His Silence, Her Freedom.

CHAPTER 3

Daniel sides with silence, not Maya.

The handle turned again.

My heart hit my ribs hard as I fell back and held on to my phone tightly. My knuckles hurt. The metal click of the door made my spine tingle.

Is there anyone there? My voice shook when I called.

No answer. The door opened slowly, making a soft creaking sound. A thin, golden beam of light cut across the marble floor like a knife through the c***k.

I made a big swallow and stepped back again. My mind was racing. Mrs. Ross was upstairs, Daniel was at work, and I was alone. By myself.

Then a voice came.

"Viola Ross, Mrs.?" A man spoke in a calm, professional voice, but it was far away.

I let out the breath I had been holding quickly, and it shook out of me. A person who sends messages. Someone is probably bringing Daniel paperwork or flowers for his mom. But the voice sounded... rehearsed in some way.

I was happy just to open the door and look outside. A man in a dark suit was standing there with a brown package that had the Ross Enterprises seal on it. He looked blank and had sunglasses on.

He said, "This is for Mr. Daniel Ross."

I nodded slowly and took the envelope. Saying "Thank you."

I saw that the car was still parked at the gate and not moving when he turned to leave. The black one we talked about before. I couldn't make out the name or the license plate. It hurt my stomach.

When I looked down at the package again, I saw small smudges of ink near the seal, as if someone had opened it and then sealed it again. My heart rate went up.

I quickly closed and locked the door.

The house felt colder now. Not enough. There isn't enough noise.

After I put the letter on the counter, I didn't pay attention to it for a while. The corners were a little bent, and the paper was thick and expensive. Daniel told me that his business papers were private, so I could never touch them. But I still remember what I heard this morning: "Look in the folder under his study desk." I became curious.

That annoying phone sound happened again.

Have you seen it yet?

I was going to drop it. I was shaking when I typed back, "Who are you?" How do you want it?

No answer.

The phone was on the table with its back to you. I couldn't go on living like this; I couldn't stand feeling like a stranger in my own life anymore. I needed help. Now I need them.

The sound of my heels on the marble floor was calming as I walked toward Daniel's office. The air got thicker as I got closer, and the hallway smelled like cedarwood and a light cologne. He had a good reason to keep that door closed.

But I knew the password because we both had fingerprints on file. He gave it to me a long time ago, when he said, "Maya, we don't have any secrets."

There was a click, and the door opened. I went inside.

The study was great; it was almost like science. You could see the city skyline through the glass walls. The shelves were full of thick files and shiny prizes that shone in the low light. The desk was the only thing that mattered. It was made of dark mahogany and was perfectly straight.

The third drawer.

I didn't know. I felt like the room was alive and watching me.

I knelt down and ran my fingers over the smooth wood. The handle was not moving. Locked. Sure. Daniel did have another key, though. There was a picture of us from our honeymoon behind the painting. I had seen him get there before.

It was there when I took the frame off.

A small key made of metal.

When I opened the drawer, I held my breath. This opened with a soft, slow click.

Inside were folders, papers, and a black notebook with a leather cover. My hand shook as I pulled it out. His big, slanted, and well-known writing filled the pages.

But the writing wasn't part of the business notes. People were given names. Dates. Amounts. Some were crossed out, and some were marked.

There was one line that stood out.

"M.L.—signed under duress." Don't talk to her.

My initials are also known as this.

My throat got dry.

Do you want her to stop talking? What did that mean?

When I turned the page, I saw written contracts. Legal documents that I have signed. As I looked at them, I realized what was going on and blurred my vision. All of them were signed in my name and included prenuptial agreements, waivers of assets, and even changes in ownership. But I've never seen these documents before.

Not at all. No, no.

Daniel couldn't do this.

I jumped when I heard a soft thud in the hallway.

I got a cold.

Steps that are slow and heavy.

Someone was on their way.

I quickly closed the drawer and turned to face the door as it opened, my heart racing.

"Are you looking for something?"

Daniel.

He had one hand in his pocket and the other held his car keys. He stood in the doorway, as calm as ever. He first looked at the open drawer on the desk and then at the notebook I was still holding in my shaking hand.

"Daniel..." My voice broke. "What is this?"

He didn't answer right away. He walked slowly inside and closed the door behind him. "You looked at my personal papers."

"What kind of papers are these?" I asked, and my voice got higher. "Why does it say I have to be quiet?"

She told Maya to speak more softly.

"Don't tell me to shut up!" I slammed it down on the desk. "Daniel, what is this?" "What did you do?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. "You wouldn't understand." "It's business."

"Are you doing business?" The sound of my laugh was rough and sharp. "You forged my signature on papers." You took everything from me!"

"It's for your own good," he said in a low voice.

"What's up?" My heart was breaking and on fire at the same time. "What kind of man are you to steal from me after letting your mom treat me like a servant?"

He got serious and clenched his jaw. "I'm the guy who takes care of what's mine."

It felt like something inside of me broke. "Daniel, you can't have me."

As he got closer, his voice got lower. "You're wrong about what you're saying."

"Then tell me!" I screamed. "Tell me the truth!"

The silence that followed was unbearable. The only thing I could hear was my heart beating fast.

Then, out of nowhere, the phone rang. He looked at the screen, but it was too blurry to read his face. He didn't answer the phone.

"You shouldn't have opened that drawer," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Who was that?" I asked for it. "Who has been texting me?"

He looked straight at me. "Did I send you a message?"

I couldn't see my mistake until it was too late.

When he reached for my phone, I moved out of the way. "Don't—"

He said in a deeper voice, "Maya, give it to me."

I shook my head and held the thing close to my chest. "Daniel, who are they?" "What do you want to keep from me?"

He got closer with a calm but threatening tone. "Get rid of everything they sent you."

"No." I stepped back again and hit my back on the desk. "Not until you tell me the truth."

The stress was so bad that you could taste it in the air between us. He gave me a long, blank look that made my skin crawl.

"You should have stayed out of it," he said in a calm, cold voice.

Before I could answer, a voice behind him cut through the room.

A man yelled, "Daniel Ross." "Leave her alone."

The door to the study swung open. Two men in black suits burst in, flashing badges. My heart stopped.

One said sharply, "Metropolitan Police." "You are being looked into for fraud and manipulation of assets."

"What?" I couldn't speak anymore. "No, this can't be—"

Daniel stared at them with cold eyes and a tight jaw. "Whose permission was this?"

"The cop wrote back, "Your partner, Mr. Knight." "He has been talking."

Daniel's face went pale. That's the first place I saw fear.

They went to him and grabbed his wrist. But before the cuffs went on, he gave me one last, very sharp look. He said in a low voice, "Maya, you think you know the truth, but you don't know who you've been married to."

Then, while they were taking him away, my phone rang again in my shaky hand.

A new note.

You took the drawer out. Okay. Get out of the house before midnight.

Daniel heard the door slam shut behind him.

Then there was complete silence.

The air felt different; it was darker now.

Low, distant thunder rolled over the city outside.

I saw my picture shaking in the glass when I looked at the glowing phone screen.

Before 12 a.m.

The message came back.

Next, they'll come after you.