Chapter 14: The Man Who Knew Too Much
509 Words
The drive back from the hospital was silent.
Rain tapped softly against the car windows as Isabella glanced at Ethan.
His hands were steady on the steering wheel, but his jaw was clenched.
She knew something was wrong.
"The message..." she said quietly.
"It wasn't just about the attacker, was it?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
Finally, he spoke.
"The man who escaped last night was found dead."
Isabella gasped.
"Dead?"
He nodded.
"He was murdered before the police could question him."
A chill ran through her body.
"Who would do that?"
"Someone who wanted to make sure he never spoke."
Back at the Kingsley Estate, Daniel was already waiting in Ethan's study.
He spread several photographs across the desk.
"The police confirmed he died only a few hours before they found him."
Ethan looked at the photos.
"No fingerprints?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Nothing."
"But there's something else."
He handed Ethan another file.
"The attacker had just been released from prison six months ago."
"For what?"
"Working as a hired criminal."
Isabella swallowed nervously.
"So... someone paid him to kidnap me?"
Daniel nodded.
"That's what it looks like."
Ethan stared at the photographs.
His mind drifted back five years.
A dark warehouse.
Gunshots.
A man's terrified scream.
Blood on the floor.
He closed his eyes tightly.
"No..."
Isabella noticed the change in his expression.
"Ethan?"
He opened his eyes.
"I'm fine."
But she knew he wasn't.
Later that evening...
Isabella walked into the mansion's library, hoping a book would distract her.
Instead, she found an old family photo album lying open on a table.
Curious, she picked it up.
The first few pages showed Ethan as a child with his parents.
He looked happy.
Then she turned another page.
A newspaper clipping slipped onto the floor.
The headline read:
"Kingsley Family Tragedy Leaves Two Dead."
Her heart skipped.
Before she could read further, a voice came from behind her.
"Don't."
She turned.
Ethan stood in the doorway.
His expression was colder than ever.
"You shouldn't read that."
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."
He walked over and gently took the newspaper from her hands.
For a long moment, he simply stared at it.
Then he whispered,
"I couldn't save them."
His voice was filled with pain.
It was the first time Isabella had seen the man behind the billionaire.
Not the CEO.
Not the cold businessman.
Just a son...
Still carrying the weight of an old tragedy.
She wanted to comfort him.
But she didn't know how.
At the same time...
Victoria sat across from a mysterious man in a private restaurant.
The man wore a black suit and kept his face hidden beneath the brim of a hat.
"You promised Ethan would suffer," Victoria said.
"He will."
"And the girl?"
The man smiled faintly.
"She's becoming more important than we expected."
Victoria frowned.
"What does that mean?"
He leaned forward.
"Because..."
"...she's the key to destroying Ethan."
Victoria's smile slowly faded.
For the first time...
She realized she might have partnered with someone far more dangerous than herself.
- Writer
