Chapter 2 - The Locked Cabinet
Daniel confronted Kayla the next morning.
At first, she denied everything. But when Vanessa grabbed her arm and threatened to send her away, Kayla finally broke.
“Stop pretending you're a good mother!” she screamed. “You hurt Emma, and you've been lying about Claire!”
Vanessa slapped her daughter.
Daniel rushed between them.
“Touch her again, and I'll make sure everyone knows what you've done.”
Vanessa stormed out, leaving Kayla crying on the floor.
Kayla then revealed a locked cabinet hidden behind her clothes. Inside were bank statements, forged documents, and letters belonging to Claire, Emma's biological mother.
Daniel discovered that thousands of dollars had disappeared from Emma's trust. Worse, someone had forged his signature to give Vanessa control of the money.
Then he found a letter written by Claire shortly before her death.
Daniel, if anything happens to me, don't trust the person who tells you to forget. Someone close to us wants Emma's future for themselves.
Daniel's hands trembled.
Claire had died in a car accident two years earlier. He had always believed it was a tragedy.
But the final page contained an unfamiliar name: Andrew Cole, Vanessa's former business partner.
Before Daniel could investigate further, Vanessa returned.
She saw the open cabinet and went pale.
“You shouldn't have looked in there,” she whispered.
Then she smiled coldly.
May you like
“Because now they'll come for you, too.”
Who was Andrew Cole, and what had Claire discovered before she died?
