Chapter 6 - Rachel's Choice
The police surrounded the motel before sunrise.
But Rachel surrendered without resistance.
The weapon wasn't loaded.
Ethan was unharmed.
And within an hour, the story changed again.
Rachel hadn't kidnapped him.
She had rescued him.
After the attack, Victor ordered one of his men to take Ethan away.
Rachel intercepted them.
She hid Ethan because she knew Pike could access police databases.
For sixteen years, Rachel had lived beside Victor while quietly collecting evidence.
Why?
Because Victor had threatened Harper.
Then Violet.
Every time Rachel tried to leave, he reminded her that he knew where her family lived.
Rachel had sacrificed her own freedom to keep Victor's attention on herself.
But Violet's discovery of the old box changed everything.
Suddenly a sixteen-year-old girl possessed evidence Victor thought had disappeared years ago.
Rachel tried warning her.
Violet refused to stop.
“She has your stubbornness,” Rachel told me.
“I've been informed.”
Rachel almost smiled.
Then her expression collapsed.
“I tried to protect her.”
“You brought Victor into my house.”
“He followed me.”
“You knew he would.”
“Yes.”
That answer hurt more than an excuse would have.
Rachel explained that she had arranged to meet Violet secretly.
Victor discovered the meeting.
He forced Rachel to take him.
Ethan arrived unexpectedly.
Chaos followed.
“Who hurt Violet?”
Rachel looked away.
“Victor's son.”
I frowned.
“Victor has a son?”
Rachel nodded.
“Caleb Hale.”
Seventeen years old.
A student.
At Violet's school.
And suddenly I understood why Violet had opened the door.
Caleb wasn't a stranger.
He was someone she knew.
Someone who had been invited inside before.
Ortiz pulled up his school photograph.
I had seen him.
At Violet's science fair.
Standing three feet behind her.
Smiling.
Victor hadn't infiltrated our home through locks.
May you like
He had infiltrated it through Violet's life.
And Caleb Hale had been close to my daughter for almost a year.
