Chapter 3 - SHADOWS OF THE WHITMORE EMPIRE
Daniel brought Lily to his forty-room mansion on the hill. For the first time in nine years, the heavy oak doors felt like they were opening to welcome life rather than trap a ghost. He commanded his trusted housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins, to prepare the warmest bath and a feast of hot food.
While Lily ate quietly in the massive dining room, Daniel retreated to his study. He approached the locked drawer he hadn't opened in a decade. He unlocked it and pulled out the tiny silver bracelet engraved with Lily. He compared it to the hospital bracelet found in Lily’s tin box. The serial numbers matched the hospital ward from nine years ago.
His father, Charles Whitmore, had died two years prior, leaving Daniel the sole heir to a multi-billion-dollar shipping and real estate empire. But now, Daniel realized the wealth was built on a foundation of lies.
He called his private investigator and closest friend, Sam Vance.
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"Sam, I need you at the estate immediately. Bring everything we have on Marcus Vale, the St. Jude Hospital staff from nine years ago, and my father’s private ledgers. I found her, Sam. I found Lily. She’s alive."
On the other end of the line, there was a long, stunned silence. "My God, Daniel... I'm on my way."
