If only she knew

The Red Ribbon

The next morning, the sun felt too bright. Elena sat at the long marble kitchen table, staring at her coffee. Marcus had already left for the office. He had kissed her cheek before he left, his smile as perfect as always. But Elena could still feel the weight of his hand on her shoulder from the night before. His grip had been so tight. It wasn't the grip of a loving husband; it was the grip of a man who didn't want his prize to run away.

She looked at the clock. It was only nine in the morning. She had the whole day ahead of her in this big, empty house. Usually, she would go shopping or visit the spa. Today, she couldn't move. Her mind kept going back to the woman in the driveway and the silver key with the red ribbon.

"I need to know," she whispered to the empty room.

She stood up and walked toward the back of the house. This was the part of the penthouse where Marcus kept his private study. The door was made of heavy, dark wood. There was no gold trim here, just a thick lock that required a special key. Marcus had told her on their wedding day that this room was for "boring business." He told her he didn't want her to worry about the stress of his work.

"It’s for your own peace of mind, Elena," he had said with a smile.

But now, Elena didn't feel peaceful. she felt like a bird in a golden cage. She reached for the door handle, even though she knew it was locked. It didn't budge. She leaned her ear against the wood, listening for... something. But there was only silence.

She remembered the woman in the moonlight. The woman had held up a key. If that woman had the key to this room, it meant she knew Marcus better than Elena did. It meant Marcus had let another woman into his secret world while keeping his wife outside.

Elena went to the tall windows in the hallway. She looked down at the street far below. The black car from last night was gone, but a small, white envelope was taped to the glass on the outside of the balcony door.

Her heart jumped. How did someone get onto the balcony? They were on the 40th floor!

Elena’s hands shook as she unlocked the glass balcony door. The wind was cold, blowing her hair across her face. She reached out and grabbed the small white envelope. It was stuck to the glass with a piece of red tape the same color as the ribbon on the key from the night before.

She stepped back inside and closed the door quickly. She felt like a thousand eyes were watching her from the tall buildings across the street. She tore the envelope open. Inside was a single photograph.

It was a picture of Marcus. He wasn't in his black suit or his expensive office. He was standing in a dark, dirty alleyway. He looked angry. His hand was raised, and he was holding a woman by her throat. The woman’s face was blurry, but Elena could see her eyes. They were filled with tears and terror.

Elena felt like she was going to be sick. The man in the photo didn't look like the man who bought her silk dresses and gold bracelets. He looked like a monster.

On the back of the photo, there was a message written in the same neat handwriting she had seen in the note from the jacket.

"He told me I was the only one, too. He told me he would protect me. But look at what he did when I tried to leave. This is what happens when you know too much, Elena. Check the floorboards in the study. The red ribbon is the clue."

Elena looked back at the locked study door. Her fear was growing, but her need to know the truth was stronger. She had to get inside that room. If Marcus was a violent man, she was in a lot of danger. Every "I love you" he said now felt like a threat.

She ran to the master bedroom and began to search. She checked Marcus’s nightstand, his shoe boxes, and even the pockets of his other suits. She was looking for a spare key. She knew Marcus was too smart to leave it in an easy place.

Finally, she remembered something. Marcus always wore a silver chain around his neck, even in the shower. He told her it was a lucky charm from his mother. But yesterday, when she saw the scratch on his neck, she noticed the chain was gone.

Elena searched the bathroom. She looked behind the expensive perfumes and under the silk towels. Finally, she saw it. The silver chain was sitting at the bottom of the small trash can, hidden under a tissue. But the "lucky charm" was missing. Instead, there was a small, silver key attached to the link.

She grabbed the key and ran back to the study. Her heart was beating so loud she could hear it in her ears. She put the key into the heavy wooden door. Click. The door opened.

The room was freezing cold. It smelled like old paper and cold air. There were no windows here. One wall was covered in computer screens, and the other was filled with books. Elena went straight to the center of the room. She looked at the floorboards, remembering the note.

In the corner, near a heavy desk, she saw it. A tiny piece of red silk was peeking out from a gap in the wood. It was the red ribbon. Elena used her fingernails to pull up the loose board.

Under the floor, there wasn't money or gold. There was a stack of passports. She opened the first one. It was a picture of Marcus, but the name was different. She opened the second one. Another name. There were five different passports with five different names.

Then, she found a small black diary. She opened the first page and saw a list of names. Her heart stopped when she saw her own name at the bottom of the list. Next to her name, Marcus had written a date: the date of their wedding. And next to that, he had written a single word in red ink: "FINAL."

What did "final" mean? Was she his last victim?

Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered and died. The only light came from the hallway. Elena looked up and saw a shadow standing in the doorway.

It was Marcus. He wasn't wearing his jacket, and his white shirt was stained with something dark. He didn't look angry; he looked disappointed. He was holding the silver chain she had just found in the trash. "I told you that room was for your peace of mind, Elena," he said, his voice dropping to a low, scary growl. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, locking it from the inside. "Now that you know, I can't let you leave."