{"id":7243,"date":"2026-10-21T20:20:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=7243"},"modified":"2026-10-21T20:20:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:20:21","slug":"part-9-three-days-after-i-quietly-sold-my-farm-for-39-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/?p=7243","title":{"rendered":"PART 9: \u2013 \u201cThree days after I quietly sold my farm for $39 million,\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

PART 9 \u2014 THE CHILD WHO DISAPPEARED
\n<\/span>For several seconds, nobody moved.
\n<\/span>Elias Voss stood in the doorway as if he had walked into the room expecting to find us exactly where we were.
\n<\/span>Miriam looked terrified.
\n<\/span>Not surprised.
\n<\/span>Not confused.
\n<\/span>Terrified.
\n<\/span>I looked from her to the man standing before us.
\n<\/span>\u201cYou’re Elias Voss.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cYes.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cThe man who financed my father’s first business.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cYes.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cThe man Daniel worked for.\u201d
\n<\/span>His expression barely changed.
\n<\/span>\u201cYes.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cAnd you knew my parents before I was born.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cYes.\u201d
\n<\/span>My voice became sharper.
\n<\/span>\u201cThen tell me why you were at the hospital the night I was born.\u201d
\n<\/span>Elias looked at the photograph on Miriam’s desk.
\n<\/span>\u201cBecause your father asked me to come.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n<\/span>He didn’t answer.
\n<\/span>\u201cWhy were you there?\u201d
\n<\/span>He looked directly at me.
\n<\/span>\u201cBecause there were two babies.\u201d
\n<\/span>The room went silent.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

I felt the words hit me like a physical blow.<\/p>\n

Miriam closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

I whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne was you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the other?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at Miriam.<\/p>\n

She shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias ignored her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other child was your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

My entire body froze.<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I could barely speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias’s expression changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the question your father spent the rest of his life trying to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Miriam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew there had been another child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew I had a brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you never told me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother made me promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt anger rise inside me.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone promised something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam’s eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone says that.\u201d<\/p>\n

I slammed my hand against the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtect me from what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias spoke quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the people who believed your brother was worth more than your family.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

He placed another document on the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked down.<\/p>\n

It was an old financial agreement.<\/p>\n

The paper was yellowed.<\/p>\n

The signatures were faded.<\/p>\n

But one name was perfectly clear.<\/p>\n

Elias Voss.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another:<\/p>\n

Richard \u2014 my father.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And another:<\/p>\n

Daniel Mercer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I read the first paragraph.<\/p>\n

It described a trust.<\/p>\n

A family trust.<\/p>\n

But then I saw something that made my heart race.<\/p>\n

The trust had been established before I was born.<\/p>\n

And the beneficiary section contained two names.<\/p>\n

Mine.<\/p>\n

And another name.<\/p>\n

The second name had been crossed out.<\/p>\n

Not erased.<\/p>\n

Crossed out.<\/p>\n

I leaned closer.<\/p>\n

The name underneath was still partially visible.<\/p>\n

Lucas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucas?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn’t breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy was his name crossed out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias looked at Miriam.<\/p>\n

Then back at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause someone paid to remove him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer immediately.<\/p>\n

Then he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stepped backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father wouldn’t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he believed he was saving your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias pulled out another document.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the original trust agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to a paragraph.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father was deeply in debt.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at the numbers.<\/p>\n

The debt was enormous.<\/p>\n

Far beyond anything I had ever known.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father borrowed money from me,\u201d Elias continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo save the family business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what did you want in return?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCollateral.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat collateral?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father used me as collateral?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe used your future inheritance.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked down at the trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe farm?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe farm was part of the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at the documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the $39 million\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas never just the value of the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe value of the promise your father made.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat promise?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias took a slow breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father promised that when the trust matured, the property would be sold and the proceeds would settle the debt.\u201d<\/p>\n

My mind raced.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why was my name on everything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your father wanted the trust to appear independent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause if creditors discovered he controlled it, they could seize it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he put everything in my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias’s expression darkened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother was the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there were two beneficiaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo children meant two claims.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Dad removed Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn’t remove him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hid him.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart broke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what we never discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned to Miriam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father told me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you were seventeen.\u201d<\/p>\n

I remembered the supplemental birth-record request.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you requested my identity verification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the beginning of my investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn’t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your father was still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told me that if I told you before he was ready, you would be placed in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n

I laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy entire life has been one giant secret.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam looked down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

Elias moved toward the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to tell you something about Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaniel didn’t create the scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was sent to manage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias turned around.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father hired Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Daniel worked for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore he worked for your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt a chill.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Dad knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLong before you knew his name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why did Dad tell me Daniel was only a financial consultant?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he wanted you to believe the financial problems were ordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were connected to Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to Lucas?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias’s expression became serious.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s where the story becomes complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the night you were born, your mother gave birth to twins.\u201d<\/p>\n

I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwins.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoy and girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother was exhausted. Your father was terrified. There were people at the hospital asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat people?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was looking for the trust documents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would he look for them at a hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause your father had brought them there.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad brought financial documents to the hospital while Mom was giving birth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he was preparing to transfer the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I was a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias placed a document on the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father believed that if the trust were placed in your name immediately, it would be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Lucas was also a beneficiary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone changed the documents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never proved it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Miriam.<\/p>\n

She whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s why the original agreement matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat original agreement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one signed before the birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe agreement in Locker 214?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe document in Locker 214 was a copy.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen where is the original?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

He answered:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father’s house.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt a chill.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s been searched.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot completely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a room nobody knew about.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cA hidden room?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBehind the old library.\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about my childhood home.<\/p>\n

The library.<\/p>\n

Dad’s books.<\/p>\n

The fireplace.<\/p>\n

The wooden shelves.<\/p>\n

The cabinet.<\/p>\n

I remembered one particular wall.<\/p>\n

There had always been a section of books that Dad never allowed me to touch.<\/p>\n

I had assumed they were old business records.<\/p>\n

Maybe they weren’t.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

We drove to my father’s old house that evening.<\/p>\n

The property had been empty for months.<\/p>\n

I still had a key.<\/p>\n

The moment I entered, memories came flooding back.<\/p>\n

Dad’s chair.<\/p>\n

Mom’s piano.<\/p>\n

The hallway where Ranata and I had fought as children.<\/p>\n

The smell of old wood.<\/p>\n

Everything looked frozen in time.<\/p>\n

Elias walked straight toward the library.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father showed me once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he knew I might have to retrieve something.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped at the bookshelf.<\/p>\n

Third row.<\/p>\n

Sixth book from the left.<\/p>\n

He pulled it.<\/p>\n

Nothing happened.<\/p>\n

He pulled another.<\/p>\n

Then another.<\/p>\n

Finally, he pressed the wooden frame.<\/p>\n

A soft click sounded.<\/p>\n

The bookshelf moved.<\/p>\n

I stared.<\/p>\n

Behind it was a narrow doorway.<\/p>\n

My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew this existed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father built it after Lucas disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stepped inside.<\/p>\n

The room was small.<\/p>\n

There was a desk.<\/p>\n

A chair.<\/p>\n

Several boxes.<\/p>\n

And a wall covered in photographs.<\/p>\n

I walked closer.<\/p>\n

Photographs of me.<\/p>\n

As a baby.<\/p>\n

As a child.<\/p>\n

At school.<\/p>\n

On the farm.<\/p>\n

At family gatherings.<\/p>\n

Then I saw another series of photographs.<\/p>\n

A baby boy.<\/p>\n

The same age.<\/p>\n

The same hospital bracelet.<\/p>\n

The same date.<\/p>\n

Lucas.<\/p>\n

I touched one photograph.<\/p>\n

My eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

My brother had existed.<\/p>\n

My parents had held him.<\/p>\n

Someone had taken photographs.<\/p>\n

Someone had known where he was.<\/p>\n

But beneath the photographs was something else.<\/p>\n

A handwritten timeline.<\/p>\n

Birth.<\/p>\n

Trust created.<\/p>\n

Records changed.<\/p>\n

Lucas transferred.<\/p>\n

Farm purchased.<\/p>\n

Daniel introduced.<\/p>\n

First financial agreement.<\/p>\n

Second agreement.<\/p>\n

And finally:<\/p>\n

$39 MILLION SALE.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I stared at the final line.<\/p>\n

Someone had planned the entire chain years before the farm was ever sold.<\/p>\n

But beneath it was one final sentence.<\/p>\n

When Fay discovers the truth, she will search for Lucas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I turned around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho wrote this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

I pointed to the handwriting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at it.<\/p>\n

