Chapter 8: The Woman From Ten Years Ago
1591 Words
Marcus knocked again.
“Ethan. Open the door.”
Sophia stood perfectly still in the middle of Ethan’s living room.
Ethan lowered his voice. “How did he find us?”
“That is exactly what I intend to ask.”
She moved toward the door.
Ethan caught her wrist.
“No.”
Sophia looked down at his hand.
“You're stopping me?”
“Someone cut your brakes three hours ago. We don't open doors just because the person knocking knows our names.”
“My husband isn't going to shoot me.”
“You sure?”
Her expression sharpened.
Ethan released her.
“Sorry.”
“No. You're right.”
That admission surprised him.
Marcus knocked harder.
“Sophia?”
There was no point pretending she wasn't there now.
Ethan checked the peephole.
Marcus stood alone.
No security.
No visible weapon.
Just an expensive suit and a very angry face.
Ethan unlocked the door but left the chain attached.
Marcus stared at him through the opening.
“Remove that.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because my wife was nearly killed and then disappeared with my driver.”
“Her driver,” Sophia corrected from behind Ethan.
Marcus’s eyes moved past him.
“Sophia.”
She stepped into view.
“I’m fine.”
“Then come home.”
“No.”
Marcus blinked.
It might have been the first time in years anyone had told him that twice in one day.
“This neighborhood isn't safe.”
Sophia gave a humorless smile.
“My brakes were cut in our corporate garage.”
Marcus went still.
Ethan watched his face.
“You didn't tell me that.”
“I told you there was a brake failure.”
Marcus looked genuinely shaken.
“Cut?”
“Yes.”
“Who knows?”
“Very few people.”
Marcus’s gaze shifted to Ethan.
“And him?”
“He saved my life.”
Something dark flickered across Marcus’s expression.
“Of course he did.”
Sophia noticed.
“So did whoever sent me this.”
She showed Marcus the threat on her phone.
His face lost color.
THE DRIVER WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SAVE YOU.
Marcus read the second message.
NEXT TIME WE REMOVE HIM FIRST.
“Call the police.”
Ethan exchanged a glance with Sophia.
Interesting.
Marcus sounded worried.
Not defensive.
Maybe that meant something.
Maybe it didn't.
Sophia put the phone away.
“Why did you know where I was?”
Marcus hesitated.
Wrong answer already.
“My security team tracked your phone.”
“I turned location services off.”
“Corporate devices have emergency tracking.”
“This is my personal phone.”
Silence.
Sophia’s voice cooled.
“Try again.”
Marcus looked at Ethan.
“You told him?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
Marcus rubbed his jaw.
Finally, he said, “Olivia.”
Ethan frowned.
“Olivia knew?”
“She called me after hearing about the accident. She said Ethan once mentioned where he lived.”
That was possible.
Barely.
Sophia clearly didn't believe it either.
“I'll ask her.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“You're treating me like a suspect.”
“You're treating yourself like one.”
“Sophia—”
“Why did twelve million dollars disappear from Meridian Technologies?”
Everything stopped.
Ethan watched Marcus.
For the first time since he'd known him, Marcus Anderson had no immediate answer.
Then anger replaced surprise.
“You went through my accounts.”
“Our accounts.”
“That money was transferred for an acquisition.”
“To whom?”
“Confidential.”
Sophia laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“I'm your wife and a forty-percent shareholder.”
“The deal hasn't closed.”
“Then show me the term sheet.”
Marcus said nothing.
Sophia stepped closer to the door.
“Show me the board authorization.”
Nothing.
“The target company?”
Still nothing.
She nodded slowly.
“That’s what I thought.”
Marcus looked past her into Ethan’s apartment.
The overnight bag beside the bedroom door caught his attention.
His expression changed.
“What is that?”
Sophia followed his gaze.
“My bag.”
“You're staying here?”
“For tonight.”
“With him?”
Ethan almost laughed at the hypocrisy.
Sophia didn't.
“Yes.”
Marcus’s stare snapped to Ethan.
“You think this is funny?”
“No.”
“You were supposed to be dating Olivia.”
Ethan folded his arms.
“You were supposed to be faithful to your wife. Apparently plans change.”
