Chapter 4 - The Motel Hideout
Daniel snatched the photo from Sarah's hand, his blood running completely cold.
"Vanessa must have hidden these in my car to frame me," Daniel said, his voice laced with pure panic.
He pulled the SUV into the parking lot of a rundown motel on the outskirts of the city.
The neon sign buzzed loudly above them, flashing through the heavy rain.
Daniel paid the clerk with cash, keeping his hood pulled low over his face to hide his identity.
He hurried Sarah and Lily into the dingy room and immediately locked the deadbolt.
Sarah collapsed onto the edge of the cheap mattress, burying her face in her hands.
Lily climbed up beside her real mother, gently wrapping her tiny arms around Sarah's waist.
"It's okay, Mommy, Daddy will protect us," Lily whispered sweetly.
Sarah hugged the little girl tightly, tears spilling onto Lily's pajamas.
Daniel paced the worn carpet, pulling out his phone to check the local news.
His face was already plastered across every major news website in the state.
The headline read in bold letters: "Billionaire Daniel Vance Wanted for Kidnapping and Murder."
"Murder?" Daniel read aloud, utterly confused by the accusation.
He tapped on the video broadcast, turning the volume up so Sarah could hear.
A reporter stood on Daniel's front lawn, surrounded by yellow police tape and flashing lights.
"Police have just discovered a body buried in the garden of the Vance estate," the reporter announced grimly.
"Authorities have confirmed the remains belong to Vanessa Vance, Daniel's current wife."
Daniel dropped the phone onto the bed in absolute shock.
"If Vanessa is dead, then who is the woman I just married?" Daniel whispered.
The woman he had lived with for two years was an imposter, perfectly pretending to be someone else.
Suddenly, a loud, aggressive knock echoed from the motel room door.
Daniel put his finger to his lips, signaling for Sarah and Lily to remain completely silent.
May you like
He crept toward the door and looked through the small peephole.
Standing outside in the rain was the fake Vanessa, holding a suppressed pistol aimed directly at the lock.
