Chapter 8 - THE SHOT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The gunshot echoed across the street.
My father fell.
"Dad!"
I rushed toward him.
My mother screamed.
Emily grabbed Noah and ran behind the vehicle.
Daniel stood frozen.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then I saw blood.
Too much blood.
I dropped beside my father.
"Dad."
He looked at me.
"Run."
"No."
"Take Noah."
"I’m not leaving you."
He grabbed my wrist.
"Graham..."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I should have told you."
"Tell me now."
He coughed.
"Your grandfather..."
He struggled to breathe.
"He knew Daniel would come back."
"What does that mean?"
"He left another recording."
"Where?"
My father looked toward my mother.
She understood.
"The house."
I looked at her.
"What house?"
"The Christmas house."
I stared.
"The old family home?"
She nodded.
"There's a room behind the library."
Daniel suddenly fired again.
The bullet struck the SUV.
We ran.
Emily carried Noah.
My mother pulled me toward the car.
"Get in."
I looked at my father.
Two police cars appeared at the end of the street.
Daniel ran.
The officers chased him.
My father was taken to the hospital.
We followed.
Hours later, a doctor came out.
"He survived."
I closed my eyes.
Thank God.
My mother sat beside me.
For the first time in my life, she looked old.
"Why?"
I asked.
She stared at the floor.
"Why did you treat Leah like that?"
She didn't answer.
"Why?"
Finally, she whispered:
"Because every time I looked at her, I remembered what I had done."
I stared.
"What did you do?"
She began crying.
"Your grandfather discovered that Daniel was selling information about vulnerable children."
She wiped her face.
"He wanted to expose him."
"And you?"
"I helped Daniel."
My heart sank.
"Why?"
"Because he threatened me."
"With what?"
"With Noah."
She looked toward the hallway.
"Daniel knew Noah existed."
"And he wanted him?"
"Yes."
My mother continued.
"I believed if I kept Noah hidden, Daniel couldn't use him."
"But you had Emily followed."
"Because Emily knew where Noah was."
"And Leah?"
"Emily was protecting Leah."
I stared.
"From Daniel."
"Yes."
"So why did you make Leah feel unwanted?"
My mother looked at me.
"Because I wanted you to activate the trust."
I didn't understand.
She explained.
"Your grandfather created a clause. If I violated it, I would lose control of the family assets."
"And you deliberately violated it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I knew I couldn't leave."
I stared.
"You could have told me."
"I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."
I almost laughed.
"You chose to hurt a nine-year-old instead."
"I know."
Silence.
Then she said:
"I was wrong."
I looked away.
Those words should have mattered.
They didn't.
Not yet.
My father was still in surgery.
Emily was hiding Noah.
Daniel was somewhere outside.
And somewhere inside the old family house was another recording.
May you like
We needed to find it.
Before Daniel did.
