She Sat Down At My Table And Said, ‘My Ex Is Watching’… A Year Later His Daughter Called Me Daddy
Chapter 3
Claire called her sister immediately.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
She sat down and stared at the table.
“My sister would never do this.”
“Maybe she didn’t.”
“Then who?”
I didn’t have an answer.
We took the toy to the police.
They photographed it.
Checked the box.
Found fingerprints.
But nothing useful.
The detective handling the case was a woman named Maria Lopez.
She looked at Claire.
“How long has Ryan been contacting you?”
“Five months.”
“Threats?”
“Mostly messages.”
“Physical contact?”
“Once.”
“Did you report it?”
“Yes.”
“Any witnesses?”
“No.”
Maria looked at me.
“And you’re?”
“Daniel.”
“Boyfriend?”
Claire immediately said,
“No.”
I said,
“Not yet.”
Claire turned bright red.
Maria raised an eyebrow.
I smiled.
“Sorry.”
Claire looked like she wanted to kill me.
Maria almost smiled.
“Keep your personal lives out of this case.”
We promised.
Outside the station, Claire was quiet.
“You really had to say that?”
“I was nervous.”
“You don’t joke when you’re nervous?”
“I joke constantly.”
She shook her head.
“You’re strange.”
“You came back.”
“I needed help.”
“And I’m helping.”
She looked at me.
“Yes.”
For some reason, that one word mattered.
That evening, Claire finally told me the truth about Ryan.
They had dated for four years.
He was charming at first.
Then controlling.
He wanted to know where she was.
Who she talked to.
What she wore.
Eventually, he wanted access to everything.
Her phone.
Her bank account.
Her daughter’s school records.
When Claire tried to leave, he promised he would change.
He didn’t.
Then one night, he took Lily without permission.
That was the moment Claire knew she had to run.
“He didn’t hurt her?”
“No.”
“He scared her.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“He told her I’d left because I didn’t love her.”
My chest tightened.
“That’s horrible.”
“I got her back.”
“How?”
“I had help.”
“From who?”
She looked at me.
“A lawyer.”
“Did the lawyer get custody?”
“Temporary protection.”
“Temporary?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Ryan claimed I was unstable.”
I stared.
“Was he successful?”
“For a while.”
“Why?”
“He had money.”
That sentence explained everything.
Money gave him lawyers.
Influence.
Time.
The ability to make her look like the problem.
Claire rubbed her eyes.
“That’s why I keep moving.”
“How many places?”
“Four.”
“And each time?”
“He found me.”
“What about Lily?”
“She stays with my sister.”
“Does Ryan know?”
Claire hesitated.
“I’m not sure.”
I looked at the dinosaur on my counter.
“He knows enough.”
She nodded.
Then my phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
One message.
Stay out of this, Daniel.
Claire stared.
“He knows your name.”
“Yes.”
“He knows the café.”
“Yes.”
“He knows you’re helping me.”
“Yes.”
She stood.
“You need to stop.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“I said no.”
“You don’t understand what he can do.”
“I understand enough.”
She stepped closer.
“You could lose your business.”
“Maybe.”
“Your home.”
“Maybe.”
“Your son.”
That stopped me.
Claire saw it.
“Exactly.”
She stepped back.
“I won’t let him destroy another family.”
I looked at her.
“Then we don’t let him.”
Her eyes filled.
For the first time, she didn’t tell me to stay away.
She sat down beside me.
“Thank you.”
I nodded.
That night, I drove her to her sister’s house.
Lily was asleep upstairs.
Claire stood by the door.
“You should go home.”
“I will.”
She hesitated.
“Daniel?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
“You too.”
She smiled.
Then she walked inside.
I drove away.
Five minutes later, my phone rang.
It was Claire.
Her voice was shaking.
“Daniel…”
“What happened?”
“Lily’s gone.”
