Chapter 2: The Things Hidden Underwater

I wanted to believe I had misunderstood her.

I wanted to believe my daughter was confused.

I wanted to believe there was some simple explanation waiting for me inside that house.

A misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding could be fixed.

A misunderstanding could be apologized for.

But the way Emily looked at that pool told me something worse was waiting beneath the surface.

Something she had been carrying alone.

I kept one arm wrapped around her while I slowly stood.

“Emily,” I said softly, forcing my voice to stay calm, “what do you mean he found something?””

She shook her head.

Her fingers tightened around my jacket.

“Daddy, we need to leave.””

“Not until I know what happened.””

Her eyes moved toward the back door of the house.

The curtains were still closed.

The entire place felt like it was holding its breath.

“He might come back.””

The words hit me harder than anything else.

“Who?””

Emily looked at me like she couldn’t believe I asked.

“Julian.””

My jaw clenched.

“Where is your mother?””

She looked down.

“I don’t know.””

That answer scared me more than if she had said Elena was inside.

I reached for my phone.

The screen was cracked from when I dropped it climbing over the fence, but it still worked.

I dialed emergency services.

Before I could press call, Emily grabbed my wrist.

“No.””

I looked at her.

“Emily, listen to me. You were locked in a cage.””

“I know.””

“Someone did that to you.””

“I know.””

“Then I need to call for help.””

She shook her head quickly.

“No, Daddy. You don’t understand.””

“Then help me understand.””

Her face twisted with fear.

“He said you wouldn’t believe me.””

The backyard suddenly felt colder.

“Who said that?””

“Julian.””

“What did he tell you?””

Emily looked at the pool.

“He said everyone would think I was lying.””

I crouched in front of her.

“Emily, look at me.””

Slowly, she did.

“I believe you.””

A tear rolled down her cheek.

“I know you do.””

“Then tell me everything.””

She opened her mouth.

Then stopped.

Like the words were trapped somewhere deep inside her.

“I can’t.””

“Why?””

“Because if I tell you, you’ll go after him.””

I didn’t answer.

Because she was right.

A part of me already wanted to walk into that house and find Julian.

But another part of me—the part that had to be a father before anything else—knew I couldn’t lose control.

Not when Emily needed me.

I took a slow breath.

“Okay.””

She looked surprised.

“Okay?””

“Yes.””

I brushed the dirt from her cheek.

“You don’t have to tell me everything right now.””

Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

“But you need to tell me one thing.””

“What?””

I looked toward the pool.

“What’s in those bags?””

Emily went completely still.

For several seconds, she didn’t blink.

Then she whispered:

“Evidence.””

The word felt impossible coming from a ten-year-old.

“What kind of evidence?””

She looked toward the house again.

“I don’t know exactly.””

“Emily.””

“He found them in the basement.””

My heart skipped.

“The basement?””

She nodded.

“Three weeks ago.””

I stared at her.

“Three weeks?””

Her eyes filled with guilt.

“I tried to tell you.””

The pain in her voice almost broke me.

“When?””

“Every time you picked me up.””

“Why didn’t you?””

“Because Mom was always there.””

I swallowed.

“What happened?””

Emily hugged herself.

“One night, I heard Mom and Julian fighting.””

“What were they fighting about?””

She looked away.

“I don’t know. But Mom was crying.””

That was a sentence I never expected to hear.

Elena crying.

The same woman who always acted like emotions were weaknesses.

The same woman who told me during our divorce that she was done letting people “control her feelings.””

“She never cries,” I whispered.

“I know.””

Emily’s voice became quieter.

“That’s why I got scared.””

The wind moved through the trees.

Somewhere beyond the fence, a dog barked.

Normal sounds.

A normal neighborhood.

But nothing about this felt normal anymore.

“What did you hear?”” I asked.

Emily looked down at the ground.

“She said she wanted to call someone.””

“Who?””

“She said your name.””

My chest tightened.

“She wanted to call me?””

Emily nodded.

“But Julian stopped her.””

“What did he say?””

She hesitated.

Then she repeated the words.

“‘Mark will ruin everything.’”

A cold anger moved through me.

“What does that mean?””

“I don’t know.””

She wiped her face.

“But the next morning, he put the lock on my door.””

I froze.

“Your bedroom door?””

She nodded.

“He said it was because I was sneaking around.””

“Were you?””

“No.””

Her answer came immediately.

“I was trying to find out why Mom was scared.””

I looked at the cage behind her.

“Emily…”

She lowered her voice.

“I found the basement.””