Chapter 7: The Man She Thought Was Dead

Amelia stared at the photograph until her eyes began to hurt. Her father stood beside her outside Rosewood Clinic, looking older than she remembered, but there was no mistaking his face.

She had spent years believing he was dead. Now she was beginning to wonder whether everything she knew about her childhood had been a carefully constructed lie.

Her phone rang again.

It was Sophie.

Amelia answered immediately. “You have five seconds to explain why my father is standing beside me in this photograph.”

“Amelia, where are you?”

“Don't change the subject. You told me he was dead!”

“I know what I told you.”

“Then why is he alive?”

Sophie remained silent.

Amelia's voice trembled with anger. “You knew, didn't you? You knew he was alive, and you allowed me to spend years believing I had nobody.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“Everybody keeps saying that! Your excuses are beginning to sound rehearsed.”

“Please, just listen to me. Your father wasn't supposed to contact you.”

“Who decided that?”

Before Sophie could answer, Amelia heard a knock at her apartment door.

She looked towards it.

“Amelia, are you still there?” Sophie asked.

“Someone is at my door.”

“Don't open it!”

But Amelia had already ended the call.

She approached the door cautiously and looked through the peephole.

A man stood outside.

His hair was greyer than in the photograph, and his face carried the marks of years Amelia knew nothing about. He held a small envelope in one hand.

She opened the door slightly.

“Amelia?”

The sound of her name coming from his mouth made her step backwards.

“Dad?”

The man nodded, his eyes filled with emotion.

“My little girl.”

Amelia wanted to believe that hearing those words would bring back memories, but her mind remained frustratingly blank.

“Why did you let me believe you were dead?”

Richard Carter lowered his head.

“I never wanted you to believe that.”

“But you allowed it to happen!”

“I know, and I have regretted it every day.”

He stepped forward, but Amelia raised her hand.

“Don't come closer until you tell me the truth.”

Richard accepted her decision.

“I came because I heard you've started asking questions. Someone contacted me yesterday and told me you had found the photograph.”

“Who?”

“I don't know. The message came from an unknown number.”

Amelia looked at the envelope in his hand.

“What's inside?”

“Something I kept for you. I was supposed to give it to you three years ago, but I never got the chance.”

He handed it over.

Inside was an old photograph of Amelia as a little girl, sitting on her father's shoulders. Behind them stood a younger Victoria Hayes.

Amelia frowned.

“Why is Mrs Hayes in a photograph with us?”

Richard's expression changed.

“Because she knew our family long before you met Alexander.”

Amelia looked up sharply.

“What does that mean?”

Richard glanced towards the corridor.

“Not here. There are things I need to explain, but I don't think we're alone.”

Before Amelia could ask what he meant, a car horn sounded outside.

Richard looked through the window and immediately stepped away from it.

“Did anyone follow you?” Amelia asked.

“I don't know.”

He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“There's a place you need to visit. Your mother left something there before she died.”

Amelia stared at him.

“My mother died when I was young. What could she possibly have left?”

Richard looked directly at her.

“Something Victoria has spent years trying to find.”

Amelia felt her stomach tighten.

“What is it?”

“A document. It proves that the Hayes family took something from us, and it explains why Victoria was so desperate to keep you away from Alexander.”

A loud knock interrupted them.

Richard immediately went silent.

Someone knocked again, harder this time.

“Amelia Carter?” a male voice called from outside. “Open the door. We need to speak with your father.”

Richard's face lost its colour.

Amelia looked at him.

“Who is that?”

He shook his head and whispered, “Don't let him in.”

The knocking stopped.

Then Amelia's phone vibrated.

A message appeared from Alexander.

Where are you? Daniel just discovered that your father is not the only person who visited Rosewood Clinic the night you disappeared.

A second message followed.

It contained a photograph of a visitor's register.

Amelia zoomed in.

There were three names on the page.

Her own.

Richard Carter.

And the third name made her blood run cold.

Alexander Hayes.

She slowly turned towards her father.

“Dad, Alexander was at the clinic that night. Why?”

Richard closed his eyes.

When he finally spoke, his answer was barely audible.

“Because, Amelia, he wasn't supposed to be your husband.”

Before she could demand an explanation, the apartment lights went out.

And someone began turning the handle of her front door.