Chapter 7

The Lie I Believed.

Lucas’s POV

“Is he mine?”

The question hung between us.

Ava stopped walking but didn’t turn around.

For several seconds, she stood completely still, one hand resting on Ethan’s shoulder. Then she slowly looked over her shoulder. Her expression was calm. Too calm.

“That is none of your business.”

My jaw tightened. “Ava, he’s five.”

“And so?”

“And we were married five years ago.”

Her eyes hardened. “Exactly. We were married.”

I took a step toward her, but she immediately took a step backward. “I’m not having this conversation with you. Not now. Not ever.”

“Why? I deserve to know if he’s my child. Ava…”

“I said no.”

She turned away again, but this time I didn’t stop her. I watched her walk toward the exit with Ethan, his little face tired and confused by everything that was happening.

I wanted to follow them and demand answers, but something stopped me.

Maybe it was the way she looked at me, like I was nothing more than a stranger standing in her way. There was no recognition in her eyes, nothing familiar about the way she looked at me.

There wasn’t a trace of the Ava I knew.

I knew that getting answers from her would not be as simple as asking. I stood there until they disappeared through the doors.

“Sir, Sir, Sir?” Daniel’s voice pulled me back.

I turned sharply. “How long have you been here?”

“I’ve been behind you for about ten minutes now.”

I rubbed a hand over my face. “Daniel, I have work for you. I need you to find something for me immediately.”

Daniel’s expression changed, and he leaned forward slightly. “Of course, sir. How can I help?”

“Everything.”

Daniel’s brows furrowed. “Everything?”

“About Ava,” I continued. “Where she went after the divorce. Where she lived. Who she worked with. Her businesses. Her finances. Everything you can find.”

“And the child?”

“No.” I looked toward the doors she walked through a few minutes ago. “Not the child.”

Daniel nodded slowly. “I’ll start now.”

“And Daniel?”

“Yes?”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Keep this between us.”

“Understood, sir.”

I left the conference room without saying anything else.

By the time I returned to the hotel, I had barely slept for two hours. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing.

Ethan.

His face, his eyes, and the way he spoke. 

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the city lights through the window.

I had spent the entire night trying to convince myself that I was jumping to conclusions. Ava could have married someone else. She could have had Ethan after our divorce.

There were explanations. There had to be but there was one problem.

The timing.

By morning, Daniel’s call came in. I answered immediately.“Tell me what you found.” I sat up and put the phone on speaker.

“There’s a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” I frowned.

“I found the records from the investigation that led to your divorce.”

I removed the phone from speaker and placed it close to my ear. “Go on.”

“The employee who supposedly stole Sterling Group’s confidential files was named Marcus Hale.”

“Yes, I recall.”

“I searched the employee database and he doesn’t exist.”

I stared at the wall for a moment. “What do you mean he doesn’t exist?”

“I mean there is no Marcus Hale in Sterling Group’s records. Not current records. Not archived records. Nothing.”

“Daniel, that’s impossible.”

“I thought so too. So I checked everything I could.”

“What did you find?”

“Nothing. There’s no employment record under that name. No salary payments. No tax information. I even checked the old security records.”

“And?”

“There’s nothing.”

I stood and walked toward the window. “What about the evidence from the investigation?”

“That’s where it gets worse.”

My hand tightened around the phone. “I’m listening.”

“The documents were submitted through an external account. The account was closed shortly after the investigation ended.”

“Have you traced who created it?”

“I’m still working on that, but I found something else.”

“What?”

“The original documents were modified before they were submitted to you.”

I turned away from the window. “Modified?”

“Yes. Someone changed parts of the information to make it look like the files came from Ava.”

I stared ahead, unable to speak for a moment. “So you’re telling me someone created a fake employee, fabricated evidence, and then used it to make Ava look guilty?”

“That’s what it looks like.” I swallowed.

For years, I had strongly believed that Ava betrayed me. She gave out company information to someone outside the family, and when I confronted her, she denied everything. I thought she was lying to my face and trusted the evidence over her.

I trusted the people who showed it to me.

And I divorced her.

“Daniel.”

“Yes?”

“Who handled the investigation?” There was a pause.

“Your father’s legal team.” My eyes narrowed. “I know. Who specifically?”

“I’m pulling the names now.” I walked to the desk and sat down.

“Find everyone who was involved in that investigation. The lawyers, accountants, investigators, employees. Everyone.”

“Right away.”

“And Daniel?”

“Yes, sir?”

“If Marcus Hale never existed…”I stopped and took a deep breath. The words felt strange coming out of my mouth.“…then someone created him and wanted me to believe Ava was guilty.”

Daniel was quiet for a moment.

“That means someone went to a lot of trouble to make you believe she betrayed you.”

I looked down at my hands. “And I believed them.”

“You didn’t have a reason to think the evidence was fake at the time.”

“She told me she was innocent,” Daniel said nothing.

“She begged me to believe her.”

“Sir…”

“I didn’t even listen to her.”

My voice came out lower than I intended.

Daniel took a breath. “You should let me finish tracing everyone involved before you blame yourself for something we haven’t completely figured out yet.”

“I’m not blaming myself.” The words left my mouth quickly.

Daniel didn’t respond.

I looked away. “Get back to me before noon.”

“I will.” I ended the call.

I remained seated for a moment before picking up the phone again and calling Daniel.

He answered almost immediately.

“Yes, sir?”

“You only mentioned the investigation. Remember how I said everything?”

“Yes, sir, but you told me not to investigate the child.”

I said nothing.

Daniel was quiet for a moment before saying, “Unless you want me to find out if she has moved on?”

I turned my chair slightly. “Just find everything you can about her life after she left.”

A faint chuckle came through the phone. “Even if I find a husband?”

“Daniel.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get back to you.”

The call ended.

I lowered the phone slowly and remained in my chair, my eyes falling on Ava’s photograph on the desk. She was smiling beautifully. I reached for the frame, but before my fingers could touch it, I stopped myself. 

Five years ago, I had looked at that same woman and decided she was a liar.

I remembered the tears in her eyes. The way her voice broke as she begged me to believe her and the way I walked away.

I closed my eyes.

If everything I believed was wrong, how was I supposed to face her now? How will I stand in front of Ava and explain everything to her? 

What if I made one of the greatest mistakes of my life?

What if the woman I blamed for destroying our marriage was innocent all along?