Part 24
The drive back to the cottage was silent and suffocating. The sky was an ominous shade of gray, threatening another downpour.
Rebecca was on her laptop the entire time, her fingers flying furiously across the keyboard as she contacted her private investigators.
I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.
A brother. A violent, unstable uncle I never knew existed, now wandering free, hunting for a wealth that no longer existed.
My mind immediately raced to Charlotte. She was at school, completely defenseless.
"I've got his files," Rebecca announced suddenly, breaking the tense silence.
"Julian Vance... wait, no, his surname was changed to Sterling before he was committed.
He was kept in an ultra-private psychiatric facility upstate. His records are heavily redacted, but the security notes are terrifying. History of extreme violence, manipulation, arson."
"Can we get a police detail?" I asked, my voice cracking under the immense strain.
"On what grounds?" Rebecca sighed, her frustration evident. "Your dying mother's vague prison ramblings?
Legally, he hasn't committed a crime since his release. He hasn't made a direct threat.
If we go to the police now, we risk exposing your location and the foundation's assets to a public record, which might actually help him find you faster."
She was right. The very system designed to protect us could be the beacon that guides him to our door.
We arrived at Charlotte’s school just as the final bell rang.
I scrambled out of the car and practically ran to the pickup zone, breathing a massive sigh of relief when I saw her walking out safely with her teacher.
She ran into my arms, hugging me tightly. "Mama! You're early!"
"Yes, sweetie," I said, burying my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet, familiar scent. "I missed you too much today."
We got back into the car, and I looked at Rebecca. "We go to the cottage. We lock it down. Arthur has the security systems airtight."
Rebecca nodded. "I'm heading back to the city to coordinate with my team. We are going to find him before he finds you. I promise."
When we reached the cliffside cottage, I engaged the heavy deadbolts and activated the state-of-the-art security system Arthur had installed.
Heavy steel shutters rolled down over the panoramic windows, cutting off the view of the ocean, turning our beautiful sanctuary into a veritable fortress.
Charlotte looked around, confused and slightly frightened by the sudden shift.
"Why are the windows closed, Mama? Is a bad storm coming?"
I knelt down, taking her small hands in mine, forcing a warm, reassuring smile onto my face.
"Yes, baby. A very big storm. We just need to stay inside where it's warm and safe for a little while, okay? Just you, me, and Mr. Buttons."
May you like
She nodded, trusting me completely. But as I walked into the kitchen to make dinner, my heart felt like lead.
The past wasn't buried. It had broken out of its cage, and it was coming for my daughter.
