CHAPTER 2 — The Lie That Stole A Daughter
Richard couldn't breathe.
"Nancy..."
The former maternity nurse stepped closer.
Perfect makeup.
Perfect smile.
No guilt.
No shame.
Emma hid behind her father.
The homeless girl watched silently.
Nancy laughed.
"You finally found her."
Richard grabbed her arm.
"What did you do?"
People formed a circle around them.
Phones streamed everything live.
Nancy never resisted.
"You remember the delivery?"
Richard remembered every second.
His wife, Sarah, had suffered massive complications giving birth to twin girls.
Doctors rushed everywhere.
Machines screamed.
Then everything went black.
When he woke up...
Sarah was dead.
The doctor told him only one baby had survived.
He had believed them.
For five years.
Nancy folded her arms.
"The second baby wasn't dead."
Richard felt sick.
"She was healthy."
"Beautiful."
"And worth a lot of money."
The crowd gasped.
Nancy continued without emotion.
"A wealthy couple offered me two hundred thousand dollars to arrange an illegal adoption."
Richard's face turned white.
"But something went wrong."
"The buyers disappeared."
"The investigation started."
"So I abandoned the baby before anyone could trace her back to me."
The crowd erupted in horror.
Richard looked toward the tiny girl sitting on the sidewalk.
She had spent five years alone.
Hungry.
Cold.
Forgotten.
Because someone wanted money.
He wrapped both little girls into his arms.
"I'm so sorry..."
The homeless child didn't hug him back.
Instead...
she quietly asked,
"Where were you when I cried every night?"
Richard broke.
Completely.
Police sirens echoed through Manhattan.
Officers surrounded Nancy.
She smiled one last time.
"You still don't understand."
Richard stared at her.
"What?"
Nancy leaned closer.
"The person who paid me..."
"...is someone you trusted more than anyone."
Before police could stop her...
she pointed directly toward the entrance of Parker Global Headquarters across the street.
Richard slowly turned.
Standing behind the glass doors...
watching everything...
was his own younger brother.
Michael Parker.
And he wasn't surprised.
May you like
He was terrified.
TO BE CONTINUED...
