your daughter will be raised by people who understand what loyalty means.""
The recording ended with a loud crash.
I covered my mouth.
Ryan backed away from the computer.
"Oh my God.""
Daniel immediately copied the file.
"That's evidence.""
A sound came from the corridor.
Footsteps.
Then a voice.
"Well, well. The whole family is finally together.""
Richard stood in the doorway.
Two security guards stood behind him.
Vanessa was beside him.
And between them was a little girl wearing a yellow cardigan.
She had dark hair and enormous brown eyes.
Ryan stared at her.
"Sophie?""
The girl looked frightened.
She moved closer to Vanessa.
Richard smiled.
"Isn't it wonderful? Three generations under one roof.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Richard, the police are on their way.""
Richard laughed.
"Then perhaps we should hurry.""
He held up a document.
It was an emergency guardianship order.
"Vanessa has agreed to transfer Sophie's custody to me temporarily. And with this child's testimony, I can establish that Ryan's previous marriage was never properly dissolved.""
Ryan stepped forward.
"Don't touch her.""
Richard ignored him.
He looked at me.
"Claire, you should have stayed home with your babies.""
I stared at the little girl.
She was five years old.
She had been separated from her father, hidden from her family, and used as a bargaining chip in a financial conspiracy.
I crouched slightly.
"Hi, Sophie.""
She looked at me.
"Who are you?""
I swallowed.
"I'm Claire. I'm your father's wife.""
Sophie frowned.
"Are you the lady with the babies?""
I nodded.
"Yes.""
She looked down.
"Vanessa said Daddy didn't want me.""
Ryan made a broken sound.
He fell to his knees.
"Sophie, sweetheart, that's not true.""
The little girl didn't move.
Richard reached for her shoulder.
"Come along.""
Sophie pulled away.
"No!""
Vanessa looked at Richard.
"Maybe we should wait.""
He grabbed the girl's arm.
Ryan lunged forward.
The security guards blocked him.
Then Sophie screamed.
"Stop! I know where the papers are!""
Everyone froze.
Richard released her.
"What papers?""
Sophie looked at him with frightened eyes.
"The ones Mommy hid before she died.""
Richard's face changed.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
Sophie pointed toward a small cabinet behind the server racks.
"Mommy said only Daddy could open it.""
Ryan turned toward the cabinet.
Inside was a small metal box.
And when he opened it, we found something that would change everything.
A birth certificate.
Not Sophie's.
May you like
A second birth certificate.
For a child named Grace Bennett.
