Chapter 6

Michael's POV

I stormed back into the house, my mind racing, and heart pounding. Every inch of me felt like a kettle ready to explode. I had trusted Evelyn, loved her, and now… now this. My hands were trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief. Sarah's words echoed in my mind like a hammer on metal, each one hammering harder than the last.

I walked straight into the living room, my eyes searching for Sarah. She was sitting on the couch, looking nonchalant, as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on my entire life. Her eyes met mine for a moment, cold and calculating.

"Where did you see her, Sarah?" I growled, not bothering to soften my tone. There was no more room for pleasantries. The truth had been laid out, and now I needed answers. "Tell me where. Now."

Her lips curled into a half-smile, the satisfaction on her face unmistakable. She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she leaned back, crossing her legs, and let the silence stretch between us, making me wait.

“You know, I don’t work for free, Michael," she said, her voice low, laced with a touch of amusement. "You want information, you’re going to have to pay for it. Do you want me to spill everything? Fine. But you’ll owe me.” She smirked, a look in her eyes that dared me to challenge her.

I clenched my fists, my chest tightening. This wasn’t a game. This was my life, my marriage on the line. But something about Sarah's smugness, the way she leaned back so confidently, made my blood boil.

“You think this is a joke, Sarah?” I snapped, stepping toward her, my voice rising. "You don’t get to hold the truth over my head like some... like some kind of bargain. I need to know where she is, NOW.”

Her gaze didn't waver. If anything, she seemed even more amused by my outburst, as if this was all some elaborate game to her.

“I’m not asking you to do me any favors, Michael,” she said with a shrug, her tone dismissive. “I’m just asking for a little payment. It’s up to you. You can keep looking for your precious wife, or you can pay up. Your call."

My teeth gritted. I was done with her games. The desperation clawed at my insides, but there was no way in hell I was going to let her manipulate me like this.

I paced in front of her, hands gripping the back of the couch. “This isn’t a damn negotiation. You’re my sister, and you’re going to tell me where she is, or so help me, I’ll—"

“You’ll what?” Sarah’s voice was calm, almost serene, and the challenge in it stopped me cold. “What are you going to do, Michael? Yell some more? Throw a tantrum like a child? I don’t think that’s going to get you any closer to finding Evelyn. You might want to try something else.”

I stopped, my breath coming faster now. Sarah’s words stung, but deep down, I knew she was right. I was acting like a damn fool, but I couldn’t stop. Not when everything I believed in was shattering around me.

“You think you’re helping me?” I shot back, my anger threatening to spill over. “You think you’re doing the right thing, Sarah? Betraying her like this, just for some petty satisfaction?”

For a split second, her face faltered. But then she leaned forward, meeting my gaze with a sharpness that made my blood run cold.

“I’m helping you by showing you the truth, Michael. I’m not the one lying here. You’re the one who couldn’t see what was right in front of you.” Her voice dropped, full of venom now. “I don’t care if you hate me for it, but you’re blind if you can’t see that Evelyn has been lying to you the entire time.”

The words hit harder than I expected. She was right, and I hated it.

I turned away from her, my mind spinning, then reached for my phone. I had to know where she was. Now. I dialed Evelyn’s number again, for what felt like the hundredth time. The dial tone hummed in my ear, and my impatience grew with every second. She wasn’t answering. She wasn’t answering, and the hole in my chest kept getting bigger.

“Where is she?” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother walk in, looking concerned. She must have overheard our argument.

“Michael,” she said softly, her voice laced with worry, “what’s going on? You look like you’re about to implode.”

I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. I was too consumed with the need to get to Evelyn, to fix this, to understand. “I need to find her, Mom. You don’t understand. Evelyn’s gone, and I don’t know why or where—"

“Stop!” she interrupted, her voice rising. “You’re not going to get answers by losing your mind over this. Yelling at Sarah isn’t going to help. It’s only making things worse.” She crossed her arms, standing her ground in the doorway.

“You don’t get it, Mom!” I shouted, spinning around to face her. “Sarah says she saw Evelyn's with some guy. I need to know where. Now!”

I felt the anger burning through me again, rising higher, hotter, until I could hardly breathe. I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were racing, swirling in a whirlwind. Everything I thought I knew was collapsing.

Sarah finally spoke again, her voice cutting through the tension. “You know, you really should be the one out looking for her, Michael. You’re the one who pushed her away, remember? It’s your mess now. Don’t come running to me for help.”

I shot her a glare. “Don’t think you’re off the hook for this. You’ve caused enough damage already. I’m done asking for your help, Sarah.”

For a moment, the room was still. I stood there, seething, but the silence between us was deafening.

Then, Sarah stood up, pushing her chair back with a harsh scrape. “Fine. You want to fix things, Michael? You find her. You’ve been the one who shoved her out of your life. You figure out where she is now.”