Chapter 50 - The Child Clara HidYears ago, before Lily was born, Clara had another child.
A daughter.
She had been taken away because Clara believed the Vance family was dangerous.
She had been raised under another name.
Another identity.
Another family.
Mark stared at the photograph.
“Where is she?”
Clara's father smiled.
“She is closer than you think.”
Mark looked at Ethan.
Then Rebecca.
Then Sarah.
Every possibility raced through his mind.
Suddenly, Sarah's phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
“Mr. Vance…”
“What?”
“There is a woman downstairs.”
“Who?”
Sarah looked toward the mansion entrance.
A young woman stood there.
Late twenties.
Dark hair.
Clara's eyes.
Clara's smile.
She was holding an old photograph.
Mark slowly walked toward her.
The woman looked at him.
“Are you Mark?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Anna.”
Mark's breathing stopped.
She held out the photograph.
“I think you were my mother's husband.”
Mark couldn't speak.
Anna looked around the mansion.
“I've been looking for this place my entire life.”
Lily stepped forward.
“Are you my sister?”
Anna looked at her.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I think so.”
Mark felt the weight of the past collapse around him.
But then Anna whispered:
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Mom didn't send me here because she wanted me to find you.”
Mark frowned.
“Then why?”
Anna looked toward Clara's portrait.
“She sent me here because she knew someone would eventually come looking for me.”
Mark's face hardened.
“Who?”
Anna slowly turned toward the front door.
A black SUV had stopped outside.
Three men stepped out.
Then a fourth.
One of them looked directly at Anna.
And smiled.
Anna whispered:
May you like
“They found me.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
