Chapter 3 - THE ASHES OF THE PASTThe ocean swallowed the wreckage with a muffled, thunderous crash, sending up a massive plume of white foam and spray.
On the solid ground of the cliffside, Daniel collapsed onto his back, pulling Elena and baby Lily into a tight, trembling embrace. They lay together on the cold dirt, gasping for breath, listening to each other's racing heartbeats. For a few long moments, the only sound was the howling wind and the distant churning of the sea.
"You're safe," Daniel whispered repeatedly, kissing the top of Lily’s head and pressing his face into Elena’s damp hair. "I’ve got you. You’re safe now."
Elena buried her face in his chest, her body shaking uncontrollably. "I thought... I thought we were gone, Daniel. How did you find us? How did you know she would do this?"
"I never stopped looking," Daniel said, his eyes hardening as he looked past her shoulder toward the wrecked SUV where Victoria was groggily pushing open her door. "Every single day for the past three years, I hunted for the truth. And today, the hunt ends."
Across the clearing, Victoria stumbled out of her battered vehicle, blood trickling down her temple and staining her designer blouse. Her hair was disheveled, but the predatory look in her eyes remained fully intact. She leaned against her car door, glaring at the trio with absolute hatred.
"You ruined everything, you little bastard," Victoria spat, coughing up a bit of blood. "That company—every single cent of the Vance estate—belonged to my son, not to a stray dog like you and your worthless mother!"
Daniel slowly stood up, handing a sleeping baby Lily to Marcus, who had walked over to secure the area. Daniel stepped forward, his shadow falling menacingly over his stepmother.
"My mother built the Vance empire from the ground up while your husband was a broke gambler," Daniel said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "And you murdered my father to steal it. You framed me for embezzlement, threw me out of the family, and tried to bury my wife and child in the ocean to tie up loose ends."
Victoria let out a shrill, hysterical laugh, wiping the blood from her forehead. "And who’s going to prove it? The police are on my payroll, the judges play golf with my lawyers, and you’re nothing more than an ex-con standing in the middle of nowhere!"
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"Is that so?" a cool, rhythmic voice echoed from behind the line of trees.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel as a row of four unmarked black sedans pulled into the clearing, their high beams blindingly bright.
