Chapter 1: The Sister's Secret
Chapter 1: The Sister's Secret
Claire's hands trembled as she stared at the faded photograph.
The image had been taken more than a decade ago. Two young women stood arm in arm, smiling beneath a summer sky. One was Claire.
The other was her sister, Emily.
The sister everyone believed had simply disappeared.
The ballroom faded into silence around her.
"What's your name?" Claire asked softly.
The boy wiped his tears with a dirty sleeve.
"Jacob."
"Where is your mother?"
Jacob lowered his head.
"She died three days ago."
The words hit Claire like a hammer.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Claire pulled the child into her arms.
For years she had searched for Emily. Private investigators. Police reports. Endless dead ends.
And now Emily's son was standing in front of her.
"How did you find me?"
Jacob reached into his pocket again and handed her a folded piece of paper.
It was a letter.
The handwriting belonged to Emily.
Claire's eyes filled with tears as she read.
If you're reading this, I couldn't stay alive long enough to tell my story. Please protect Jacob. He's all I have left. And there is something you must know about why I disappeared.
Claire looked up.
May you like
For the first time in eight years, she felt both hope and fear.
Because she knew her sister had never left willingly.
