“Who Taught Her to Walk” — Billionaire Stunned as Her Girl Pointed to Her Single Dad Ex-SEAL Janitor
Chapter 4
Daniel read the message once.
Then deleted it.
Evelyn stared.
“What did it say?”
“Nothing useful.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
He looked at her.
“Your daughter is the target.”
“I already know that.”
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“You don’t.”
He showed her the message.
Evelyn went pale.
“They’re threatening me.”
“They’re trying to control you.”
“Who?”
“Someone who knows exactly how you think.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down.”
Daniel sat.
“We need to understand what Thomas was protecting.”
Evelyn opened the documents again.
One page listed a series of financial transfers.
At the bottom was a code.
ORCHID.
“What’s Orchid?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I’ve seen the name.”
“Where?”
“In Thomas’s military-related correspondence.”
Evelyn frowned.
“My husband worked with the military?”
“Privately.”
“For what?”
“Security contracts.”
She stared at the documents.
“My God.”
Daniel continued.
“Thomas built a private security network for wealthy clients.”
“Then he discovered it was being used for something else.”
“What?”
“Moving people.”
Evelyn looked confused.
“People?”
“Witnesses.”
“From what?”
“Corporate investigations.”
She suddenly understood.
“Thomas was hiding witnesses.”
“Yes.”
“From Jonathan?”
“Probably.”
Evelyn looked at the names.
“Who was the first witness?”
Daniel pointed.
“Your mother.”
Evelyn froze.
“My mother died twenty years ago.”
“Her official death certificate says that.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“What are you saying?”
“Thomas believed she was alive.”
“Why?”
“Because someone kept sending him photographs.”
He opened another file.
A photograph of Evelyn’s mother.
Alive.
Older.
Standing outside a clinic.
Evelyn’s hand flew to her mouth.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“She survived.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Then Emma walked over.
She touched the photograph.
“Grandma.”
Both adults froze.
Evelyn looked at her daughter.
“You’ve seen this?”
Emma nodded.
“She came.”
“When?”
“At night.”
Evelyn stared.
“What?”
Daniel crouched beside Emma.
“Tell me.”
“Grandma had a blue bag.”
“Where?”
“At the hospital.”
Daniel and Evelyn exchanged a look.
The hospital.
Her mother had been there.
Perhaps recently.
Daniel grabbed the security files.
“Someone entered the hospital with a visitor pass under a false name.”
Evelyn looked.
“Who?”
He pointed.
“Elaine Foster.”
Her mother’s maiden name.
Evelyn felt her world tilt.
“She’s alive.”
Daniel nodded.
“Maybe.”
“Then we find her.”
They returned to the hospital.
Daniel moved through the corridors with the confidence of someone who knew every camera.
Evelyn followed.
They reached an unused patient wing.
A nurse opened a hidden door.
Inside was an elderly woman.
She looked at Evelyn.
And cried.
“Ellie.”
Evelyn’s knees almost gave way.
“Mom?”
The woman stood.
Evelyn ran to her.
They held each other.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Finally, her mother whispered,
“Thomas was right.”
“About what?”
“The company.”
“Jonathan?”
Her mother shook her head.
“Jonathan was only a servant.”
Evelyn froze.
“Then who was behind everything?”
Her mother looked at Daniel.
“You don’t know.”
Daniel shook his head.
She whispered,
“The man who gave Thomas his final order.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Who?”
Her mother looked toward Emma.
“The man who claims to be her grandfather.”
Evelyn stopped breathing.
“Richard Sterling?”
Her father.
The man who had supposedly died before Emma was born.
