Chapter 7 The Confrontation

I was all set to leave for Ethan's office when someone knocked on the door.

Three loud knocks, then nothing. Then three knocks.

Aunt Rita got to the door before I did. I heard her open it. Then there was silence for a moment. You know, the kind of silence that means the person at the door has surprised her so much that she is just standing there.

Then I heard Aunt Rita's voice. It sounded really cold. I had never heard her sound like that before.

"You have a lot of nerve, " she said.

I walked out of my room.

Daven was standing in the doorway. He looked really different, not as put together as I had ever seen him. There were circles under his eyes and his jaw was clenched. He was standing in a way that made me think he had been practicing what he wanted to say for a time but he was still not sure if it was going to work.

As soon as he saw me his eyes locked onto mine.

"Sofia, please just give me five minutes, " he said.

Aunt Rita spoke up "She does not have five minutes for you."

I said quietly, "Aunt Rita."

She looked at me. I could tell she wanted to say a lot of things.. She just stepped back, folded her arms and stayed where she was. I knew she was not going to leave.

I looked at Daven.

"Okay, five minutes, " I said.

He came inside. Aunt Rita closed the door behind him.. She did not leave the room. Daven looked at her once back at me. I think he decided it was not worth arguing with her.

"I saw you last night, " he said.

"I know, " I replied.

"With Ethan Voss, " he added.

"I know, " I said again.

He ran his hand through his hair, something he used to do when he was nervous around me.. Now it just seemed like a habit.

"Sofia what are you doing? That man is not who you think he is " he said.

". Who do I think he is?" I asked.

"You barely know him. Whatever he told you whatever he offered you -"

I stopped him. "Daven you called me on my wedding day. Told me to move out of our apartment. You were with my friend for eight months. You signed my name on a document without my permission.. Now you are standing in my aunt's living room telling me to be careful about who I trust?"

The room was really quiet.

Aunt Rita made a sound like she was laughing and scoffing at the time.

Daven's jaw got even tighter.

"I did not sign your name, " he said.

I stared at him.

"What?"

"I did not sign your name, Sofia. I swear. I would never do that."

"Then who did?" I asked.

He stopped talking, looked at the floor then back at me.

"That is what I came to tell you. Someone used both of us. Someone who has been in control from the beginning and we did not even know it until it was too late."

I looked at him for a time.

Part of me wanted to laugh. It was such a story and it made him the victim instead of the bad guy. I used to love this man. So I know when he was lying.

Now I was not so sure.

That scared me more than anything else he could have said.

"Who is in control?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to answer.

Then his phone rang.

He looked at the screen. His face changed immediately. All the color went out of it. He stared at the name on the screen like it was choking him.

"I have to -" he started.

"Daven, who is calling you?" I asked.

He looked at me and, for the time, he seemed really afraid. Not guilty, not caught, just afraid.

"Do not tell Voss I came here " he said quickly, already heading for the door. "Please Sofia, not yet. I will explain everything I promise. You cannot tell him yet."

He was already gone. The door closed behind him. His footsteps disappeared down the corridor.

Aunt Rita and I stood there in the silence he left behind.

"Well, " Aunt Rita said finally.

I picked up my bag.

I had to get to Ethan's office.

Now I was going there with two secrets instead of one. The numbers warning and whatever Daven was about to say before that phone call stopped him.

Someone had called him. It had made him run away without finishing what he was saying.

I needed to know who that was.

Because whatever Daven was afraid of I had a feeling it was coming for me next.

Ethan was already standing when I walked into the room.

He was not behind his desk, he was by the window. He turned when he heard the door and looked at me the way he always did like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.

"You are late, " Ethan said.

"I know something came up, " I replied.

Ethan looked at my face for a moment he said:

"Sit down."

I sat down. Ethan stayed standing. There was a folder on Ethan's desk. He did not open it. Ethan just looked at me.

" Last night Daven Cole and Elena Marsh were at that dinner " Ethan said. "He said he needs to know if that was a coincidence."

"I do not know, " I said honestly.

"Did you know they would be there?" Ethan asked.

Ethan nodded slowly then he moved to his desk, sat down and opened the folder.

"Daven Cole has been making calls to people connected to my board to people connected to your father’s lawyers " Ethan said. "Daven  is trying to find out how much we know and how far our investigation has gone."

I did not say anything.

"Daven is getting nervous, " Ethan said. "Nervous people make mistakes, and when they make mistakes they either run or they come looking for the person they think can help them.

Ethan looked at me.

"Has Daven tried to contact you?" He asked.

Before I could answer my phone buzzed on the table, between us. We both saw the name on the screen.

Daven.