INLOVE WITH MY BROTHER IN-LAW

WHAT WAS STOLEN

Chapter 14: What Was Stolen

Emily clutched the silver snake ring as she hurried back to the house.

The police were still searching the neighborhood, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

"I found this," she said, handing the ring to Marcus.

He examined it carefully.

"This could be the break we've been waiting for."

Marcus slipped the ring into an evidence bag.

"If we're lucky, it may contain traces of DNA or reveal where it was made."

Olivia frowned.

"So whoever threw that stone... dropped this while running away?"

"It seems that way," Marcus replied. "But we won't know for certain until we examine it."

As everyone tried to settle down, Ethan suddenly stopped in the middle of the living room.

"My study..."

Without another word, he ran upstairs.

Emily and Olivia followed.

The room looked untouched. The books were neatly arranged, the desk was spotless, and nothing appeared to be missing.

"I don't understand," Olivia said.

Ethan slowly opened the top drawer of his desk.

His face turned pale.

"It's gone."

"What is?" Emily asked.

"A file."

"What kind of file?"

"My father's private records."

Olivia looked confused.

"I didn't even know he left anything here."

"He asked me to keep them safe after he passed away," Ethan explained. "They contain business contracts, personal letters, and information about people who worked for our family years ago."

Marcus's expression changed instantly.

"Could Victor Hale's name be in those records?"

Ethan nodded.

"It could."

A heavy silence filled the room.

"So this wasn't just intimidation," Emily whispered.

"He came for something specific."

Just then, Ethan's phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

He answered cautiously.

"Hello?"

Only silence greeted him.

Then a distorted voice spoke.

"You should have burned the file years ago."

The call ended.

Everyone in the room froze.

Marcus immediately tried to trace the number, but it had already disappeared.

"He planned this," Marcus said. "He knew exactly what he wanted."

Emily looked out the study window.

Across the street, she caught a glimpse of a black sedan pulling away.

For a brief second, she saw the driver.

The scar.

The cold smile.

Victor Hale had been there all along.

And now he possessed a secret hidden inside Ethan's father's missing file—a secret powerful enough to threaten everything Ethan and Olivia had built together.

Emily had a feeling that whatever Victor discovered in those records would change all of their lives forever.