Chapter 8 - Protecting Lily
The moment Ryan said Lily's name, everything inside me changed.
I was no longer scared.
I was a mother.
And mothers do not think about fear when their children are in danger.
They think about protection.
Charles immediately increased security.
Lily was picked up from school.
Her routine changed.
Her safety became our only priority.
That evening, I sat beside her bed.
She looked at me.
"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Are you okay?"
The question broke my heart.
A child shouldn't have to ask her mother that.
I smiled.
"I'm okay."
She looked down.
"I was scared."
I held her hand.
"I know."
"I thought Daddy was going to hurt you."
I closed my eyes.
"I'm sorry you saw that."
She shook her head.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
Those words came from an eight-year-old.
But they were exactly what I needed.
The next morning, Charles received information.
Michael had disappeared.
His phone was turned off.
His home was empty.
He knew we were looking for him.
And then...
Someone sent us a message.
A photograph.
Lily walking out of school.
Taken from a distance.
My blood turned cold.
The message contained only four words.
"Next time, closer."
Charles immediately called his security team.
Ryan arrived minutes later.
He looked at the photo.
And for the first time...
I saw real fear in his eyes.
"He wasn't supposed to do this."
I stared at him.
"You knew?"
Ryan looked away.
"Not everything."
"Tell me."
He stayed silent.
"Tell me!"
Finally, he broke.
"Michael wanted me to scare you."
My chest tightened.
"What?"
"He said if I made you look unstable, I could take Lily and leave."
I couldn't believe it.
"You were going to take my daughter?"
Ryan lowered his head.
"I thought I had no choice."
I stepped back.
"No choice?"
My voice shook.
"You always had a choice."
Then the security alarm went off.
Everyone froze.
A guard's voice came through the speaker.
"Someone is inside the property."
Charles looked toward the cameras.
And everyone saw him.
May you like
Michael Grant.
Standing in the backyard.
