Chapter 5 — The Enemy Wearing a Smile
Vanessa left the room without saying a word.
That frightened Daniel more than if she had screamed.
Because Vanessa never walked away from a fight.
She attacked.
She manipulated.
She controlled.
But now…
She was afraid.
Emily watched her disappear down the hallway.
“Who is she afraid of?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know.
And that bothered him.
The Harrington family had always been built on secrets.
But now those secrets were starting to break apart.
Margaret held the letter carefully.
“Your grandfather loved Sarah.”
Emily looked at her.
“Then why did he abandon her?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
“He didn’t.”
The answer shocked Emily.
“He tried to help her.”
“Then why was she alone?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Because someone stopped him.”
A silence followed.
“Who?”
Margaret looked toward the doorway.
And whispered:
“Your grandfather’s own son.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“My father?”
Margaret nodded.
Emily felt her world shift again.
Daniel’s father.
The man who had controlled the Harrington empire.
The man who had died years ago.
The man everyone described as powerful and respected.
“He knew about my mother?”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
Margaret looked down.
“Yes.”
Emily felt tears forming.
“He knew I existed?”
Margaret nodded.
“And he chose to do nothing?”
Nobody answered.
Because that was the truth.
The truth hurt more than the lies.
That evening, Daniel found Emily sitting alone outside near the garden.
“You should hate us.”
Emily looked at him.
“I don’t know what I should feel.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“My family hurt you.”
“Your family accused me.”
He looked down.
“I almost believed them.”
Emily didn’t respond.
That hurt him.
Because it was true.
“I’m sorry.”
She looked at him.
“Sorry doesn’t erase what happened.”
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“But I want to fix it.”
Emily looked away.
“For the first time in my life, I’m finding out I have a family.”
A pause.
“And somehow I feel more alone than ever.”
Daniel didn’t know what to say.
Because he understood.
A person could discover they belonged somewhere…
And still feel like a stranger.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed immediately.
“What happened?”
Emily watched him.
“Who was it?”
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
“The security company.”
“What about?”
He looked toward the mansion.
“They found something else in the footage.”
Emily stood.
“What?”
Daniel’s voice became quiet.
“Vanessa didn’t plant the necklace alone.”
Emily froze.
“Someone helped her.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at her.
May you like
And said the name that made her blood run cold.
“Someone who knew your mother.”
