Chapter 20 - The Unseen Thread
The envelope was made of thick, high-quality cream paper.
There was no return address stamped on the top left corner.
There was no postage stamp stuck to the top right.
It had been hand-delivered directly into the box.
Mark felt his pulse spike instantly.
His thumb trembled slightly as he slid his finger beneath the paper seal and tore the top open.
Inside was a single glossy photograph.
Mark pulled the photograph out into the warm afternoon light.
His breath caught sharply in his throat.
The photo showed a wide shot of his new house taken from across the street.
Standing on the lawn in the foreground were Lily and Emma, kicking their soccer ball.
And standing right behind the wooden fence in the background was a figure in a white button-down shirt.
Mark flipped the photograph over.
On the back of the photo, written in neat, elegant blue ink, was a single line of text:
"Emma looks so much like me when she smiles."
Mark slowly turned his head to look toward the thick treeline at the edge of the street.
The quiet autumn wind blew golden leaves across the empty road.
In the distance, sitting beneath the shadow of an old oak tree, was a dark sedan with tinted windows.
The sedan's brake lights flickered red once in the afternoon light.
Mark slid the photograph into his pocket and stood up straight on the grass.
He looked back at Marcus, who was watching him carefully from the porch.
Mark didn't panic.
He didn't scream.
He simply walked over, gathered both of his daughters into his arms, and pulled them close.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Lily asked, looking up at him with big hazel eyes.
Mark looked back toward the dark car at the end of the street as its engine quietly started up.
May you like
"Nothing, baby," Mark whispered softly, his face hardening into pure determination.
"Daddy is never going to let anything happen to you again."
