PART 3

The house fell into a terrifying silence after the voice behind the door disappeared.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Lila stared at Jack, searching his face for answers.

“Who was that?”

Jack didn’t respond immediately.

He walked away from the door and locked it again, his hands shaking slightly.

That small movement told Lila everything.

Her father was scared.

Not confused.

Not surprised.

Scared.

“Dad…”

Jack finally turned around.

“I never wanted you to be dragged into this.”

“But I already am.”

Her mother stepped closer, tears filling her eyes.

“Lila, there are things about your father… about Jack… that you don’t know.”

Lila looked at him.

“About him?”

Jack closed his eyes.

“I wasn’t just your guardian.”

The words hit her strangely.

“What does that mean?”

Jack took a deep breath.

“Before I became your father, I was Daniel’s closest friend.”

Lila froze.

“Your friend?”

“Yes.”

He looked at the photograph.

“When Daniel discovered people were using him, he tried to expose them. He knew things he shouldn’t have known.”

“Why didn’t he come for me?”

Her mother looked away.

Because she already knew the answer would hurt.

“Because he couldn’t.”

Lila’s voice became softer.

“What happened to him?”

Nobody answered.

And that silence was the answer.

“He died, didn’t he?”

Jack nodded slowly.

Lila covered her mouth.

All those years imagining her biological father returning one day suddenly disappeared.

“But why hide it from me?”

Jack’s eyes filled with regret.

“Because the people who caused his death were still looking for you.”

A chill ran through the room.

“They were looking for me?”

“Yes.”

“And you never told me?”

“I wanted you to have a normal life.”

Lila laughed sadly.

“Normal? My whole identity was hidden.”

Before Jack could answer, her mother suddenly looked toward the window.

Her face changed.

“What is it?”

She whispered:

“They found us.”

A black car had stopped outside the house.

A man stepped out.

Then another.

Lila’s heart started pounding.

Jack immediately grabbed his phone.

“We need to leave. Now.”

“Leave where?” Lila asked.

But before anyone could move, the front door shook.

Someone was trying to open it.

Her mother grabbed Lila’s hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For bringing this danger back into your life.”

The door suddenly burst open.

A tall man entered.

He looked around the room calmly.

Almost too calmly.

His eyes stopped on Lila.

“So this is Daniel’s daughter.”

Jack stepped in front of her.

“You’re not taking her.”

The man smiled.

“That’s exactly what Daniel said eighteen years ago.”

Lila felt frozen.

“How do you know my father?”

The man looked at her.

“Because I know the truth about why he disappeared.”

Everyone went silent.

Then he placed a file on the table.

“Your father wasn’t running away.”

He looked directly at Lila.

“He was trying to save you.”