Chapter 7 - The Stranger at the Gate
Maya sat frozen against the damp stone wall, the rain drumming a frantic beat against the canopy of leaves overhead. The revelation hit her harder than any physical blow could have. Julian wasn't her father. The man who had raised her, the man who had just stood by and watched Clara try to throw her out—he was a fraud, a usurper who had stolen her mother’s life and estate.
A sudden sweep of headlights cut through the trees near the perimeter fence. Maya instantly clicked off her penlight and pressed herself flat against the ground, holding her breath. A dark sedan idled by the rusted service gate fifty yards away. The engine purred quietly before the driver's side door clicked open. A tall man stepped out into the rain, wearing a heavy trench coat. He didn't look like one of Julian’s private security guards; he moved with a cautious, weathered grace, scanning the tree line.
"Maya?" a deep, gravelly voice called out into the dark. "Maya, if you're out here, you need to listen to me. Your mother sent me."
Maya’s heart hammered against her ribs. Was it a trap? Could this be another one of Clara and Julian’s associates sent to hunt her down and retrieve the letter?
The man took a few steps closer, shining a heavy-duty flashlight toward her hiding spot, though the beam swept past her by a few feet.
"I have the other half of the documents," the man continued, his voice steady despite the howling wind. "My name is David. Your mother and I made a plan before they silenced her."
Maya’s grip tightened on the luxury handbag. She slowly began to slide backward, looking for a way deeper into the woods, but a sudden twig snap beneath her boot echoed loudly in the quiet night.
The flashlight beam snapped instantly onto her location, pinning her in the harsh white light.
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"Found you," David said softly, taking a slow step toward the stone wall.
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