Chapter 14 — The Daughter Nobody Knew About
Nobody spoke.
The recording had ended.
But the final words remained.
My daughter.
Alex stared at Richard.
"My mother had another child?"
Richard looked devastated.
"I didn't know."
Claire looked at the old tape.
"Elizabeth never told me."
Detective Reed immediately opened his notebook.
"Official records?"
Richard shook his head.
"No."
"Then someone erased them."
The room became colder.
Because if Elizabeth had another daughter...
And that daughter was connected to her death...
Then the entire Ashford family history was built on a lie.
Alex walked through the abandoned office.
The walls were covered with old company records.
Old photographs.
Old memories.
Then he stopped.
There was a picture hanging on the wall.
Elizabeth Ashford.
Richard.
A young Alex.
And another child.
A little girl.
About five years old.
Claire stepped closer.
Her eyes widened.
"That's her."
Alex looked at her.
"Who?"
Claire pointed at the girl.
"Emma."
Everyone froze.
Richard turned pale.
"No."
Claire touched the photograph.
"Emma Carter wasn't my friend."
A pause.
"She was Elizabeth Ashford's daughter."
The truth finally came out.
The woman who had been beside Claire.
The woman who knew every secret.
The woman who was supposed to be dead.
May you like
Was the missing Ashford heir.
And she had returned.
