Chapter Four

CHAPTER 4 

THE WIFE WHO SHOULD BE DEAD

Elena’s POV 

“If you want to live, stop digging into your husband’s secrets.”

The stranger’s words refused to leave my head and for two days, I heard them everywhere, in the shower, at breakfast and before I slept.

After I woke up, over and over again.

“If you want to live…”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes looked tired, my heart felt heavier every day, someone framed me, someone tried to kill me and now a stranger was warning me to stop asking questions.

I should listen. Any sane person would but I couldn’t because every answer led to another lie.

I grabbed the edge of the sink.

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not stopping.”

The woman in the mirror looked scared but she also looked angry.

For three years, I loved Damien with everything I had.

If he truly believed I betrayed him, I deserve to know why.

If someone destroyed my marriage, I deserve to know who.

And if someone wanted me dead? I definitely deserve to know that.

A few hours later, I sat inside my car outside the hotel from the photograph.

The same hotel, the same place, the place where my life seemed to have fallen apart.

I stared at the building and my palms were sweating and then I stepped out.

Inside, the lobby looked exactly as I remembered, beautiful, expensive and full of people.

I walked to the reception desk and the young woman behind it smiled.

“How can I help you?”

I forced a smile.

“I need information about a stay from two years ago.”

Her smile disappeared.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. We can’t share guest records.”

“I understand.”

I slid several bills across the counter and her eyes dropped to the money and then back to me.

Five minutes later, I was sitting inside a security office and the hotel manager was beside me.

“You’re lucky the archives weren’t deleted.”

My heart rang and he inserted a drive into the computer and footage began playing.

Date.

Time.

September 18.

Two years ago.

I leaned forward.

My fingers grip the edge of the desk and then I saw her.

A woman entered the hotel lobby, my breathing stopped.

She looks exactly like me, same hair, same dress, same height and same walk.

For a second, even I thought it was me.

Then she turned slightly and I knew.

It wasn’t me.

“Oh my God.”

The manager looked confused.

“What?”

“Pause it.”

He did and I pointed at the screen.

“Zoom in.”

The image became large and I stared and then laughed, not because anything was funny but because I finally understood.

The woman on the screen had a tiny scar above her eyebrow and I didn’t.

She wasn’t me. Someone dressed like me, someone copied me, someone wanted people to believe she was me.

My eyes were filled with tears and relief crashed into me so hard I almost couldn't breathe.

I didn’t imagine it, I wasn’t crazy, I never cheated, I never betrayed Damien.

Someone planned this, someone carefully created evidence against me.

The manager gave me a copy of the footage and I held it like treasure. Proof. Actual proof.

Finally.

I rushed out of the hotel and my heart raced the entire drive.

I needed to show Damien immediately, everything could be fixed.

Once he saw the footage, he would understand.

He would know I never betrayed him, he would know someone lied.

Maybe the divorce could be stopped, maybe we were not completely broken.

The thought filled me with hope, dangerous hope but I clung to it anyway.

By evening, I arrived at one of Damien’s private properties.

A massive estate hidden behind security gates. I knew he was here, several luxury cars were parked outside, business meetings, mafia business.

Normally, I avoid these places but tonight, I didn’t care.

I needed answers, I needed my husband.

The guards recognized me immediately and no one stopped me.

I walked through the mansion, the place was unusually quiet and my heels clicked against the floor.

I checked my phone, the footage was still there and I turned a corner, voices reached my ears, male voices, coming from a nearby study and I stopped but not intentionally.

I simply heard Damien’s name and froze.

The door was not fully closed and the voices drifted through the gap.

“Boss should have finished the job three years ago.”

My heart skipped.

Finished what job?

Another man sighed.

“Doesn’t matter now.”

The first man laughed.

“No. It matters. She’s still alive.”

Alive?

A strange feeling settled in my stomach and then the second man spoke again and the words that made my blood froze.

“She was supposed to die in that fire.”

Fire? I blinked. What fire?

My pulse became uneven and the men continued talking.

Neither of them knew I was here and neither of them knew I was listening.

I slowly moved closer and every nerve in my body screamed at me to leave but I ignored it.

“Boss made a mistake.”

“He was protecting her.”

“He should’ve ended it years ago.”

My heart rang harder.

Who are they talking about?

Who?

Then I heard my name. Elena.

The sound hit me like a slap and I stopped breathing.

The first man lowered his voice.

“Elena should never have survived.”

My knees nearly gave out.

Survived?

The hallway spinned and I grabbed the wall. Fire. Survived. Elena.

The words crashed into each other inside my head.

What fire?

Why should I be dead? What are they talking about?

I searched my memories. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

I didn’t remember any fire, I didn’t remember surviving anything.

The men continued speaking but my ears rang too loudly now and my hands shook.

My entire body shook and fear crawled through me, real fear, not heartbreak and not jealousy but fear.

Because someone tried to kill me two days ago and now two of Damien’s captains were discussing how I should have died years ago.

My breathing became uneven.

I needed to leave, right now before they noticed me, before they realized I had heard everything.

I slowly stepped backward, one step and then another and then my heel caught against a decorative vase.

My heart stopped and the vase wobbled.

But I reached for it, but it was too late.

Clink.

The sound echoed through the hallway and silence fell inside the study, complete silence.

My blood turned to ice and then I heard a chair scrape against the floor and one man spoke.

“Did you hear that?”

Another answered immediately.

“Someone’s outside.”

The do

or swung open and I froze.

Two mafia captains stood there, their eyes were locked onto mine and they saw me listening.