Chapter 13 - Hannah’s Letter
Grace mailed the letter years ago.
To Daniel’s old office.
He never received it.
Hannah had written it during treatment.
Not legal instructions.
If I’m gone, please don’t let Lily’s money become the loudest thing about her.
The trust exists so she can grow without being afraid.
Not so adults can grow rich around her.
She named Grace as someone she trusted.
She warned Daniel not to hand every parenting decision to whoever made life easiest.
Then:
If somebody ever wants control of Lily more than they want Lily herself, notice.
Vanessa must have known the letter existed because Grace mentioned it once during an early visit.
Maybe that was why Vanessa isolated her.
Rachel asked:
“Where was the original?”
Daniel called his old office administrator.
After searching archived mail logs, she found an entry.
Certified envelope from Grace Bennett.
Signed for by:
Vanessa had been dating him only six months then.
She had collected the letter.
The next question was why she asked Grace where the original was if she already took the mailed copy.
“Hannah wrote two.”
The second went into a memory box for Lily.
“Vanessa took Mommy box.”
“When?”
“Long time.”
“Where?”
“She said it made me sad.”
“Do you know where she put it?”
“Storage.”
Daniel owned a small storage unit with furniture from Hannah’s old apartment.
Then Maria noticed fresh dust marks behind a dresser.
Inside were photographs, baby shoes, Hannah’s scarf, and the original letter.
Also inside:
A small envelope addressed to Lily.
FOR WHEN YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO ASK WHY.
“That’s hers.”
Then Maria found something taped under the lid.
Label:
IF DANIEL EVER NEEDS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TRUST.
Hannah had prepared for something before Vanessa ever entered their lives.
He plugged it in.
The first file was not about Vanessa.
May you like
It was about Daniel’s business partner, Mark Ellison.
And Mark was Vanessa’s uncle.
