Chapter 16: The Name He Did Not Say

I ran. 

Back to Interview Room 2. Back to Roman. 

The hallway blurred. My lungs burned. Singh was shouting behind me, but I did not stop. 

Tell my brother the wife is next. And this time I will not miss it. 

From Roman’s phone. 

Adrian had it. That meant Adrian was with him. 

I slammed into the door. It opened. 

The room was empty. 

The chair Roman sat in was on its side. The annulment papers were gone. His phone was gone. 

Only blood was left. A smear on the metal table. Fresh. 

No. 

“Roman,” I said. 

My voice was not loud. It was broken. 

Singh caught up to me. She saw the room. Her hand went to her gun. 

“He took him,” Singh said. “Adrian was still in the building.” 

“How?” I asked. My hands were shaking. “He was cuffed. You arrested him.” 

“Someone helped him,” Singh said. Her jaw was tight. “Internal. We are locked down now. No one in or out.” 

It did not matter. Adrian was already out. With Roman. 

Because I walked away. Because I signed those papers. Because I told him I would not come after him. 

This was my fault. 

Singh’s radio crackled. “Detective, we have a problem. South stairwell. Officer down.” 

Singh ran. I ran after her. 

We found the officer on the landing. Unconscious. Breathing. Gun missing. 

And on the wall, written in blood, one word: 

Vegas. 

The chapel. Where we got married. Where Adrian told Roman to come alone. 

He was taking Roman back to the beginning. To finish it. 

“Get me a car,” I told Singh. 

“No,” Singh said. “You are not going. You are the target.” 

“He is the target,” I said. “Adrian does not want me dead. He wants Roman to watch me die. That is why he took him. To make him choose again.” 

Singh studied me. “You signed the annulment.” 

“I know.” 

“Then legally you have no claim. No protection detail. No access.” 

“I do not care about the law,” I said. “He is bleeding in that room. He hesitated for me once. I am not hesitating for him.” 

Something changed in Singh’s face. Respect, maybe. 

“Fine,” she said. “But you do not go alone.” 

She drove. 

We took her unmarked cruiser. Lights off. Sirens off. Adrian would be watching for the police. 

My mom stayed at the station. Safe. Surrounded by officers. I kissed her forehead before I left. 

“I am sorry,” she said again. 

“I know,” I said. “We will talk later. After.” 

If there was an after. 

The drive to the small chapel took thirty minutes. It felt like thirty hours. 

Singh talked while she drove. “The blue drive is decryption keys. Your father did not just copy manifests. He copied communications. Emails. Voice memos. Victor’s private server.” 

“Why does Adrian want it?” 

“Because Victor promised him Kade Technologies,” Singh said. “In a second will. One Roman did not know about it. The blue drive proves Victor was planning to disinherit Roman completely and install Adrian after Roman’s ‘accident.’” 

The car crash. It was not just Julian. It was Victor. 

“Victor is dead,” I said. 

“He died three days ago,” Singh said. “Heart attack. At the estate. After you left.” 

Three days ago. When we saw him on the monitor. 

He was already dying. 

“Adrian found out,” Singh said. “He found out Victor was dead and the second will was missing. He thinks Roman hid it. He thinks you helped.” 

That was why Adrian took Roman. Not just jealousy. Inheritance. Billions. 

The chapel came into view. Small. White. Neon sign flickering. 

A chapel for quick mistakes and faster regrets. 

Like ours. 

Singh parked two blocks down. “We wait for backup.” 

“No,” I said. “He will see them. He will kill Roman.” 

“You do not go in there,” Singh said. “He has a gun. You do not.” 

I looked at her. “I am his wife.” 

Singh blinked. “You signed the annulment.” 

“It is not filed yet,” I said. “Not until a judge signs. Legally, I am still Isla Monroe Kade. And I am going in.” 

I opened the door before she could stop me. 

The chapel door was unlocked. 

I stepped inside. 

It smelled like dust and old flowers. 

Roman was at the altar. On his knees. Hands zip tied behind him. Blood on his face. A cut above his eye. 

Adrian stood behind him. Roman’s gun to Roman’s head. 

Adrian saw me and smiled. “You came. I knew you would.” 

“Let him go,” I said. 

“Sign this first,” Adrian said. He kicked a folder toward me. It slid across the floor. 

I did not look down. I could not look away from Roman. 

His eyes found mine. Green. Clear. No CEO mask. No wall. Just him. 

“I am sorry,” he mouthed. 

For hesitating. For the papers. For everything. 

“I know,” I mouthed back. 

“I said sign it,” Adrian snapped. 

