My Daughter Whispered, “Mommy Is Still Alive”—Then I Found Out Who Had Been Lying to Me for Years

Adam had worked for me for eleven years.

He knew my passwords, my travel schedule, my insurance policies, and the exact amount of money Sophie would inherit from Claire's family trust when she turned twenty-five.

He also knew I was sitting in Lucas's office.

My phone, which had been off, powered itself back on when Lucas connected it to a forensic reader.

Six remote-login attempts appeared within minutes.

"Someone is trying to wipe it," Lucas said.

I thought of Adam.

I called the bank from Lucas's landline.

My corporate accounts were frozen.

Not by me.

By court order.

A petition had been filed that afternoon claiming I was mentally unstable following the discovery that my deceased wife was alive. The filing requested temporary financial control of my company "for the protection of shareholders and minor beneficiary Sophie Cole."

The person requesting control was Adam Pierce.

Supporting counsel: Martin Vale.

"They planned for this," I said.

Claire shook her head. "They planned for you to find me."

"Why?"

Lucas answered. "Because if you look unstable, they don't need to kill you. They just need a judge to take the company and Sophie's trust away from you."

Claire's face tightened. "And if I appear after being declared dead, I'm even easier to discredit."

We were both traps.

Sophie stirred on the couch.

I covered her with my coat.

"How much?" I asked.

Claire looked at me.

"How much what?"

"How much money are they trying to steal?"

She answered softly.

"Not millions."

Lucas turned his screen around.

Claire's mother had placed coastal land, stock, and mineral rights into Sophie's trust years ago. Recent valuation: one hundred and eighty-four million dollars.

"I didn't know."

"Claire didn't either until two years ago," Lucas said.

Then an alarm sounded from the back of his office.

Smoke rolled under the door.

Someone had set the file room on fire.

We grabbed Sophie and ran for the stairs.

As Claire reached the exit, a figure in a hood stepped from the smoke and slammed her into the wall.

I lunged.

The hood fell back.