Chapter 12 - Emily Makes a Promise
The pendant opened.
No one knew except Lily.
She pressed the edge with her thumbnail.
The silver casing separated.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
Caroline stared.
“You carried this for seven years?”
Lily shook her head.
“Noah did.”
The card contained copies of Victor’s financial records, recordings, forged documents and evidence linking him to Bell.
It was enough to guarantee prosecution.
Victor knew.
That was why he had watched Noah.
Why Pike stared at the necklace.
Why the pendant mattered.
Ruiz secured the evidence.
For the first time, Victor had lost his leverage.
But Noah remained afraid.
Emily found him packing his backpack.
“Again?”
“If I leave, he’ll follow me instead.”
“No.”
“I can protect everyone.”
Emily stood in front of him.
“You’re seven.”
“Eight.”
“You’re eight. You’re not Batman.”
Despite himself, Noah smiled.
Then Emily became serious.
“You protected your mom for a long time. Let adults protect you now.”
Noah looked at her.
“Promise you won’t let them send me away?”
Emily held out her pinky.
“I promise I’ll complain extremely loudly.”
Noah laughed.
They linked fingers.
It was childish.
Simple.
But to Noah, promises had always been frightening things.
Adults made them before disappearing.
Emily’s promise felt different.
She had no power to guarantee the future.
She simply meant she would stay.
That evening, the family received another development.
Victor’s abandoned vehicle had been found near the river.
Inside was blood.
Enough to suggest injury.
But no body.
Ruiz warned them not to assume Victor was dead.
Lily knew him better.
“He wants us to think the danger is over.”
Caroline agreed.
Victor’s greatest weapon had always been deception.
And if he wanted them to relax, it meant he was preparing something.
The next morning, Noah woke to discover the window beside his bed open.
On the floor lay a red paper cup.
Exactly like the cup the bully had held outside the school.
Inside was a note.
May you like
YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT RUNNING.
Victor had found them.
