CHAPTER 3 – The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Rachel's pulse hammered in her ears.
The stranger standing on the second-floor balcony didn't move.
He simply smiled.
A cold...
Confident...
Terrifying smile.
Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"Don't let him get away!" Thomas shouted.
Daniel was the first to react. He sprinted toward the escalator, pushing past startled shoppers while two security guards followed behind him.
Rachel grabbed Emily's hand.
"Stay with me!"
Emily nodded, but she couldn't stop staring at the place where the mysterious man had been standing.
"He knows me," she whispered.
Rachel's heart skipped a beat.
"What did you say?"
"The bad man..."
Emily's tiny fingers tightened around her mother's hand.
"He smiled like he already knew my name."
Rachel felt a wave of panic wash over her.
How could a complete stranger know her daughter?
By the time Daniel reached the second floor, the man had vanished.
Only a black baseball cap remained on the floor near the emergency exit.
One guard spoke into his radio.
"Seal every exit. Male suspect, around fifty-five years old, dark coat, gray hair."
Another guard picked up the cap.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
He opened it.
His face instantly changed.
"You need to see this."
Daniel grabbed the note.
Written in thick black ink were only eight words.
"You found the girl... but you're too late."
Downstairs, Thomas suddenly became restless.
"We have to leave now."
Rachel refused to move.
"I'm done running from questions."
Thomas lowered his voice.
"You don't understand who you're dealing with."
"Then explain it!"
Thomas looked around carefully before speaking.
"Twenty-six years ago, there were six people running the adoption network."
Rachel listened silently.
"They stole children from vulnerable mothers."
"They forged birth certificates."
"They bribed hospitals."
"They even paid police officers to destroy evidence."
Rachel felt sick.
"My mother..."
"Catherine tried to expose all of them."
"And?"
"They murdered everyone who helped her."
Rachel's eyes widened.
"Everyone?"
Thomas nodded.
"The journalist."
"The nurse."
"The detective."
"They all died within three months."
Emily hugged Rachel's leg.
"Mommy..."
Rachel knelt beside her.
"What is it?"
Emily pointed toward Thomas.
"He isn't telling you everything."
Thomas froze.
Rachel slowly stood.
"What does she mean?"
Emily looked confused.
"When Grandma cried..."
Rachel's breathing stopped.
"What grandma?"
"The grandma in the picture."
Thomas looked horrified.
Emily continued innocently.
"She said..."
"...'Never trust Grandpa Tommy.'"
Silence.
Thomas's face turned white.
Rachel stepped backward.
"You were there?"
Thomas opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
"You knew my mother personally."
Still nothing.
Rachel's voice became louder.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Finally...
Thomas whispered the truth.
"I wasn't just Catherine's friend."
Rachel stared at him.
"I was engaged to her."
Daniel slowly returned, holding the mysterious note.
He stopped when he heard Thomas speaking.
Thomas closed his eyes.
"The night Catherine disappeared..."
"...we were supposed to get married."
Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You loved my mother?"
"More than my own life."
"Then why didn't you save her?"
Thomas looked completely broken.
"Because..."
"...I was the one who convinced her to meet the people who killed her."
Rachel slapped him across the face.
The sound echoed through the nearly silent shopping mall.
"You betrayed her."
Tears rolled down Thomas's cheeks.
"I thought I was arranging a meeting with an honest federal investigator."
"They lied to me."
"They used me."
Rachel's voice trembled with rage.
"And because of your mistake..."
"...my mother disappeared."
Thomas nodded.
"I've spent twenty-six years trying to find you."
Rachel looked away.
"I don't know if I should thank you..."
"...or hate you."
Just then...
Daniel's phone rang.
Unknown Number.
He hesitated before answering.
No one spoke.
Only slow breathing.
Then a distorted male voice whispered:
"Tell Rachel to stop searching."
Daniel remained silent.
The voice continued.
"Or Emily dies next."
The call ended.
Daniel's hands began shaking uncontrollably.
Rachel saw the fear on his face.
"Who was it?"
Daniel looked at Emily.
Then at Thomas.
Finally...
He confessed something that made everyone's blood run cold.
"I've received calls like this before."
Rachel frowned.
"What?"
Daniel swallowed hard.
"They started..."
"...the week before I met you."
Thomas's eyes widened.
"No..."
Daniel lowered his head.
"I thought meeting you was fate."
He looked directly into Rachel's eyes.
"But now..."
"I think someone arranged our entire marriage."
At that exact moment, Rachel's phone vibrated.
One new message.
No sender.
She opened it.
Attached was a recent photograph.
Taken only minutes ago.
It showed Rachel...
Daniel...
Emily...
And Thomas...
Standing exactly where they were inside the mall.
At the bottom of the image was a chilling sentence:
May you like
"Family reunited. Phase Two begins now."
End of Chapter 3.
