CHAPTER 3: The Necklace

Marcus quickly closed the door behind him. His eyes stayed on the silver necklace in my hand. The calm expression he usually wore was gone. For the first time since I had known him, he looked nervous.

"Miss Sterling," he said quietly, trying to keep his voice steady. "Please give it to me," I frowned. "Why?" "It doesn't belong to you." "No." I closed my fingers around the necklace. "I found it." "It belongs to Mr. Knight."

I looked at Ethan. He had not taken his eyes off the necklace since I pulled it out of my pocket. His face had become pale, and the muscles in his jaw tightened. Finally, he spoke. "Marcus." Marcus looked at him immediately. "Leave us." Marcus hesitated. "But Mr. Sterling," I said, "leave." Hisis voice was calm, but there was no room for argument. Marcus looked from Ethan to me. For a long moment, nobody moved. Finally, he sighed. "I'll be outside." He opened the door and stepped out, closing it softly behind him.

The room became silent again. The only sound was the steady beeping of the heart monitor beside Ethan's bed. I looked at him. "You've been lying to me." His eyes met mine. "I haven't." "You knew my name before anyone said it." "I know a lot of things." "Like what?" Instead of answering, he looked at the necklace again. "Give it back." I shook my head. "Not until you tell me who Sarah is."

For a moment, he didn't move. Then he slowly looked at the small photograph inside the pendant. His expression softened. "My sister." The words were barely louder than a whisper. I looked down at the picture again. The girl lookeyoung,ng, her smile bright and innocent. She couldn't have been older than sixteen. "She's beautiful," I said softly. A sad smile appeared on Ethan's face. "She was." The single word broke my heart. Was. Not is. Was.

"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes. "Don't be." "What happened to her?" He stayed quiet for several seconds. His fingers slowly curled into the blanket, the veins on his hand standing out. "They toher. er. " My stomach tightened. "Who?" "I don't know." "They kidnapher?" He" He nodded once. "They found her three later. ater. " His voice became weak. "She didn't survive."

Silence filled the room. I didn't know what to say. The pain in his eyes said more than words ever could. "I'm so sorry, Ethan." He looked away. "I couldn't save her." The guilt in his voice was impossible to miss. "You were just a boy." "I was seventeen." "That's still a child." "I promised my mother I'd protect Sarah." His eyes became distant, lost in memories only he could see. "I told her nothing would ever happen to my lsister. ister. " He laughed bitterly. "I broke that promise."

I slowly walked closer to the bed. "You didn't kill her." "No." His voice turned cold. "But I failed her." "You couldn't have known." "I should have." "You can't blame yourself forever." His eyes suddenly met mine. "You don't understand." "Then help me understand."

For the first time, his hard expression cracked. "I hear her voice every night." His words were quiet. "I remember the last time I ssmile. Hele. He swallowed hard. "I've spent fifteen years asking myself one question." "What question?" "What if I had stayed with her?" The room became painfully quiet. "I've replayed that day thousands of times." His voice shook. "If I had stayed… if I had walked beside her… if I had arrived five minutes earlier… maybe she'd still be alive."

I didn't think. I simply reached for his hand. He looked surprised. Our eyes met. His hand was warm but rough, covered with old scars. For a second, he looked like he wanted to pull away. Instead… he let me hold it. "You've carried this alone for a long time." He gave a small nod. "Too long."

Before either of us could say another word, someone knocked. Marcus opened the door.Knight,"ight," Ethan let go of my hand immediately. "What?" "Mr. Sterling wants to see you." Ethan frowned. "Now?" "Immediately." Marcus then looked at me. "Miss Sterling. Your father wants you downstairs." Neither Ethan nor I moved. Marcus lowered his voice. "Please. Don't make this harder." I looked at Ethan one last time before leaving. Something told me this wasn't the end of our conversation. It was only the beginning.

Ten minutes later, I walked into my father's study. The room smelled of expensive whiskey and burning wood. My father stood beside the fireplace. He wasn't alone. A tall man wearing a perfectly fitted black suit stood beside him. His silver hair was neatly combed. His smile was polite. But there was something unsettling about him—his eyes watched me too carefully.

"Lillian," my father said. "This is Richard Hale." The man extended his hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you." I shook it politely. "It's nice to meet you." He smiled. "The pleasure is mine." He didn't let go of my hand immediately. Instead, he studied my face almost as if he had been looking for someone. Or remembering someone.

My father poured another glass of whiskey. "Richard is an old business partner." "I see." Richard looked at my father and smiled. "So… this is your daughter." Father nodded proudly. "My greachievement,"ment," I forced a smile. Inside… I felt like a business investment instead of a daughter.

After several minutes of polite conversation, Richard finally stood. "It was wonderful meeting you." As he walked past me, he leaned close enough that only I could hear him. "You look just like your mother." I froze. My mother had died years ago. Very few people ever spoke about her. Before I could ask what he meant… Richard was already walking away. I watched him disappear down the hallway. Something about him made my skin crawl.

That night, Ethan couldn't sleep. His side ached where the bullet had entered, but the pain wasn't what kept him awake—it was Richard Hale. He knew that face. He had seen it years ago in an old police file—the same photograph detectives had shown him after Sarah's murder.

Ethan slowly sat up in bed. His breathing became faster. "It can't be…" Then he remembered the name. Richard Hale. His eyes widened. "No…" The memories rushed back all at once. "If Richard Hale is here…" He looked toward the window, his face filled with fear. "…then Sarah's killer is much closer than I ever imagined."