CHAPTER 18 The House That Was Never Sold
The abandoned property sat thirty miles outside the city.
Nobody had visited it for years.
At least...
That was what the records said.
The old Harrington farmhouse looked forgotten.
Broken windows.
Overgrown trees.
Dust covering every surface.
But when Daniel entered...
He immediately knew.
Someone had been there recently.
A fire was still warm in the fireplace.
Fresh footprints crossed the floor.
Emma looked around.
"Someone lives here."
The detective nodded.
They searched every room.
Until Noah found something.
A hidden door.
Behind an old bookshelf.
Inside was a small room.
No furniture.
No decorations.
Only one thing.
A wall covered with photographs.
Everyone stopped.
Because the photographs showed them.
Daniel.
Emma.
Noah.
Victoria.
Richard.
Their entire family history.
But some photographs were recent.
Very recent.
Emma stepped closer.
"This was taken yesterday."
The picture showed her entering the funeral.
Someone had been watching.
Daniel looked at the wall.
"This person knows everything."
Noah noticed another photograph.
He pulled it down.
His face changed.
"What?"
Daniel asked.
Noah handed it to him.
The photo showed Richard.
Standing beside a young man.
A young man who looked familiar.
Emma stared.
"Who is that?"
Noah whispered:
"I don't know."
Daniel turned the photo over.
A date was written.
Twenty-five years earlier.
And underneath:
THE DAY THE FIRST CHILD RETURNED.
Suddenly...
The lights turned on.
A voice came from the speakers.
Everyone froze.
A man's voice.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
"Daniel."
Daniel slowly looked up.
The voice continued:
"You spent your whole life believing you were the heir."
A pause.
"But you were only the replacement."
Emma's face went pale.
Because she recognized the voice.
May you like
The voice belonged to...
Richard Harrington.
