Chapter 6- The Stranger's Warning

Amelia's hands tightened around the steering wheel.

  The sender had requested that she, come alone.

Every sensible part of her told her to turn around.

But the part of her that had spent three years staying silent, the part of her that kept giving excuses,and unanswered questions ,needed the truth.

She followed the address description the unknown number sent.

That part of the city of way quite.

The location led her to a small café tucked between two office buildings.

Amelia parked outside and remained in the car for several seconds.

Whoever had sent the messages knew about Ethan, she thought to herself.They kept above Sophia ,They might even know something Amelia had never discovered.

She finally stepped out.

Inside, the café was almost empty.

Her eyes moved across the room.

Then she saw her.

A woman sitting alone in the corner.

Dark sunglasses covered most of her face.

Amelia approached slowly,

"Are you the one who contacted me?" Amelia asked.

The woman looked up.

Yes, the stranger replied.

Amelia sat across from her.

"Who are you?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

The woman removed her sunglasses.

Amelia's breath caught.

She had seen her before, at Blackwood Group.

"You're one of Ethan's employees??”

The woman nodded in agreement,

My name is Rachel,She said.

Why did you contact me? Amelia asked,clearly losing patient.

Rachel glanced around before lowering her voice.

"Because you're being lied to."

Amelia's stomach tightened.

"About Sophia?"

"About everything." Rachel answered.

She pulled an envelope from her handbag and slid it across the table.

Amelia stared at it.

"What is this?" Amelia asked suspiciously.

"Proof."

Her fingers hesitated before taking the envelope.

Inside were several photographs.

Amelia pulled out the first one.

It showed Ethan and Sophia standing outside a hotel.

Her heart dropped.

Then she picked another photograph. It showed Ethan and Sophia entering the same hotel late at night.

Then another…..Sophia following him inside the same hotel room.

Amelia's hands began to shake.

"When were these taken?" she asked trying to control the tears that was about to fall off her eyes.

"Six months ago." the woman responded.

She looked up.

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Because I was afraid."

"Of Ethan?" Amelia asked.

Rachel nodded in agreement.

"You don't understand how powerful that man is."

Amelia swallowed.

"What happened?"

Rachel leaned closer.

"I discovered something I wasn't supposed to see."

"What?" , Amelia asked curiously.

"Ethan's financial records."

Amelia frowned.

"What do his finances have to do with Sophia?" , she asked.

"Everything."

Rachel lowered her voice.

"There are payments being made to accounts connected to her."

Amelia stared at her.

"How much?"

"Enough to make someone disappear."

The words sent a chill through Amelia.

"Disappear?"

Rachel nodded.

"Someone was investigating Ethan."

"Who?"

Rachel's eyes shifted toward the café entrance.

"I don't know."

Amelia turned slightly.

Nobody appeared to be watching them.

When she looked back, Rachel was pale.

"There is one more thing."

" What is that “??

Rachel reached into her bag again.

This time, she pulled out a folded document.

"I found this in Ethan's private files."

Amelia took it.

Her eyes scanned the page.

Then stopped.

Her face was drained of color.

It was a legal agreement.

Her name was written at the top.

AMELIA CARTER.

"What is this?"

Rachel whispered,

"Your marriage agreement."

Amelia stared at the document.

"This isn't the agreement I signed."

"No."

Rachel shook her head.

"It's the original."

Amelia's heart began pounding.

"What does that mean?"

Rachel looked directly into her eyes.

"It means Ethan never married you for the reason you think."

Amelia's fingers went cold.

She looked down at the document again.

There was a clause she had never seen before.

A clause concerning her inheritance.

Her father's estate.

Her entire family fortune.

Amelia's breath caught.

"My father..."

Rachel nodded slowly.

"Your marriage wasn't just about Ethan."

"Then what was it about?"

Rachel leaned forward.

"Your father left something behind."

Amelia couldn't speak.

"What?"

Rachel's expression changed.

Fear crossed her face.

Before she could answer, her phone suddenly rang.

She looked at the screen.

Then immediately stood.

"We have to go."

Amelia grabbed her wrist.

"You can't leave. You need to tell me what my father left behind."

Rachel looked toward the window.

Someone was standing outside.

Watching them.

Her face went pale.

"He's here."

"Who?"

Rachel pulled her hand free.

"The man Ethan has been trying to keep away from you."

Amelia turned toward the window.

The figure outside disappeared into the crowd.

She looked back.

Rachel was already walking toward the back exit.

"Wait!"

But Rachel didn't stop.

Amelia quickly gathered the documents and followed her.

By the time she reached the alley behind the café...

Rachel was gone.

Only one thing remained.

A small black envelope lying on the ground.

Amelia picked it up.

Her name was written across the front.

She opened it with trembling fingers.

Inside was a single photograph.

It showed her father.

Standing beside Ethan's father.

And between them...

Was a much younger Sophia.

Amelia stared at the photograph.

Her blood ran cold.

On the back, four handwritten words waited for her.

Ask Ethan about the night.

She slowly turned the photograph over again.

What night?

And why had everyone been hiding it from her?

Then her phone rang.

‘Ethan’ popped on the Screen.

Amelia stared at his name on the screen.

For the first time in three years...

She was afraid to answer her husband's call.