Marriage To My Revenge

The Name On His Phone

I couldn't move. Adrian's words kept replaying in my head. She isn't supposed to be alive. I was standing right in front of him, yet he was talking as if someone else had returned from the dead. I looked at Ethan, but his face gave me nothing. That scared me more than anything Adrian had said. “What did the message say?” I asked Adrian didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on Ethan, Ethan's voice was cold “Give me the phone.” Adrian gripped the phone tighter “Stay out of this, Vance.” Ethan gave a quiet laugh “You brought me into it the moment you touched what belonged to me.” I frowned “What are you two talking about?” Neither answered, I stepped closer to Adrian “Who is she?”

His eyes finally met mine. For a second, I saw guilt, then fear “Lyra, you need to leave.” I almost laughed “Leave?” “You don't understand what's happening.” “Then explain it.” “I can't.” “Can't or won't?” Then Selene grabbed his arm “Adrian, we need to go.” I looked at her “Selene.” She froze. “It's been a long time.” her eyes filled with tears “Lyra” “Don't cry.” “I thought you were dead.” “I was.” she flinched.

“For three years, you got to live with that.”

I stepped closer. “Did you sleep well?” Adrian moved between us. “Enough.”

“You don't get to protect her from me.”

“You don't know the truth.” “Then tell me.”

silence, then Adrian's phone vibrated again he looked down, this time I saw the message “ASK HER ABOUT MARCUS.”

My heart stopped for a moment, I turned toward Ethan, his face had gone completely still Adrian looked at both of us.

“Now you understand.” “Understand what?” “You weren't the target. " My chest tightened. “What?” “You were just” he stopped “Just what?” He looked at Selene.

She shook her head “Don't.” I stared at him “Just what?” his eyes returned to mine “A distraction.” the room seemed to tilt.

A distraction, for what? Ethan stepped forward. “That's enough.” Adrian smiled bitterly. “You still haven't told her, have you?” Ethan's eyes darkened “Ask him, Lyra.” Adrian looked directly at me. “Ask Ethan what happened the night Marcus died.” Then he grabbed Selene's hand and walked away, I stood there frozen my mind racing I turned toward Ethan. “What was he talking about?” “Not here.” “No.” I shook my head. “You don't get to say that anymore.” “Lyra” “What happened to your brother?” He didn't answer. I felt something inside me c***k. “Ethan.” His eyes met mine. “Yes.” “What did he do?”

“I don't know everything.” “Then what do you know?” “Someone killed Marcus.”

“And you think Adrian knows who?”

“I know he does.” “Then why is he still alive?” his expression hardened. “Because I need him to tell me the truth.” I stared at him. “And what about me?” “What about you?” “Why was I involved?” he didn't answer. That silence told me enough.

“You knew.” “I suspected.” “You knew there was more to my accident and still asked me to marry you?” “I needed you close.”

“Why?” Before he could answer, a waiter approached. “Mr. Vance.” The waiter handed Ethan a small black envelope.

“There was no name on it.” Ethan opened it. His expression changed when I reached for the paper “What is it?” He handed it to me. There was one sentence.

THE GIRL YOU BURIED ISN'T LYRA.

My fingers went numb. “What does this mean?” Ethan didn't respond, then I noticed another name beneath it.

SELENE HAYES.

My heart stopped “Why is my sister's name here?” Ethan took the note, he stared at it for several seconds then his phone rang. He answered. “Mr. Vance, we found the woman from the accident.” Ethan's face went cold. “Where?” a pause

then the voice answered, “She’s alive.”

I looked at Ethan. “Who is she?” He lowered the phone for the first time since I met him, the cold billionaire looked afraid.

“Your sister.” I couldn't speak. “That's impossible.” “She was found less than an hour ago.” “Then who was standing beside Adrian?” “I don't know.” I looked toward the ballroom entrance. Adrian and Selene were gone. I felt goosebumps, someone had been standing beside me pretending to be my sister, someone who looked exactly like her, someone who knew enough about my past to fool everyone then my phone vibrated a message appeared.

YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED DEAD.

My blood ran cold and then another message followed.

ETHAN WON'T SAVE YOU THIS TIME.

I slowly looked at him, he was already staring at my phone “Who sent that?” “I don't know.” “Are you sure?” “Yes.” The lights above us flickered, not once or twice, then the light went off and the ballroom fell into darkness, someone screamed I felt Ethan's hand close to mine “Stay with me.” a whisper came from behind us. “Lyra.” I turned and nobody was there, then the lights came back on and the room was full of people, but the person who had whispered my name was gone.

On the table beside me was a photograph.

It showed my accident, but there was something else in the picture, Ethan standing beside the wreckage three years ago. My fingers trembled. I looked up at him and said, “You were there.” he said nothing and that silence was more terrifying than any answer.