Chapter 4: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Marcus answered immediately.
“Chloe?””
Silence.
Then his expression shifted.
“What do you mean you found something?””
I watched his face carefully.
Whatever Chloe was saying, it was not good.
Marcus turned away.
“No. Don’t send anything.””
A pause.
Then his voice became sharp.
“Where are you?””
He ended the call.
For a moment, he looked at me.
Then he walked away.
Five years ago, Marcus chose Chloe over me.
Now he looked terrified because the person he trusted most had become a threat.
Life had a strange sense of timing.
That evening, Julian found me sitting outside our house.
“You knew this would happen.””
I looked at him.
“I suspected.””
He sat beside me.
“Marcus?””
“Yes.””
Julian was quiet.
“You never told me everything.””
I looked down.
“I didn’t want my past to become our future.””
He reached for my hand.
“Evelyn, your past doesn’t scare me.””
I smiled sadly.
“I know.””
And that was why I loved him.
Because Marcus always saw my strength as something dangerous.
Julian saw it as something beautiful.
The next day, Marcus arrived at my office.
Not angry.
Not arrogant.
Desperate.
“You need to help me.””
I almost couldn’t believe the words.
“Help you?””
“Yes.””
“With what?””
He looked around.
Then lowered his voice.
“Chloe betrayed me.””
I leaned back.
“Interesting.””
“Evelyn.””
“No, Marcus. It’s interesting because five years ago, you destroyed our marriage because of her.””
His face tightened.
“I made mistakes.””
“One mistake?””
He looked away.
“I’m trying to fix this.””
I studied him.
For the first time, I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Not regret.
Fear.
“What did Chloe find?””
Marcus hesitated.
Then placed a folder on my desk.
Inside were copies of documents.
My documents.
The same financial records I had discovered years ago.
But there was something else.
A signature.
Chloe’s signature.
My eyes narrowed.
“She approved these transfers.””
Marcus nodded.
“She worked with me.””
I looked up.
“You’re telling me Chloe helped you hide money?””
“Yes.””
“And now?””
“She’s threatening to expose me unless I give her ownership in the company.””
I closed the folder.
“You came here because you want me to save you.””
Marcus didn’t deny it.
“I know I don’t deserve your help.””
That sentence almost sounded human.
Almost.
Then his phone rang again.
He looked at the screen.
A message.
His face went pale.
“What is it?””
He turned the phone toward me.
The message was from Chloe.
*I know what Evelyn has. If you don’t sign the papers tonight, I’ll tell everyone the truth.*
I looked at Marcus.
“What truth?””
He stared at the message.
Then whispered:
“The truth about what happened the night you found us.””
My stomach tightened.
Because I thought I knew everything.
But Marcus looked more afraid than I had ever seen him.
May you like
And suddenly I wondered…
What exactly had happened that night?