Then his face changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve never seen that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam stepped closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn your mother’s journal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother gave it to me before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you still have it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBring it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miriam reached into her bag.<\/p>\n

She pulled out a small black notebook.<\/p>\n

My mother’s journal.<\/p>\n

She opened it.<\/p>\n

Most pages were filled with ordinary notes.<\/p>\n

Appointments.<\/p>\n

Names.<\/p>\n

Dates.<\/p>\n

Then she reached a page near the end.<\/p>\n

One sentence had been written repeatedly.<\/p>\n

Lucas is alive.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

I looked at Miriam.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned the page.<\/p>\n

Another sentence.<\/p>\n

Elias knows where he is.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

He had gone completely pale.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know where my brother is.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cElias.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is Lucas?\u201d<\/p>\n

He finally looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believed he was dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Mom wrote that you knew where he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought she was mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he reached into his coat.<\/p>\n

He pulled out an old envelope.<\/p>\n

The envelope had been opened and resealed many times.<\/p>\n

He handed it to me.<\/p>\n

Inside was a photograph.<\/p>\n

A young man.<\/p>\n

Maybe eighteen or nineteen.<\/p>\n

He was standing outside a building.<\/p>\n

On the back was a date.<\/p>\n

Only three years ago.<\/p>\n

And beneath it:<\/p>\n

Lucas Voss.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I looked at Elias.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy does he have your surname?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias’s face changed.<\/p>\n

Because suddenly I realized something.<\/p>\n

The surname wasn’t Voss.<\/p>\n

It was written in a different hand.<\/p>\n

A correction.<\/p>\n

The original name underneath had been scratched out.<\/p>\n

I held the photograph closer.<\/p>\n

The original name was still faintly visible.<\/p>\n

Lucas Mercer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My father’s surname.<\/p>\n

My brother was alive.<\/p>\n

And someone had spent eighteen years making sure I never knew.<\/p>\n

Then my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n

One message.<\/p>\n

STOP LOOKING FOR LUCAS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A second message arrived immediately.<\/p>\n

THE $39 MILLION WAS NEVER YOUR MONEY.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then a third.<\/p>\n

AND LUCAS ISN’T THE PERSON YOU THINK HE IS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

Elias stepped closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did they say?\u201d<\/p>\n

I handed him the phone.<\/p>\n

He read the messages.<\/p>\n

His face went pale.<\/p>\n

Then he whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey found you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked toward the hidden doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who took Lucas.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they’re coming for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Fay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at the photograph of my brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is something I haven’t told you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to the photograph.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucas didn’t disappear eighteen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen when?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias swallowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room went silent.<\/p>\n

Three years.<\/p>\n

The same year the farm’s value began rising.<\/p>\n

The same year Daniel returned.<\/p>\n

The same year the first serious financial documents appeared.<\/p>\n

The same year someone began preparing the property for a future $39 million sale.<\/p>\n

I looked at the timeline on the wall.<\/p>\n

And suddenly everything made sense.<\/p>\n

The farm wasn’t the end of the story.<\/p>\n

It was the bait.<\/p>\n

Lucas had been alive.<\/p>\n

Someone had been waiting.<\/p>\n

And the $39 million wasn’t the prize.<\/p>\n

It was the reason someone finally decided to bring my brother back into the story.<\/p>\n

I turned toward Elias.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is Lucas now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could answer, the lights in the house went out.<\/p>\n

Miriam gasped.<\/p>\n

A sound came from downstairs.<\/p>\n

A door closing.<\/p>\n

Then another.<\/p>\n

Someone was inside the house.<\/p>\n

Elias whispered:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon’t move.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heard footsteps approaching the library.<\/p>\n

Slow.<\/p>\n

Measured.<\/p>\n

Coming closer.<\/p>\n

Then a man’s voice came from the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cFay.\u201d<\/p>\n

I froze.<\/p>\n

I knew that voice.<\/p>\n

It was Daniel Mercer.<\/p>\n

And then he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ve been looking for your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pause.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have asked me where he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hidden door began to open.<\/p>\n

And Daniel stepped into the room…..<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUOUS READ FULL ENDING STORY PART\ud83d\udc49 (10): \u2013 \u201cThree days after I quietly sold my farm for $39 million,\u201d<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART 9 \u2014 THE CHILD WHO DISAPPEARED For several seconds, nobody moved. Elias Voss stood in the doorway as if he had walked into the room expecting to find us … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7246,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7243\/revisions\/7246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}