Chapter 5 - THE HOUSE THAT DIDN’T EXIST
The safe house was not on any map.
Adrian had purchased the property through three shell companies twelve years earlier, long before Lily was born, long before Sarah ever knew what Adrian Moretti truly was.
It sat two hours north of Manhattan, surrounded by dense woods and an old stone wall that looked as though it had been abandoned for decades.
There were no neighbors.
No streetlights.
No visible cameras.
That was exactly why Adrian had chosen it.
When the SUV finally stopped behind the iron gate, it was nearly midnight.
Lily was asleep against Adrian's chest.
He hadn't moved her for almost two hours.
His shoulder burned.
His heart felt like it was beating against a cage.
But he didn't care.
For the first time in seven years, his daughter was sleeping in his arms.
He wasn't giving her back to the world yet.
Vincent opened the vehicle door.
"We're here."
Sarah stepped out first.
She looked around.
"How many people know about this place?"
"Four," Adrian said.
Sarah turned toward him.
"How many are alive?"
Adrian looked at her.
"All four."
"Then that's not secure enough."
Vincent gave a grim smile.
"You're learning."
Sarah didn't smile back.
"Three years of learning the hard way."
Adrian carefully stepped out of the SUV.
His legs nearly gave out.
Vincent caught his arm.
"Easy."
"I'm fine."
"You've said that every time you've almost collapsed."
Adrian ignored him.
Inside the house, the lights came on automatically.
Lily stirred.
"Daddy?"
Adrian stopped.
"Yes?"
She opened her eyes.
"Are we home?"
He looked at Sarah.
Sarah's expression softened despite everything.
"Not yet, sweetheart."
Lily looked around.
"Is this your house?"
Adrian nodded.
"One of them."
She frowned.
"How many houses do you have?"
Adrian hesitated.
"Too many."
That made her smile.
It was the first smile he had seen from her.
He felt something in his chest that had nothing to do with his heart condition.
Sarah noticed.
She noticed everything.
Later, after Lily had been put to bed, Sarah found Adrian standing alone in the kitchen.
He was staring at a glass of water.
"You shouldn't be drinking coffee," she said.
"I wasn't."
"You were thinking about it."
He looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"I knew you before you became this man."
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Which man?"
"The one everyone is afraid of."
He looked down.
"I never wanted you to be afraid of me."
"I wasn't."
"You are now."
Sarah didn't answer.
Adrian finally looked at her.
"I never stopped loving you."
Sarah's eyes hardened.
"Don't."
"I'm not asking you for anything."
"You don't get to say things like that after three years."
"I know."
"Do you?"
She stepped closer.
"You disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation. Nothing. I was pregnant, Adrian."
He went completely still.
"I know."
Sarah stared at him.
"You knew?"
"Vincent told me."
"When?"
"Three days after you left."
Sarah's face changed.
"Then you knew about her."
"Yes."
"And you still stayed away?"
Adrian's voice became quiet.
"I thought if I stayed close, she'd die."
Sarah shook her head.
"And you thought she wouldn't die without you?"
"No."
"Then what did you think?"
Adrian looked toward the hallway where Lily was sleeping.
"I thought maybe she'd hate me."
Sarah laughed bitterly.
"Children don't hate fathers they never knew."
Adrian's eyes filled with something Sarah had never seen before.
Regret.
"That's worse."
She frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I missed everything."
Silence filled the room.
Then Adrian whispered:
"I missed her first word."
Sarah looked away.
"Her first steps?"
"Yes."
"Her first day of school?"
"Yes."
"Her first nightmare?"
His voice broke.
"Yes."
Sarah's anger weakened.
Not disappeared.
But weakened.
Then Adrian's phone vibrated.
He checked it.
A message.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
YOU SHOULD ASK SARAH WHY SHE LIED ABOUT THE NIGHT LILY WAS BORN.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
He looked at Sarah.
She immediately noticed.
"What?"
He showed her the phone.
Her face went white.
Adrian stepped closer.
"What happened that night?"
Sarah couldn't speak.
"Sarah."
She looked toward the hallway.
Then whispered:
"I didn't tell you everything."
Adrian's heart seemed to stop.
"What didn't you tell me?"
Before she could answer, the lights went out.
Again.
The house fell into darkness.
A child's scream came from upstairs.
"Mommy!"
Sarah ran.
Adrian followed.
The hallway was black.
Vincent shouted from below:
"Everyone stay where you are!"
A gunshot exploded upstairs.
Sarah screamed.
Adrian ran toward Lily's room.
The door was open.
The window was shattered.
The bed was empty.
Adrian froze.
"No."
Sarah dropped to her knees.
"Lily!"
Vincent rushed upstairs.
Adrian stared at the broken window.
On the floor lay Lily's stuffed rabbit.
And beside it was a piece of paper.
Adrian picked it up.
There were only five words.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED WHO HER FATHER WAS.
His hand began to shake.
Sarah stared at him.
Adrian slowly turned.
"What did you do?"
Sarah's lips trembled.
"I tried to protect her."
"From whom?"
May you like
Sarah closed her eyes.
"From you."
