Chapter 16: The Woman in the Smoke
Claire pushed Ethan through the broken window.
A woman caught him.
For one breathless second, Claire saw Lily’s face.
Older.
Scarred.
Alive.
Then the roof collapsed behind her.
Lily pulled Claire away from the burning cabin.
A black SUV appeared between the trees.
Lily’s expression changed.
“They found us.”
Daniel’s car came racing down the dirt road.
He jumped out and froze when he saw his sister.
“Lily?”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
There was no time for explanations.
The black SUV accelerated toward them.
Daniel pulled Ethan and Claire behind his car.
Lily ran toward the lake.
A man stepped from the SUV.
Caleb.
He raised a phone and shouted, “Victoria only wants the documents!”
Lily laughed bitterly.
“She wants Ethan.”
Caleb moved closer.
“You cannot protect him forever.”
Daniel charged at him.
They crashed into the dirt, trading blows.
Claire called emergency services as soon as her signal returned.
Caleb broke free and ran toward the SUV.
Before leaving, he looked directly at Lily.
“Owen knows now.”
The vehicle disappeared through the trees.
Daniel turned toward his sister.
“Who is Owen?”
Lily’s face went pale.
“You opened the flash drive.”
“He’s Ethan’s father?”
Lily looked at her son.
Ethan was staring at her as if afraid she might disappear again.
She knelt and opened her arms.
He ran into them.
For several minutes, no one spoke.
Then Lily whispered something into Ethan’s hair.
Claire could not hear it.
But Ethan pulled away.
His expression changed.
“You’re not my mommy.”
Lily froze.
May you like
Ethan pointed toward her wrist.
“My mommy’s scar is on the other hand.”
