Chapter 13 - THE EMPTY BEDROOM
Daniel drove faster than he ever had in his life.
By the time he reached the mansion, police vehicles surrounded the estate.
The west gate stood open.
One guard lay unconscious near the security building.
Daniel ran upstairs.
Lily’s bedroom was empty.
Her music box lay shattered on the floor.
Margaret was crying in the hallway.
“I only left for two minutes.”
Daniel grabbed her shoulders.
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Dr. Grant called me downstairs.”
Grant appeared behind them.
“I never called you.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
A guard entered holding a tablet.
“We found this on the service stairs.”
Security footage showed a man wearing a police jacket walking Lily through the west corridor.
His face was partially hidden.
Daniel recognized the posture.
Owen.
Lily was not struggling.
That frightened Daniel more.
“She thought he was police,” Margaret whispered.
Daniel’s phone rang.
Owen Pierce.
Daniel answered immediately.
“Where is my daughter?”
Owen sounded calm.
“You always were impatient.”
“I will destroy everything you ever cared about.”
“No.”
“You won’t.”
Daniel’s entire body went still.
Owen continued.
“Because I have Lily.”
“And because you now understand I am the only person who can keep Reed Holdings from collapsing.”
“You stole from us.”
“I built what your family was too incompetent to protect.”
Daniel paced toward the window.
“What do you want?”
“The original File 17.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Don’t insult me.”
“Vanessa kept Elena’s copy.”
“You opened the wall.”
“You have it.”
Daniel looked toward Grant.
Grant shook his head.
Do not agree yet.
Owen continued.
“Bring the ledger.”
“The flash drive.”
“Elena’s videos.”
“And Natalie.”
Natalie stared at the phone.
Daniel’s voice became colder.
“Why Natalie?”
“Old business.”
Natalie silently mouthed.
My evidence.
Daniel understood.
Owen did not merely want Elena’s records.
He wanted every surviving witness.
“Where?”
“The old Reed laboratory.”
Grant wrote the location.
Daniel knew it.
His father had built the laboratory thirty years earlier.
It had been abandoned for almost a decade.
Owen continued.
“Two hours.”
“No police.”
“No tricks.”
“I see anyone except you and Natalie, Lily disappears.”
The call ended.
Vanessa spoke from the doorway.
“He won’t release her.”
Daniel turned.
Vanessa’s face was pale.
“You know that?”
“I know Owen.”
“He doesn’t leave witnesses.”
Daniel walked toward her.
“Then help me.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You would trust me?”
“No.”
Daniel handed her the burner phone.
“But you want to survive.”
Vanessa looked at the device.
Daniel continued.
“And right now, that makes our interests temporarily identical.”
Ethan stepped forward from behind Grant.
“I’m coming too.”
Daniel looked at him.
“No.”
“She’s my niece.”
“You remembered that a little late.”
Ethan flinched.
Daniel turned away.
Ethan whispered.
“I know the old laboratory.”
Daniel stopped.
“There is a tunnel underneath it.”
Everyone looked at him.
Ethan continued.
“Owen doesn’t know I found it.”
Daniel stared at his brother.
“How?”
Ethan swallowed.
May you like
“Because Dad showed me.”
“Three days before he died.”
