Chapter 5: The Man From Grace’s Past
Adrian did not sleep that night.
The mansion was silent.
Too silent.
Usually, Lily’s small footsteps could be heard running through the hallway in the morning. Usually, Grace’s absence felt like an empty room.
Tonight, it felt like a warning.
He sat in his office with Teddy in front of him.
The tiny camera was still connected.
The bear had protected Lily once.
Now it had uncovered a truth Adrian wasn’t sure he wanted.
At 3:17 a.m., his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He stared at it.
Then answered.
“Who is this?””
A man’s voice replied.
“Adrian Whitmore.””
The stranger knew his name.
“Who are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“My name is Daniel Cross.””
Adrian stood.
The name meant nothing.
Until the man continued.
“I’m Lily’s biological father.””
Everything stopped.
Adrian’s hand tightened around the phone.
“You need to hang up.””
“I expected you to say that.””
“Then you understand why.””
“No.””
The man’s voice became quieter.
“I understand why you’re afraid.””
Adrian walked to the window.
“You don’t know anything about me.””
“I know you built a family with my daughter.””
The words struck him.
“My daughter?””
“Yes.””
Anger replaced shock.
“Do not call her that.””
Silence.
Then Daniel said something unexpected.
“I agree.””
Adrian frowned.
“What?””
“I agree that I don’t have the right to walk in and call her mine.””
The honesty caught him off guard.
“I made mistakes,” Daniel continued.
“Big ones.””
“Where were you?””
The question came out before Adrian could stop it.
The line went quiet.
Then:
“Grace told me to stay away.””
Adrian froze.
“What?””
“She said Lily needed stability. She said you loved her. She said you were the father Lily deserved.””
Adrian’s heart pounded.
“Why would Grace say that?””
“Because she was afraid.””
“Of what?””
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
“Of Vanessa.””
The name felt like a shadow.
Adrian sat down slowly.
“Tell me everything.””
Daniel breathed out.
“Grace and Vanessa knew each other before you met Vanessa.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
A pause.
“Grace and Vanessa were friends.””
Adrian looked at Teddy.
Friends.
That was different.
“They met in college,” Daniel said.
“Vanessa was charming. Everyone loved her.””
Adrian almost laughed.
That sounded familiar.
“But Grace noticed something.””
“What?””
“Vanessa didn’t want to be like Grace.””
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“She wanted to replace her.””
The room went cold.
Adrian remembered the photographs.
The smiles.
The closeness.
The hidden resentment.
“She became obsessed with Grace’s life,” Daniel continued.
“Her career. Her relationships. Her family.””
“And me.””
“Yes.””
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Why didn’t Grace tell me?””
“Because Grace thought she could handle it.””
That sounded exactly like her.
Grace always believed love meant protecting people from pain.
Even when she carried all of it herself.
Daniel continued.
“After Lily was born, Vanessa found out the truth about me.””
“What truth?””
“That I was Lily’s father.””
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“She used that?””
“She threatened Grace.””
A silence followed.
“What did she threaten?””
Daniel answered quietly.
“She threatened to tell you Lily wasn’t yours.””
Adrian looked down.
The words hurt.
Not because they were true.
Because he imagined Grace hearing them.
Imagining someone using her daughter as a weapon.
“She wanted you,” Daniel said.
Adrian said nothing.
“She wanted your life.””
At that moment, a sound came from upstairs.
A scream.
“Daddy!””
Adrian dropped the phone.
He ran.
The hallway lights flickered.
Lily’s bedroom door was open.
She stood beside her bed, shaking.
“Teddy was gone.””
Adrian rushed to her.
“What?””
“He was here.””
She pointed.
The bear was missing.
Adrian looked around.
The window was closed.
The door had been locked.
Then he saw something on the pillow.
A small piece of paper.
He picked it up.
Only five words were written.
*Ask Grace who I am.*
Adrian’s blood ran cold.
Because underneath the message was a symbol.
A symbol he recognized.
May you like
It was the same symbol from the documents in Grace’s hidden folder.
The same symbol appearing beside Vanessa’s name.
