Chapter 13 - THE HOUSE WAS NEVER SAFE
They left through the back entrance.
Emma carried Lily.
Daniel followed.
Sarah drove.
They reached a second location before dawn.
Lily slept through most of the journey.
Emma watched her daughter's face in the rearview mirror.
She thought about how close they had come to losing everything.
Sarah received a call.
She listened silently.
Then she hung up.
"Victor was found."
Emma's heart stopped.
"Is he okay?"
"He's alive."
"Where?"
"He went to the police himself."
Emma exhaled.
Victor had brought the original evidence.
But he also had another revelation.
Sarah turned to Emma.
"Margaret isn't acting alone."
Emma frowned.
"Who else?"
Sarah didn't answer immediately.
"Daniel's father."
Emma looked at Daniel.
"He's alive?"
Daniel nodded.
"I thought he was overseas."
"He returned three months ago."
Emma felt the pieces connect.
The custody agreement.
The financial transfers.
The hospital records.
The investigation.
All of it had been coordinated.
Daniel's father had returned because Lily was getting older.
And because the trust was becoming more difficult to hide.
Emma looked at Daniel.
"Where is he?"
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know."
Sarah's phone rang again.
This time, it was the hospital.
They had found another sealed document.
A legal authorization.
It gave Daniel's father temporary authority over Lily if Emma was declared unfit.
Emma felt sick.
That was the plan.
Make her look unstable.
Make her lose custody.
Then take control.
She suddenly remembered every strange incident.
The anonymous calls.
The missing medication.
The messages.
The accusations.
Someone had been building a case against her.
Sarah looked at Emma.
"We can prove it."
Emma nodded.
"But we need the original evidence."
Sarah smiled slightly.
"We have it."
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
May you like
His face went completely white.
"My father wants to meet."
