Michael. Daniel’s closest friend. The man who’d stood beside me through the search. The man who told me to stop torturing myself, who insisted the lake had swallowed my husband and sons.

Daniel’s voice dropped. “He’s been using my company accounts to move money. Not small amounts. Millions. When I confronted him, he said I had no idea what kind of people he owed.”

He rubbed his eyes. “I was going to the police. I swear I was. But yesterday someone followed Sophie home from school.”

Sophie made a small, broken sound. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t remember.”

“They know where we live,” Daniel said. “They know the kids’ schedules. Michael told me if I speak, my family disappears — one child at a time.”

The phone shook in my hand. Seven years of grief cracked open, and something worse than grief climbed out.

He leaned closer. “Claire, if you ever see this, I’m sorry. I had to make everyone believe we drowned. It was the only way to get the boys out alive.”

Alive. I dropped the phone. Sophie caught it before it hit the floor.

“No,” I whispered.

She restarted the video where it had stopped. Daniel filled the screen again. “I have help. Not much. Not enough. But enough to run. I’m leaving the boat on the lake with the life jackets inside.

It has to look like an accident.” He closed his eyes. “I wanted to take Sophie too. God forgive me, I wanted to. But if all three children vanish, they’ll hunt Claire harder.

If Sophie stays, Michael thinks he still has leverage.”