Chapter 13 - THE WOMAN WHO TOOK THE BULLET
"Vanessa!"
Mark dropped to his knees.
Blood spread across her shoulder.
Lily screamed.
I pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
Another shot struck the wall.
Daniel disappeared into the darkness.
Michael ran after him.
I stayed with Vanessa.
She was breathing.
Barely.
"Call an ambulance!"
Mark grabbed his phone.
Vanessa reached for my hand.
"Thomas."
"I'm here."
"I need to tell you something."
"Save your strength."
"No."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"If I don't tell you now, Lily may never know."
Mark returned.
"Ambulance is coming."
Vanessa looked at him.
"I didn't marry you for the money."
Mark stared at her.
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You don't."
She reached into her jacket.
Pulled out a small photograph.
And handed it to him.
Mark looked at it.
His face changed.
It showed Sarah.
Holding Lily.
And Vanessa standing beside her.
But there was a date.
Nine years earlier.
The day Lily was born.
Mark stared at Vanessa.
"You were there."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Sarah asked me to be."
"Why?"
Vanessa began crying.
"Because she knew she might not survive."
Mark looked confused.
"Survive what?"
"Giving birth."
I looked at her.
"What happened?"
"Sarah hemorrhaged."
Mark closed his eyes.
"I was told everything was normal."
"That wasn't true."
"Who told you?"
"Daniel."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel was in the hospital."
Mark stared.
"Why was he there?"
Vanessa whispered:
"He was waiting for Lily."
The room went silent.
"What did he want?"
"The baby."
Mark's face became white.
"Why?"
Vanessa looked at Lily.
"Because Lily was the only person who could legally inherit the trust."
I understood.
But there was another question.
"How did Sarah escape?"
Vanessa looked at me.
"She didn't."
I froze.
"What?"
"Sarah didn't leave the hospital."
Mark looked horrified.
"Then how did she survive?"
Vanessa whispered:
"Someone else took her place."
I didn't understand.
"Who?"
"Me."
The ambulance arrived.
Paramedics rushed inside.
Vanessa was carried away.
Mark stood frozen.
Michael returned.
"Daniel got away."
I looked at him.
"Did you see where?"
"No."
"Then we need to find Sarah."
Michael nodded.
"There is one place."
"Where?"
"The original Bennett estate."
I frowned.
"My father sold that property."
"No."
Michael shook his head.
"He didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"The sale was fake."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because the estate contains the trust documents."
Mark looked at Lily.
"Then we go there."
I nodded.
But before we left, my phone rang.
It was the hospital.
A nurse said:
"Mr. Bennett?"
"Yes."
"There's a problem."
"What?"
"The woman you brought in..."
I waited.
"She woke up."
"That's good."
"No."
The nurse's voice trembled.
"She asked us one question."
"What?"
"She asked whether Lily was safe."
I looked at Mark.
The nurse continued.
"Then she gave us a name."
May you like
"What name?"
"Sarah."
