Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 14

The Thorne mansion had been abandoned for years. Or so everyone thought. I parked my car two miles away and walked through the woods. The key Maya gave me was cold in my palm. The November wind cut through my coat like Julian's words used to cut through my heart. *He didn't mean them*, I told myself. *He was protecting you.* But knowing the truth and feeling it were two different things. The mansion appeared through the trees like a ghost. Three stories of crumbling brick, shattered windows, and ivy strangling the walls. No lights. No sounds. No signs of life. But Victor Thorne was in there. And Julian. And my daughter. I found the tunnel entrance behind a dead oak tree—a metal door half-buried in dirt. The key turned with a screech. I pulled open the door and stepped into darkness. The tunnel smelled like wet earth and rust. My phone's flashlight cut a narrow path through the shadows. Water dripped somewhere ahead. My footsteps echoed like gunshots. *You should have brought

I didn't sleep that night. Lily slept in my arms on a cot at the police station. Julian sat across from us, head in his hands. Damian stood by the window, watching the sunrise. No one spoke. The silence was heavier than any words. At 7 AM, a social worker arrived. Her name was Mrs. Alvarez, and she had kind eyes and a gentle voice. "We need to place Lily in temporary foster care," she said. "No." Julian stood up. "She stays with us." "Mr. Thorne, you're currently under investigation. Your father—" "My father is a criminal. I'm not." Julian's voice cracked. "She's my daughter. I have rights." "I understand. But legally, until the courts decide—" "She stays with me." I stood up, still holding Lily. "I'm her mother. I have no criminal record. I have a home. I have income. There's no reason to take her from me." Mrs. Alvarez looked at me for a long moment. Then she nodded. "I'll file an emergency custody order. But you'll need to appear in court next week." "Fine." She left.