Chapter 4 - THE CHILD THEY WERE ALL AFRAID OF
Everyone stared at Sophie.
The little girl looked confused.
“Why is my name there?”
Anna pulled her close.
“You don't need to worry about that.”
Mr. Lawson shook his head.
“She does.”
Anna looked at him.
“What are you saying?”
“The trust was created to protect Sophie.”
Daniel suddenly became furious.
“Stop.”
Mr. Lawson continued.
“Your father knew Daniel would eventually try to control the money.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“He's lying.”
“He isn't,” Anna said.
Daniel stared at her.
Anna looked at Mr. Lawson.
“Explain everything.”
He opened another file.
“When Sophie was born, your father amended the trust.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed Daniel was financially unstable.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“My business was worth millions.”
“On paper.”
Mr. Lawson looked at him.
“In reality, you were deeply in debt.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“You don't know anything.”
“I know you transferred more than $2 million from Anna's trust.”
Anna froze.
“How much?”
“Two point four million.”
I looked at Daniel.
“You stole from your own wife?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I borrowed it.”
“You never paid it back.”
“I intended to.”
Mr. Lawson continued.
“That money was supposed to be restored when Anna turned thirty-five.”
“And if she didn't?”
“The trust would transfer control to Sophie.”
Anna looked at her daughter.
“How old is she?”
“Seven.”
“So why would Daniel want me dead?”
Mr. Lawson looked at her.
“Because he believed your death would trigger the insurance policy.”
I felt sick.
“What insurance policy?”
“A $10 million life insurance policy.”
Anna's face went pale.
Daniel looked at Rebecca.
Rebecca whispered:
“I didn't know about the insurance.”
Daniel suddenly shouted:
“You knew enough!”
Rebecca began crying.
“I thought we were just taking the trust.”
“You knew!”
The police moved between them.
Anna looked at Daniel.
“You were going to kill me for ten million dollars?”
“No.”
His voice broke.
“I was trying to save the family.”
“Which family?”
He couldn't answer.
Anna took Sophie's hand.
Then she noticed something.
A small scar on Sophie's wrist.
“What happened here?”
Sophie looked down.
“Daddy said I fell.”
Anna looked at Daniel.
“You hurt her?”
“No.”
Sophie whispered:
“He locked me in the basement.”
Daniel froze.
“When?”
“Last Christmas.”
Anna's face changed.
“Why?”
Sophie looked toward Rebecca.
“She said I needed to stay quiet.”
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Anna stepped toward her.
“You knew?”
Rebecca nodded through tears.
“I thought Daniel was only trying to scare her.”
“You watched him lock my daughter in a basement?”
“I was afraid.”
Anna shook her head.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
She looked around the room.
“Everyone was afraid.”
Then she pointed toward Daniel.
“But nobody was afraid enough to stop him.”
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“I loved Sophie.”
Anna's voice became cold.
“Then you should have protected her.”
The officer placed handcuffs on Daniel.
He didn't resist.
As they led him away, he turned to Anna.
“You still don't know who ordered your death.”
Anna stopped.
“What?”
Daniel looked at Rebecca.
Then at Mr. Lawson.
Finally, he whispered:
“Ask your mother.”
The room went silent.
Anna's phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
One message.
STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.
A second message appeared.
YOUR MOTHER IS STILL ALIVE.
Anna stared at the screen.
I looked at her.
“Anna…”
May you like
She slowly raised her eyes.
“I think our mother has been watching us this entire time.”