I looked down. The folder was open. 

It was the second will. 

Victor Kade’s. 

Leaving everything to Adrian Kade. 

With one line crossed out. A name. 

Isla Monroe. 

My breath stopped. 

Victor left me something. In his second will. The one that disinherited Roman. 

Why? 

I looked up at Roman. He could not see the paper. But he saw my face. 

“What is it?” he asked. 

“Your father left me the company,” I said. My voice was hollow. “If you died.” 

Roman went still. 

Adrian laughed. “Surprise. Victor did not trust either of us. He thought if you died, she would be easier to control than me. A nurse. Quiet. Grateful.” 

That was why Victor forced Roman to bully me. Not just to isolate me. To break me. So I would be small. So I would sign anything. 

The flash drive. The will. My dad. 

It all connected. 

Victor used Roman to hurt me. Used me to hurt Roman. Used both of us to protect himself. 

And now Victor was dead, but his game was not. 

“Sign it,” Adrian said to me. “Transfer the company to me. Or he dies.” 

“Do not,” Roman said. “Isla, do not.” 

“If I do not, he kills you,” I said. 

“I would rather die,” Roman said. “Then let you live with that.” 

He meant it. 

And I loved him for it. 

And that was why I could not let him die. 

I bent down. Picked up the pen. 

“Isla, no,” Roman said. 

I looked at Adrian. “You let him go first. Then I sign.” 

Adrian shook his head. “You sign first. Then I let him go.” 

“Not how this works,” I said. Nurse voice. Calm. Even though my heart was breaking. “You shoot him, you get nothing. I am the owner if he dies. You need me alive to sign.” 

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. 

He was not as smart as Victor. 

“Fine,” Adrian said. He pulled Roman up by his hair. “Say goodbye to your wife.” 

Roman’s eyes locked on mine. 

“I changed the will back,” he said. Fast. Quiet. Only for me. “Three weeks after Vegas. I put it all in trust. For you. Not the company. A clinic. For trauma survivors. Like you wanted. It is already yours. No one can take it.” 

My hands shook. 

He did it. After Vegas. After he married me to protect me. He gave me the one thing Victor never could. A future. 

Not money. Purpose. 

“Roman,” I whispered. 

“I love you,” he said. “I should have said it before the papers. Before the hesitation. Before everything. I love you.” 

Adrian pressed the gun harder to his head. “Enough. Sign.” 

I put the pen to the paper. 

And then the chapel doors burst open. 

Singh. And ten officers. Guns drawn. 

“Police,” Singh yelled. “Drop the weapon.” 

Adrian spun, pulling Roman with him. Using him as a shield. 

“No,” I said. 

“Isla, get down,” Singh yelled. 

Adrian fired. 

The sound exploded. 

Roman jerked. 

Blood. 

On his shirt. 

He fell. 

“Roman,” I screamed. 

I ran. 

Officers tackled Adrian. The gun went skidding. 

I dropped to my knees beside Roman. His eyes were open. 

“Hey,” he said. Blood on his lips. “You came after me.” 

“You said you would not,” I cried. “You said you would not come after me.” 

“I lied,” he said. He tried to smile. “I always come after you.” 

I pressed my hands to his chest. The wound was high. Right side. Not heart. Not lung. 

“You are okay,” I said. “You are okay. I have you.” 

“I know,” he said. His hand found mine. Weak. But there. “You always do.” 

Paramedics ran in. 

I did not let go. Not until they made me. 

Singh pulled me back. “Let them work, Isla.” 

I watched them load him onto a stretcher. His eyes were on me the whole time. 

Then he was gone. Sirens. 

Adrian was cuffed. Screaming about the will. About Victor. About me. 

Singh put a hand on my shoulder. “He will live. It is not fatal.” 

I nodded. I could not speak. 

Because I finally understood. 

The discovery was not the blue drive. 

It was the second will. 

Victor left me Kade Technologies. Not to protect me. To use me. 

And Roman changed it. Three weeks after Vegas. He took the power Victor tried to give me and turned it into something good. Something of mine. 

He loved me. Even then. 

The stakes were higher now. Adrian knew about the clinic. About trust. If Roman died, I controlled it. 

That made me the target. 

And Adrian was not the only one who wanted it. 

Singh’s phone rang. She answered. Her face went white. 

“What?” I asked. 

She looked at me. “Julian posted bail. An hour ago. Anonymous donor.” 

Julian was out. 

And he knew about the clinic too. 

The bigger threat was not Adrian. 

It was Julian. 

And he was already at Westbridge General. 

Where they took Roman. 

Where I might lose him for good.