Chapter 4 - THE ABDUCTION THAT NEVER HAPPENEDNoah arrived at Grace's apartment within minutes.
“What happened?”
“Someone threatened Emily.”
His face changed.
“Where is she?”
Grace turned.
The bedroom door was open.
The window was unlocked.
Emily was gone.
Noah's entire body went rigid.
“Call the police.”
“I already did.”
Then Emily's tablet beeped.
A video appeared.
Emily sat inside what looked like a warehouse.
A man stood behind her.
Grace covered her mouth.
Noah stepped closer.
The video played.
“Dad?”
Emily looked directly into the camera.
“I’m okay.”
Noah's hands shook.
Then the man behind her spoke.
“Bring the Parker trust documents to Pier Nine.”
Grace whispered:
“No.”
Noah looked at her.
“They want the inheritance.”
“They'll kill her.”
“No.”
His voice became cold.
“They won't.”
Grace stared.
“How do you know?”
“Because if they wanted her dead, they wouldn't have sent us a video.”
He turned to Daniel.
“Find the warehouse.”
Within twenty minutes, Noah's security team located the signal.
Pier Nine.
Abandoned industrial district.
Noah wanted to go alone.
Grace refused.
“You're not leaving without me.”
“You could get hurt.”
“So could Emily.”
He looked at her.
Then nodded.
They entered the warehouse through a side door.
But there was no one there.
No Emily.
Only a phone.
And a message.
Too slow.
Grace's heart sank.
Then Noah noticed something.
The video.
He replayed it.
Emily had been sitting beside a red toolbox.
On the wall behind her was a faded shipping number.
Noah zoomed in.
“That's not Pier Nine.”
Daniel looked closer.
“It's an old TechVision warehouse.”
Noah's face hardened.
“Someone inside my company is helping them.”
Grace whispered:
“Evelyn.”
A sound came from behind them.
Footsteps.
They turned.
A man stood in the doorway.
He raised his hands.
“Don't shoot.”
Noah recognized him.
Marcus Hill.
His former chief security officer.
Marcus looked at Grace.
“She's alive.”
Grace stepped forward.
“Where?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Your daughter was never kidnapped.”
“What?”
“She was taken somewhere safe.”
Noah stared at him.
“By whom?”
Marcus looked directly at Grace.
“Her mother.”
Grace froze.
“What are you talking about?”
Marcus handed her an envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Grace saw herself.
Seven years earlier.
Pregnant.
Standing outside a hospital.
The photo had been taken secretly.
On the back:
Subject confirmed. Child alive.
Grace's blood ran cold.
Marcus whispered:
“You were watched before Emily was born.”
Then another photograph fell out.
This one showed Noah.
And beside him stood his father.
Alive.
The date was six months after everyone believed he had died.
Noah stared at it.
May you like
His voice became a whisper.
“My father was alive.”
