Chapter Thirty-Seven: David Arrives
The city was quiet that night, but the calm was deceptive. Margret knew it before the sound of tires on wet asphalt reached her ears. The black sedan had returned, sliding silently into the street like a shadow that moved with purpose.
Margret's hands trembled as she peered through the curtain. Lucia stood behind her, clutching the edge of the windowsill, eyes wide.
"He's here," Margret whispered.
Lucia's stomach sank. "What do we do?"
Margret pressed a finger to her lips. "Stay calm. Don't move. Remember everything we practiced."
The door to the apartment building opened softly. Footsteps echoed in the hall—deliberate, measured. David had always walked like this: quiet, patient, and terrifying.
Lucia flinched as he approached their door. Her hands shook, but Margret held her close. "Remember," she murmured, "you stay hidden. You say nothing. He can't find us if he doesn't know we're awake."
The doorknob rattled. A key turned.
David's voice filled the small apartment, smooth and cold. "Margret," he called. No anger, no panic—just a calm that made blood run cold. "I know you're here."
Margret's chest tightened. "He's finally found us," she whispered.
Lucia pressed herself against the wall, heart pounding. She had known this day could come, but nothing could prepare her for the reality of it—the quiet, unstoppable certainty that her father always got what he wanted.
David walked into the apartment, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. He didn't rush. He didn't yell. His presence alone carried the weight of menace.
"I've waited a long time," he said softly, turning his gaze to Margret. "And now, you leave me no choice."
Margret stepped slightly in front of Lucia, shielding her. "You will not take her," she said, voice trembling but firm. "Not now, not ever."
David smiled faintly, almost amused. "Ah, the brave little lioness. Still protecting your child." His eyes softened—not with affection, but with recognition of their bond. "I admire that about you. But you know it won't matter."
He reached into his pocket and held up a folder. "All the evidence I needed… all the answers I wanted… they've led me here."
Margret's eyes narrowed. "You think finding us changes anything?"
David's smile grew. "It changes everything."
Lucia's knees weakened. She clutched her mother's arm. "Mama… what do we do?"
Margret looked down at her daughter, seeing the fear and the determination that had been forged in years of running and hiding. "We survive," she whispered. "We survive, no matter what it takes."
David took a step closer, and the air between them grew heavy, charged with danger. "I've waited for years," he said. "And now… I finish this. Once and for all."
Outside, the city continued to breathe, oblivious to the storm inside the apartment.
Inside, Margret held her daughter tight, both of them knowing the fight for survival—their survival—had only just begun.
The shadow of the father loomed large. The hunt had ended.
But the war? That had only just started.