THE BILLIONAIRE I BURIED

The Signature

Maya didn't sleep

The photograph lay on her bed - Ethan's bloodstained face, Adrian and Maya as if they were a married couple who just survived an accident. She turned it over and over again. 'HE KILLS ADRIAN' nothing else, no signature, no explanation. The person who sent it wanted Maya to be scared.

And it worked.

But fear wouldn't help her go through her first life, step by step.

She called Ethan, he answered on the second ring

'Where are you?'

'Home, why?'

'Come over, now.'

'Okay'

He should have been there in twenty minutes, worry etched on his face as he entered her bedroom. She placed the photograph under a book so he wouldn't see it immediately

'You said you needed to talk'

'I do.'

She looked into his eyes, the same eyes that had consoled her the night her mother died, the same eyes that had deserted her the day her father needed him the most

'Do you still love me?'

'Of course.'

'How much?'

'What are you talking about?'

'A simple question.'

He took her hand in his

'I want to marry you. In six months.'

She withdrew her hand

'Why wait?'

'Ahh, my father wants the merger finalized first.'

It didn't fit. In her first life, Ethan hastened the wedding. Something was different and it wasn't by her design

'I need time, to decide who I can trust.'

'It's about Adrian, isn't it?'

'No.'

'It is.'

'He wants something from you and he's not to be trusted.'

'I know that better than you.'

'You don't know what he's capable of.'

'You tell me.'

He stopped

'What do you mean? Why would Adrian want to marry you?'

She saw his expression change

'I don't know. I've heard some rumors.'

'What kind of rumors?'

His phone gave a jingle. He looked at the incoming call and his body tensed

'Who is it?'

'No one.'

'Give me your phone.'

'Why? Because you're lying to my face?'

The phone rung again, but this time she saw the name on the screen

DANIEL

He answered the call, a man's voice spoke, but the words were unintelligible to her as she watched Ethan's complexion drain of color.

He ended the call

'Who is Daniel? Your cousin?'

'Family matters.'

He turned to the door, but she blocked his path

'What problem does Ethan have, Ethan?'

'I don't know. You've changed.'

'Maybe, now I'm awake.'

She moved aside to let him go

The second the door closed she took the picture and examined it again, this time noticing a small black spot on Ethan's wrist. Three connected lines. She had seen that mark before, the night her family died, on the wrist of her father's abductor.

Her hands shook as she got her coat, she needed answers. She needed Adrian.

---

Cross Holdings was in a frenzy when Maya arrived, phones ringing, hushed voices, and hurried footsteps

The receptionist stood and looked at her. 'Mrs. Cross?'

'I'm not his wife.' Not yet at least. 'I'm here to see Adrian.'

'He's expecting you.'

'I didn't make an appointment.'

'Then you must be one of the lucky ones.'

The elevator doors opened before she reached them. Adrian was inside waiting on his own. The second the doors closed, he turned

'You came.'

'I want answers.'

'So do you.'

The doors opened

'Who sent me the picture?'

'I don't know.'

'Who is Daniel?'

His expression changed. 'Where did you hear that name?'

'Ethan.'

A tense silence filled the cabin until it came to a stop.

'You shouldn't have come here alone.'

'I can take care of myself.'

'I know that. That's not why I'm worried.'

He led the way into his office and placed the marriage contract on the desk. 'Sign.'

'Tell me why me.'

"Because if you marry Ethan, you die."

Maya stiffened. 'You know what happens.'

'Yes.'

'How?'

'I've seen it.'

'Like me?'

'Yes.'

She took a step closer, close enough to see the truth in his eyes. 'You remember everything?'

'No, just enough.'

'Did you die?'

'Yes.'

'How?'

'You.'

The floor dropped out from under her. 'I killed you?'

'No, you watched.'

The words hit her like a slap. He opened a drawer and retrieved a second photograph. The image on it was of Maya, bloodstained dress, standing over a body, a gun in her hand, the corpse identified only as Adrian

'I never did this,' she said

'Yes you did.'

'You're crazy, I don't even remember -'

'That doesn't mean it didn't happen.'

'Then why would I kill you?'

His voice was even lower. 'Because someone convinced you I killed your family.'

Her fingers tightened on the edge of the photograph. 'Who?'

'I don't know.'

'You're wasting my time. We're guessing, aren't we?'

'No. You have something I don't.'

'What?'

'A second chance you remember having. If we get married now, we change the future.'

She looked back at the contract. Marriage to Adrian meant accepting the dangers in his world, the enemies, the secrets, whatever it was that surrounded this man. Marriage to Ethan meant returning to the grave she had escaped.

She picked up the pen

'Once you sign,' he said, 'there's no going back.'

'Good.'

She signed. He took the pen from her

'One condition.'

'What is it?'

'No secrets between us.'

He almost smiled. 'You're asking for something I can't give you.'

'Fine. Don't ask me to trust you.'

He looked into her eyes, then signed the contract. She let go of his hand. He didn't move.

His phone rang. 'Speak.' He listened, his expression changing. 'Where?'

They ran. Ethan's car was there, the driver's door ajar, bloodstains on the seat. Maya approached, but Adrian blocked her path

'Don't touch anything.'

A phone lay on the floor of the car. He picked it up, the screen illuminating as a text message appeared

YOU SHOULD HAVE MARRIED HIM.

Another one followed

NOW YOU'RE MARRIED TO THE MAN WHO DIES.

Adrian's phone rang. Unknown number. He answered and a distorted voice spoke

'You changed the future.' A pause. 'Now we kill Maya first.'

The line went dead. He looked at her and, for the first time since he'd reentered her life, there was no calm, only fear

Headlights spilled into the parking garage. Three black cars parked one after another, doors opening to reveal men who emerged into the dim light, one raising a rifle.

Adrian shoved Maya behind him

'Don't move.'

He raised the gun.

The shot echoed through the garage before she could say his name.