CHAPTER 7 — The Woman Who Returned From the Dead Had Been Protecting a Secret Worth Killing For
Samuel couldn't breathe.
The woman standing beneath the stone bridge looked older, thinner, and exhausted...
But there was no mistake.
It was Margaret.
The wife he had buried fifteen years ago.
Emily ran forward first, tears streaming down her face.
"Grandma... is it really you?"
Margaret wrapped her granddaughter in a trembling embrace, sobbing harder than either of them had ever seen.
"I missed every birthday... every Christmas... every hug. I'm so sorry."
Samuel stood frozen.
Part of him wanted to run to her.
Another part wanted answers.
"You let me bury an empty coffin," he whispered.
"I mourned you every single day."
Margaret closed her eyes.
"I know."
Samuel's voice broke.
"Why?"
She slowly reached into her coat and removed the missing page from her journal.
"I found something I was never supposed to see."
Years earlier, while working as a volunteer accountant for a local conservation trust, Margaret had uncovered a hidden network of fake charities used to launder millions of dollars.
At the center of it all...
Richard Hale.
Unlike his younger brother Victor, Richard never appeared in newspapers or business magazines.
He preferred living in the shadows while others took the blame.
When Margaret secretly copied the financial records, Richard discovered what she had done.
She was given only two choices.
Disappear forever...
Or watch Samuel and their newborn granddaughter die.
"I chose to let the world believe I was dead," she whispered.
Samuel's eyes filled with tears.
"You carried that burden alone for fifteen years..."
Margaret nodded.
"I thought I was protecting you."
Suddenly...
The Alpha Wolf let out a violent growl.
Every bird in the forest exploded into the sky.
Someone else was there.
Hidden among the trees.
A red laser dot appeared on Samuel's chest.
"SNIPER!"
Emily screamed.
A gunshot shattered the silence.
The Alpha leaped through the air.
The bullet struck the wolf's shoulder instead of Samuel.
The enormous animal crashed into the snow with a painful howl.
"No!"
Samuel rushed toward the wounded Alpha as another shot echoed through the forest.
But this time...
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The shooter wasn't aiming at Samuel.
He was aiming at Margaret.
