Chapter 4: My Brother Had Come for My Daughter
“Daddy?””
Lily's tiny voice echoed from somewhere above the underground chamber.
I looked toward the staircase, then back at Victoria.
“Where is my daughter?””
Victoria said nothing.
I grabbed her shoulders.
“WHERE IS LILY?””
She winced.
“Marcus, you're hurting me!””
“Where is she?””
Daniel suddenly rushed toward me. I ducked as his fist swung past my head, then drove my shoulder into his stomach. He crashed against the metal railing.
Victoria screamed.
I didn't wait.
I climbed the stairs two at a time, my injured shoulder throbbing with every movement. The narrow passage opened into the pool equipment room. I pushed through the door and ran toward the terrace.
“LILY!””
The garden was empty.
The pink decorations were still hanging between the trees. The champagne glasses remained untouched. My red velvet ring box lay beside a white rose arrangement.
But Lily was gone.
Mrs. Bennett stood near the French doors, trembling.
“Mr. Hale!””
I rushed toward her.
“Where's my daughter?””
She pointed toward the entrance.
“Mr. Ethan took her.””
My stomach dropped.
“Did you try to stop him?””
“I did! I told him you were downstairs, but he said you had sent him.””
“Why would you believe that?””
“He showed me your phone number. He even knew the family security code!””
I pulled my phone from my wet trousers.
Three missed calls.
All from Ethan.
Then a message appeared.
Marcus, take a breath. Lily is safe with me. Come to the east gate if you want to see her.
I called him immediately.
He answered on the first ring.
“Hello, big brother.””
“Put Lily on the phone.””
A pause.
Then I heard my daughter's frightened voice.
“Daddy?””
“Lily! Sweetheart, are you okay?””
“Daddy, Uncle Ethan says we're going to see Mommy.””
My heart stopped.
“Listen to me, sweetheart. Stay where you are. Don't get into any car. Daddy is coming.””
Ethan laughed softly.
“Still giving orders, Marcus? You haven't changed.””
“Give her back.””
“Of course. She's my niece.””
“She's my daughter.””
“And apparently, she's worth quite a lot.””
I gripped the phone.
“What do you want?””
“Meet me at the east gate. Alone.””
“I'm not leaving without Lily.””
“Then perhaps you should consider what happens if you bring the police.””
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Mrs. Bennett was crying.
“I'm sorry, sir. He looked so convincing. He said you were having a medical emergency and that he needed to take Lily somewhere safe.””
I took a breath.
“Did you see his car?””
“A black SUV. The same one he used when he visited last Christmas.””
I ran toward the security office.
The monitors displayed the mansion's entrances, driveway, garden, and pool area.
One screen showed Ethan carrying Lily toward the SUV.
My daughter was clutching her pink rabbit.
She was looking back toward the house.
Then Ethan turned his face toward the camera.
He smiled.
Not the warm smile I remembered from childhood.
This one was cold.
He raised two fingers and pointed directly at the camera.
A second later, every security monitor went black.
I slammed my fist against the desk.
“Daniel!””
No answer.
I checked the control panel. The entire estate security system had been manually disabled.
Someone had planned this.
I grabbed the emergency radio and called the local police.
“There's been an abduction at my property. My six-year-old daughter has been taken by a man named Ethan Hale. Black SUV. Heading toward the east gate.””
A voice crackled back.
“Sir, are you certain this isn't a family dispute?””
“I'm certain my daughter is in danger!””
I gave them the vehicle details and my address.
Then I ran.
At the east gate, I found the SUV's tire tracks leading onto the private road.
But the gate itself was still closed.
That meant Ethan hadn't left the estate.
He was somewhere on the property.
I looked toward the old greenhouse.
My father had built it decades earlier. It was hidden behind a line of cedar trees, far from the main house.
When Ethan and I were children, we used to hide there whenever our father became angry.
It had an underground storage room.
A place almost nobody knew about.
Except Ethan.
I started running.
Halfway across the garden, my phone rang.
Victoria.
I answered.
“Where is Ethan?””
Her breathing was uneven.
“Marcus, you need to come back.””
“Where's my daughter?””
“She's not with me.””
“Then tell me where he took her!””
“I don't know!””
I heard a metallic door slam in the background.
Then Elina's voice came through the phone.
“Marcus!””
I stopped.
“Elina?””
“I'm out!””
I could barely breathe.
“Are you hurt?””
“My leg. But I'm out. Marcus, listen to me. Ethan has the original documents.””
“What documents?””
“The papers proving that the foundation money was transferred into an account controlled by your father.””
I frowned.
“My father?””
“Yes! The transfers began before he died. Victoria only discovered where the money was going after the accident.””
I looked toward the greenhouse.
“Why would Ethan take Lily?””
“Because the documents are hidden somewhere only you and Ethan know about.””
My childhood memories flashed through my mind.
The greenhouse.
The old storage room.
A wooden chest our father had given us when we were boys.
I suddenly understood.
“Ethan thinks the documents are still there.””
Elina's voice became urgent.
“Marcus, don't go alone!””
But I was already moving.
As I reached the greenhouse, I saw the door standing open.
A faint light glowed inside.
Then I heard Lily crying.
“Uncle Ethan, I want my daddy.””
I pushed the door open.
Ethan stood beside the old wooden chest.
Lily was sitting on a chair with her pink rabbit pressed against her chest.
My brother turned.
“Ah. There you are.””
I stepped inside.
“Let her go.””
Ethan smiled.
“You always were impatient.””
“She's six years old, Ethan.””
“And she's the reason you and I are having this conversation.””
I moved closer.
He raised a small black pistol.
“Stop right there.””
My daughter screamed.
“Daddy!””
I froze.
Ethan looked at me with a smile that reminded me of our father.
“Now, big brother, let's talk about what Dad really left behind.””
Then he placed a thick envelope on the wooden chest.
And I recognized the handwriting on the front.
May you like
It was my father's.
*TO MARCUS AND ETHAN — OPEN ONLY WHEN BOTH OF YOU ARE PRESENT.*
