Episode2
318 Words
The Family Secret
Mrs. Vale unlocked the drawer and placed a stack of worn documents on the table.
“These belonged to Ethan,” she said. “He discovered that money had been secretly drained from his family's company.”
Nia studied the papers, her uneasiness growing.
“Did he know who was doing it?”
“He suspected someone within the family.”
Suddenly, Ethan's strange behavior before his disappearance made sense. He had become distant and unusually quiet. Whenever Nia asked about his work, he changed the subject. She had assumed he was overwhelmed by his responsibilities.
Now she understood that he had been hiding something much more serious.
“Why didn't he tell me?” she asked.
“Because he was frightened,” Mrs. Vale replied.
Ethan had quietly investigated the missing funds, determined to gather enough evidence before confronting anyone. But before he could expose the truth, a threatening message arrived.
The warning suggested that someone was monitoring him.
Then Ethan discovered something even more disturbing: the people behind the scheme knew about Nia.
“They knew how much you meant to him,” Mrs. Vale explained. “Ethan feared they would hurt you to force him into silence.”
Nia's face hardened.
“So he ran away?”
“He believed leaving was the only way to protect you.”
Nia rose from her chair.
“Protect me? He couldn't even give me an explanation!”
Mrs. Vale remained silent for a moment.
Then she quietly revealed another secret.
“Ethan did try to reach you.”
Nia turned sharply.
“What?”
“He sent several letters.”
“Then why didn't I receive them?”
Mrs. Vale lowered her gaze.
“Some were returned. Others disappeared before reaching you.”
For the first time, Nia wondered whether Ethan had truly abandoned her—or whether someone had deliberately kept them apart.
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