Chapter 3 - THE SECRET ANNA BURIED
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Outside, traffic moved through the city.
Inside the apartment, the only sound was Samuel's soft breathing.
I lowered my voice.
"Why isn't their father supposed to know they're alive?"
Anna's eyes filled with tears.
"Because if he finds them, he'll take them."
"Who is he?"
She shook her head.
"Please don't ask."
"I need to know."
"No."
"Anna."
"You helped me."
"I did."
"You gave my children a home."
"I did."
"Then please let me keep this one thing private."
I wanted to respect that.
But something inside me told me this wasn't simply a custody dispute.
"You said someone tried to take them."
She nodded.
"Three years ago."
"Who?"
"My employer."
I stared at her.
"Your employer?"
She looked down.
"Before the Wellington Grand, I worked for a private family."
"What family?"
She didn't answer.
"Anna."
"The Whitmores."
I felt a chill.
The Whitmore family was one of the wealthiest families in Chicago.
They owned hospitals, real estate, and investment companies.
They had been guests at my hotel for years.
Their patriarch, Charles Whitmore, had even attended my last charity gala.
"What did you do for them?"
"Housekeeping."
"Like here?"
"Yes."
"And the father?"
Anna swallowed.
"Daniel Whitmore."
I sat down.
Daniel Whitmore was Charles's only son.
He was thirty-six, married, and notorious for his temper.
"He was married when you worked there?"
"Yes."
I looked toward the children.
"And Sophia and Samuel are his?"
She nodded.
I couldn't speak.
Anna continued.
"I didn't know he was married at first."
"What happened?"
"He told me his marriage was over."
Her voice cracked.
"I believed him."
I had heard versions of that story a thousand times.
But this wasn't gossip.
These were children.
"Then what?"
"When I became pregnant, everything changed."
She wiped her eyes.
"He told me he'd take care of us."
"Did he?"
"No."
Her laugh was empty.
"He offered me money."
"How much?"
"Two hundred thousand dollars."
I frowned.
"To disappear?"
"To give him the babies."
My jaw tightened.
"Why?"
"He said his family couldn't survive a scandal."
"And you refused."
"I couldn't give them away."
Anna looked at Sophia.
"Then one night, two men came to my apartment."
I leaned forward.
"What did they do?"
"They said they were there to take the children."
"How old were they?"
"Four months."
My stomach turned.
"I called the police."
"And?"
"They arrived after the men left."
"Did you report Daniel?"
"I tried."
She looked embarrassed.
"His family had lawyers."
That was all she needed to say.
"Then I disappeared."
"Where?"
"Different cities."
She moved every few months.
Worked wherever she could.
Never stayed long.
Finally, she came to Chicago.
"I thought I was safe."
I looked at the stuffed elephant.
"Until now."
She nodded.
Then something clicked.
"How did they find you?"
"I don't know."
I stood.
"Maybe you do."
She looked confused.
"What?"
"You said someone tried to take the children three years ago."
"Yes."
"Did they ever stop looking?"
Anna's silence answered.
I walked toward the window.
"Someone has access to the hotel."
She stared at me.
"And they know about your children."
"Yes."
"They photographed them."
"Yes."
"And someone specifically told me to ask about three years ago."
Anna covered her mouth.
"Oh God."
"What?"
She rushed toward a cabinet.
Pulled out a small metal box.
Opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Documents.
And a letter.
She handed me the letter.
I read it.
My blood ran cold.
It was from Daniel Whitmore.
Anna,
You can run as long as you want.
But those children carry my blood.
One day, I will collect what belongs to me.
There was a date.
Three years ago.
And underneath the signature was a second handwritten sentence.
Your hotel won't protect you forever.
I looked up.
"When did you receive this?"
"Before I left."
"Why keep it?"
"Proof."
I nodded.
"We need to involve lawyers."
"No."
"Anna."
"No lawyers."
"Why?"
"Because lawyers couldn't protect me before."
I understood her fear.
But fear wasn't a strategy.
I called Rachel.
"Find me the best family attorney in Chicago."
Anna shook her head.
"No."
I turned toward her.
"You don't get to refuse protection because someone taught you not to trust it."
She stared at me.
"You don't understand what powerful people can do."
I looked at her.
"Anna, I'm a powerful person."
She went silent.
"That's why I'm telling you this."
I stepped closer.
"If someone wants to hurt you, they're going to have to come through me first."
She whispered, "Why?"
I didn't have an easy answer.
Maybe because I saw my mother in her.
Maybe because I couldn't forget Samuel's hand wrapped around that stuffed elephant.
Maybe because I'd spent half my life building walls and suddenly realized they were useless if I never used them to protect anyone.
Before I could answer, there was a knock.
Three sharp knocks.
Anna froze.
I moved between her and the door.
"Who is it?"
No answer.
Another knock.
Then a voice.
"Delivery."
Anna looked terrified.
"I didn't order anything."
I motioned for her to stay back.
I opened the door slightly.
A small package sat on the floor.
Nobody was there.
I picked it up.
The label had one name.
SAMUEL SILVA.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph.
Samuel and Sophia sleeping.
Taken that morning.
Inside their new apartment.
My blood ran cold.
Someone had been watching them.
And then I noticed what was written on the back.
YOU CAN'T HIDE CHILDREN FROM THEIR FATHER.
Anna collapsed into a chair.
I immediately called security.
But before I could say anything else, my phone rang.
David Reynolds.
I answered.
"Where are you?"
His voice was strangely calm.
"At the hotel."
"What do you want?"
"I need to speak to you."
"About what?"
A pause.
"About Anna."
My eyes narrowed.
"How do you know where she is?"
Silence.
Then David said something that made my blood freeze.
"Because I was the one who hired her."
I stared at the phone.
"What?"
"I didn't hire her for housekeeping."
The line went dead.
I looked at Anna.
She was staring at me.
"You heard that?"
I nodded.
She whispered:
"Mr. Martin..."
"What?"
"I've never met David Reynolds before I started working at the Wellington Grand."
And suddenly, the mystery became much darker.
Because David had just claimed the opposite.
May you like
Someone had lied.
And I had no idea which one.