Marcus surged toward the door.
The security chain stopped it.
“Ethan.”
Sophia stepped between them.
“Don't.”
Marcus stared at her.
“You're defending him?”
“He saved my life.”
“He's an employee.”
“No.”
Her voice was quiet.
“He's a man who has shown me more loyalty in twenty-four hours than some people have shown me in twenty years.”
That landed.
Marcus actually recoiled.
Then his face hardened.
“You have no idea who you're trusting.”
Sophia’s eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
Marcus looked at Ethan.
For one second, Ethan saw something beneath the anger.
Fear.
“Ask him about the night I hired him.”
The apartment seemed to shrink.
Sophia turned slowly.
Ethan’s heartbeat changed.
Marcus smiled without warmth.
“So he hasn't told you.”
“I was about to.”
“Tell her all of it.”
Ethan stepped toward the door.
“Marcus.”
“What? You want to keep protecting me?”
His voice dropped.
“You've been doing it for ten years.”
Sophia looked between them.
“Protecting him from what?”
Marcus stared at Ethan for another moment.
Then he stepped away.
“Good luck.”
“With what?” Sophia asked.
Marcus looked at her.
“Finding out which one of us is lying.”
He turned and walked down the hallway.
Ethan shut the door.
Sophia waited until his footsteps disappeared.
Then she faced him.
“Finish the story.”
Ethan wanted to refuse.
Instead, he sat.
Ten years of silence suddenly felt heavier than ever.
“The woman got into my car after midnight,” he said. “She was bleeding.”
Sophia sat opposite him.
“Marcus told you to take her to a hospital.”
“At first.”
“What changed?”
“Halfway there, she woke up.”
Ethan could still hear her voice.
Weak.
Terrified.
“She started screaming at Marcus.”
“What did she say?”
“That he'd stolen something.”
Sophia leaned forward.
“What?”
“She called it evidence.”
“Evidence of what?”
“I don't know.”
“Ethan.”
“I swear.”
He rubbed his palms together.
“She begged me not to take her where Marcus wanted to go.”
“I thought you were going to a hospital.”
“We changed direction.”
Sophia went very still.
“Where did you take her?”
“A private clinic outside the city.”
“Name?”
“I never saw one.”
“What happened there?”
“Two men came outside. Marcus got out. They took the woman inside.”
“And you?”
“He told me to wait in the car.”
“How long?”
“Almost three hours.”
Sophia’s voice dropped.
“Did she come back out?”
“No.”
“Did Marcus?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
Ethan nodded.
Sophia looked sick.
“What did he tell you?”
“That she'd been transferred to a hospital and I was never to discuss the night again.”
“You believed him?”
“I was twenty-one. I needed the job.”
“That's not an answer.”
“No.”
Ethan met her eyes.
“I chose to believe him.”
That hurt to admit.
Sophia looked away.
“Did you ever see the woman again?”
“No.”
“Could you identify her?”
“Probably.”
“How?”
Ethan thought back.
Dark hair soaked from the rain.
Blood on her sleeve.
Her hand gripping the back of his seat.
Then one detail returned with startling clarity.
“A bracelet.”
Sophia frowned.
“What kind?”
“Silver. Blue stone in the center. There was an engraving inside.”
“What engraving?”
“I only saw part of it when she grabbed my arm.”
Sophia’s face was already changing.
“What letters?”
Ethan searched the memory.
“M.A.”
The color drained from her face.
She stood so abruptly the chair scraped backward.
“No.”
“What?”
Sophia crossed to her bag, opened a small inner pocket, and pulled out her wallet.
From behind an old photograph, she removed a faded picture.
She handed it to Ethan.
Two young women stood beside a lake.
One was Sophia, perhaps nineteen.
The other was older.
Dark-haired.
Smiling.
On her wrist was a silver bracelet set with a deep blue stone.
Ethan stopped breathing.
He knew that bracelet.
Sophia’s voice trembled for the first time since he'd met her.
“My sister wore it every day.”
Ethan looked up.
“Sophia—”
“She disappeared ten years ago.”
His blood ran cold.
“What was her name?”
Sophia stared at the photograph.
Then whispered:
“Madeline Anderson.”
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