CHAPTER 9 — The Mansion Where Grace Was Hidden
Emma didn't waste a second.
With Dr. Brooks, Michael, and two detectives beside her, she raced toward Elizabeth Carter's secluded estate overlooking the cliffs.
The mansion looked abandoned.
The gates were chained.
The windows were dark.
But inside...
A child's laughter echoed through the halls.
Emma's heart nearly stopped.
"Grace!" she screamed.
No answer.
The detectives forced open the front door.
Every room was empty.
Dust covered the furniture.
The house looked untouched for years.
Then Hope tugged gently on Emma's sleeve.
"Mom..."
"I hear someone singing."
Everyone froze.
The voice was coming from behind an enormous library bookshelf.
Michael searched the walls until his fingers touched a hidden switch.
The bookshelf slowly slid aside.
Behind it...
A secret staircase descended into darkness.
Emma ran down the steps.
At the bottom was a beautifully furnished underground room.
Shelves filled with children's books.
Paintings on the walls.
Hundreds of birthday photos.
A little girl's bedroom.
And sitting quietly by the window...
A four-year-old girl with hazel eyes was drawing two women holding hands beneath a bright yellow sun.
She looked up.
Her eyes met Emma's.
Without hesitation, she smiled through tears.
"Mom..."
Emma collapsed to her knees.
"Grace..."
Mother and daughter embraced for the very first time.
Everyone in the room was crying.
But the reunion lasted only seconds.
A slow clap echoed from the doorway.
Elizabeth Carter stepped out of the shadows.
She wasn't frightened.
She wasn't apologizing.
She smiled.
"You still don't understand why I took her."
Emma stood protectively in front of her daughters.
"You stole my child."
Elizabeth shook her head.
May you like
"No..."
"I saved her."
