Chapter 7: The Enemy Behind The Family Name
Nobody spoke after Emma finished reading the letter.
The silence inside the Hawthorne mansion felt heavier than before.
For hours, they had believed they were uncovering an old family secret.
A hidden daughter.
A forgotten inheritance.
A woman who had been forced away.
But Anna’s final warning changed everything.
This was not only about the past.
Someone inside the family had helped destroy it.
Someone who was still there.
Daniel looked around the room.
His eyes moved from Evelyn.
To Clara.
To the relatives standing silently near the walls.
For the first time, he saw the mansion differently.
Not as a home.
As a place where people had been hiding things from each other for decades.
“Who?”” Daniel asked.
His voice was quiet.
But everyone heard him.
“Who helped her?””
Nobody answered.
Evelyn looked away.
Clara’s expression changed.
Like she already knew something Daniel did not.
Emma noticed.
“You know.””
Clara looked at her.
“I know what Anna suspected.””
Daniel immediately turned toward her.
“What does that mean?””
Clara hesitated.
Then she looked at Lily.
The little girl was sitting beside Emma, holding the letter carefully.
Clara lowered her voice.
“There are things Lily does not need to hear.””
Lily looked up.
“But they’re about me.””
Emma felt her heart ache.
She was right.
Everyone kept trying to protect Lily by keeping secrets.
But secrets were exactly what had hurt her.
Emma touched her shoulder.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to carry every adult problem.””
Lily looked at the letter.
“I just want to know why people didn’t want me.””
Nobody had an answer.
Because the truth was worse.
Some people had wanted power more than they wanted a child to feel loved.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Clara.””
She looked at him.
“Tell us.””
Clara took a deep breath.
“When Anna discovered she was pregnant, Richard wanted to change the trust agreement.””
Daniel frowned.
“Because of Lily?””
“Yes.””
“He wanted to include her?””
Clara nodded.
“He wanted to make sure Lily would always be protected.””
Emma looked at the documents on the table.
“And someone disagreed.””
Clara looked toward Evelyn.
“Yes.””
Evelyn’s expression remained cold.
“I disagreed because Richard was making emotional decisions.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Emotional?””
“She was a baby.””
“A baby who was your family.””
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“She was not born into the Hawthorne name.””
Emma stepped forward.
“And there it is.””
Evelyn looked at her.
“What?””
“The reason.””
Emma pointed toward Lily.
“You never saw her as a child.””
She paused.
“You saw her as a threat.””
Evelyn said nothing.
Daniel looked devastated.
“My own mother saw my daughter as competition.””
Evelyn’s voice became sharper.
“You don’t understand what was at stake.””
“No.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I understand perfectly.””
He looked around the mansion.
“You were afraid of losing control.””
Evelyn did not respond.
Because the accusation was true.
Clara walked toward the table.
“Anna found out someone was accessing Richard’s private documents.””
Emma looked up.
“What?””
“Before Richard changed the trust.””
Clara pointed toward the papers.
“Someone was trying to remove Lily’s name before it was officially added.””
Daniel frowned.
“Who had access?””
Clara looked at him.
“Only family members.””
A cold feeling moved through the room.
Because everyone understood.
The person responsible was not a stranger.
It was someone close.
Someone trusted.
Uncle Thomas suddenly shifted.
Everyone noticed.
Daniel looked at him.
“Thomas?””
The man immediately raised his hands.
“Don’t look at me.””
Nobody spoke.
Thomas laughed nervously.
“I had nothing to do with this.””
Emma watched him carefully.
The reaction was too quick.
Too defensive.
Clara noticed too.
But before anyone could question him, Evelyn spoke.
“Enough.””
Everyone turned.
Evelyn stood taller.
Her confidence had returned.
“You are all acting like this is some crime investigation.””
Emma stared.
“Isn’t it?””
Evelyn’s face tightened.
“This family has survived because difficult choices were made.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at Lily.
“This family survived because some people were willing to sacrifice others.””
Evelyn looked hurt.
For the first time, Daniel’s words reached her.
But she still refused to accept them.
“You will regret turning against me.””
Daniel answered immediately.
“I regret not doing it sooner.””
The room went silent.
Then a phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
It came from the library.
Emma frowned.
“My phone is in there.””
She walked quickly toward the sound.
Lily followed.
Emma picked up the phone.
The screen showed an unknown number.
She hesitated.
Then answered.
“Hello?””
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then a woman’s voice spoke.
“Is Lily there?””
Emma froze.
“Who is this?””
The woman ignored the question.
“Listen carefully.””
Emma’s grip tightened.
“Who are you?””
The voice became urgent.
“You have to get her out of that house.””
Emma’s eyes widened.
“Why?””
A pause.
Then the woman whispered:
“Because the person who tried to erase Lily once already…”
The line crackled.
“…is about to do it again.””
The call ended.
Emma stared at the phone.
Daniel rushed over.
“What happened?””
Emma looked at him.
“Someone called.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“What did they say?””
Emma looked toward Lily.
Her daughter was watching her.
Waiting.
The same way she had waited all night.
Emma lowered her voice.
“They said someone in this house is trying to hurt Lily.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
Everyone in the room heard.
Evelyn immediately spoke.
“That is ridiculous.””
Emma turned.
“Is it?””
Evelyn’s face hardened.
“You are letting fear control you.””
“No.””
Emma held the phone tightly.
“I’m listening to a warning that came from someone who knew the truth before we did.””
Clara looked frightened.
“There is one person who might know.””
Everyone turned toward her.
“Who?””
Clara looked at the staircase.
At the old family portraits lining the walls.
Then she whispered:
“Your father’s former attorney.””
Mr. Collins looked surprised.
“Why?””
Clara answered:
“Because Richard told him everything.””
Emma frowned.
“But he just arrived tonight.””
Clara shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at the empty doorway.
“He was supposed to arrive tonight.””
A strange feeling filled the room.
“What does that mean?””
Clara’s face went pale.
“It means someone knew he was coming.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Who?””
Clara did not answer.
Because another sound interrupted them.
A crash.
Everyone turned.
It came from the upstairs hallway.
A door had slammed.
Lily grabbed Emma’s hand.
“Mommy?””
Emma pulled her close.
“It’s okay.””
But she did not believe her own words.
Daniel moved toward the stairs.
“I’ll check.””
Emma stopped him.
“No.””
He looked at her.
“We don’t know who is upstairs.””
Daniel looked toward Lily.
Then nodded.
For once, he listened.
Mr. Collins walked toward the staircase.
“I will come with you.””
Together, they climbed.
Everyone watched.
Seconds passed.
Then a voice echoed from above.
“Daniel!””
They froze.
It was Mr. Collins.
But his voice sounded different.
Afraid.
Daniel ran upstairs.
The others followed.
At the top of the stairs, they found the attorney standing outside Richard Hawthorne’s old office.
The door was open.
Inside, papers were scattered everywhere.
Drawers had been emptied.
Someone had searched the room.
Daniel looked around.
“What happened?””
Mr. Collins pointed toward the desk.
“The original trust documents.””
Emma stepped closer.
“What about them?””
The attorney looked at her.
“They’re gone.””
Everyone froze.
Evelyn whispered:
“That’s impossible.””
Mr. Collins looked at the empty safe.
“No.””
He shook his head.
“It’s worse than that.””
He picked up something from the floor.
A small piece of paper.
He handed it to Emma.
She read it.
Her face changed.
Because it was not a threat.
It was a message.
A message written by the person who had taken the documents.
Three words.
May you like
Three words that revealed the person knew exactly who Lily was.
*“She is mine.””*
