Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past
Colonel Harlan released Marcus and rushed to Lila, pulling her into a tight embrace. His voice softened for the first time. “I’m here, sweetheart. I got your message. Took me two days to get stateside after they finally cleared me.”
Lila sobbed against his chest. “He’s been hurting her for months, Dad. Starving her, locking her up… all because she spilled juice on his stupid carpet once.”
Marcus wheezed, straightening his shirt. “This is insane. You’re supposed to be dead! I’ll have you arrested for breaking and entering, assault—”
“Try it,” Harlan cut him off. “I’ve spent three years dismantling terrorist networks. You think your money scares me?”
Evelyn stepped forward with a smug smile. “We have lawyers. Judges. You’ll never win. Sophie belongs to this family now.”
Harlan’s eyes burned. “She belongs with her mother. Not with monsters.”
While paramedics checked on Sophie in the basement, Harlan stayed by Lila’s side at the hospital. The little girl was severely dehydrated and malnourished, but she smiled weakly when she saw her grandpa.
“Papa Ghost?” Sophie whispered, using the nickname Lila had told her about in secret stories. “You came…”
Harlan brushed hair from her forehead. “I’ll always come, baby girl. No matter what.”
That night, Harlan started digging through Marcus’s dirty secrets. He discovered millions funneled through offshore accounts, evidence of bribes, and worse — medical reports showing Marcus had been drugging Lila to keep her compliant. Evelyn had approved it all to control the family fortune.
“You drugged my daughter?” Harlan confronted them at the police station the next morning.
Marcus smirked. “She’s unstable. Everyone knows it.”
Before Harlan could respond, his old Delta contacts began feeding him more evidence. But Marcus’s powerful connections struck back fast. A corrupt judge issued a temporary order giving Marcus full custody of Sophie.
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Lila broke down in the hospital hallway. “Dad, what if we lose her? I can’t live without my baby.”
Harlan hugged her. “We’re not losing anyone. But this just got a lot uglier.”
