WHEN HEART COLLIDE

Chapter 24

When Hearts Collide

Chapter 24 – The Missing Witness

The following morning, Detective Whitmore called Ethan before sunrise.

"We've located the former security guard."

Ethan sat up immediately.

"Where is he?"

"He contacted us through a lawyer late last night. He says he's willing to testify."

Relief spread across Ethan's face.

"That's good news."

The detective's voice grew serious.

"It was."

Ethan frowned.

"What happened?"

"He disappeared before we could bring him into protective custody."

Within an hour, Ethan, Ryan, and Sophia arrived at the police station.

Detective Whitmore pointed to a map of London.

"The witness arranged to meet us at a warehouse near the docks."

"But he never arrived," Ryan said.

The detective nodded.

"When officers reached the location, his car was there."

"And him?" Sophia asked quietly.

"He was gone."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Back at Cole Developments, anxiety spread through the office.

If the only witness had vanished, proving who was behind the sabotage would become much harder.

Sophia stood by the window, watching rain fall over the city.

"It feels like every time we get close to the truth, something goes wrong."

Ethan joined her.

"Not this time."

She looked at him.

"We know more than we did before."

He pointed toward the project model in the conference room.

"Whoever planned this is making mistakes."

"What kind of mistakes?"

"They're acting out of emotion instead of patience."

Sophia understood what he meant.

The attacks had become reckless.

Desperate.

That afternoon, Ryan burst into Ethan's office with another update.

"The witness's lawyer just called."

Ethan looked up.

"Is he alive?"

"Yes."

Sophia let out a sigh of relief.

"But..."

Ryan hesitated.

"He's terrified."

"He says someone threatened his family."

Ethan's expression hardened.

"They're trying to silence him."

Later that evening, Ethan insisted on personally meeting the frightened witness in a secure location arranged by the police.

Sophia wanted to go too.

"It's too dangerous," Ethan said.

"I'm not staying behind."

After a moment's thought, Detective Whitmore agreed.

"You'll both come with us."

The meeting took place inside a heavily guarded police safe house.

The former security guard sat nervously at a table, constantly glancing toward the windows.

"My name is Daniel Brooks," he said quietly.

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt."

Ethan leaned forward.

"Tell us what happened."

Daniel swallowed hard.

"A woman approached me a month ago."

"What woman?"

"I never learned her name."

He paused.

"But I saw her several times with another woman."

Detective Whitmore placed a photograph of Vanessa on the table.

Daniel's eyes widened.

"That's her."

Sophia looked at Ethan.

Neither of them spoke.

Daniel continued.

"They offered me a large amount of money to copy Ms. Daniels' access card."

"And the sabotage?" Ethan asked.

"I didn't loosen the bolts."

"Then who did?"

Daniel lowered his head.

"I don't know."

"I only cloned the card."

The room fell silent.

It wasn't enough to prove Vanessa had planned everything.

But it was enough to make her the prime suspect.

As the meeting ended, Detective Whitmore smiled for the first time in weeks.

"This changes everything."

Ethan nodded.

"We're finally getting somewhere."

But as Daniel was escorted toward a secure vehicle outside, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the street.

A black SUV sped toward the police convoy.

"Down!" an officer shouted.

Everyone ducked instinctively as the SUV swerved toward the entrance before crashing through a security barrier.

Police officers rushed into action, surrounding the vehicle with weapons drawn.

The driver jumped out and fled on foot into the darkness.

In the confusion, Daniel disappeared.

"Where's the witness?" Detective Whitmore shouted.

Officers searched every corner of the compound.

Minutes later, one of them returned, breathing heavily.

"He's gone."

Ethan stared into the rainy night.

Someone had helped Daniel escape.

Or someone had taken him.

Either way, the only witness who could connect Vanessa to the conspiracy had vanished once again.

Far across the city, Vanessa received a short text message.

The witness is no longer available.

She smiled as she deleted the message.

"For now," she whispered.

"The truth stays buried."

End of Chapter 24