CHAPTER 10: What Uncle Found

Selene woke to the smell of coffee.

She padded into the kitchen, draped in her silk robe, still wrapped in the tender haze of sleep. Then she halted—frozen. Avalon stood by the espresso machine, clad in sweatpants and a plain white tee, the casualness of his attire belying an undeniable elegance. Their eyes met, and for a suspended heartbeat, the world held its breath; neither stirred, caught in an intimate silence that spoke volumes.

“Morning,” he said finally.

“Morning.” She tugged her robe tighter. “You made coffee?”

“Mrs Liu has Sundays off.” He handed her a cup. “Two sugars, no cream.”

He remembered. The fact that he still remembered after everything made something twist in her chest.

“Thank you.”

They stood in the kitchen, silence stretching. This was new. Yesterday, he held her while she cried. Today they were supposed to act like… what? Partners? Something neither knew how to be.

“We should talk,” Avalon said. “About the board meeting.”

“Okay.”

“Margaret is on our side, but there are seven other board members, and Marcus has been working on them.” He leaned against the counter. “We need to be prepared. About our relationship and the timeline.”

“What kind of questions?”

“How we reconnected, why did we get married so quickly? Whether this is legitimate.” His gaze held hers. “They’ll be looking for inconsistencies.”

Selene nodded, trying to ignore how domestic this felt—standing in the kitchen with coffee, discussing problems together.

“We should practice,” she said. “Until we can do it without thinking.”

“Good idea.” He checked his watch. “I have to make a few calls this afternoon. We can run through scenarios tonight.”

“Dinner?”

“I thought we could eat here. Together.” His voice faltered, laced with uncertainty. “Unless—”

“No. Here is fine.” She cut him off softly.

A fragile silence settled between them.

“Selene.” His voice softened, dropping into a quiet earnestness. “When you told me about Maya yesterday, I want you to truly understand—I meant every word. Whatever happens between us, I won’t let your sister suffer.”

“I know.”. Despite everything, Avalon wasn’t cruel. “Thank you.”

He nodded, started to leave, then paused. “Also, I have a friend, Dr Sarah Chen, she is Margaret’s sister-in-law. She’s one of the top oncologists at UCSF. I’m having her review Maya’s case.”

Selene’s throat tightened. “You don’t have to—”

“I know. I’m doing it anyway.” His expression was unreadable. “Maya deserves every advantage.”

He left before she could respond.

Selene stood alone in the kitchen, holding her coffee, feeling the walls between them shift in ways she couldn’t quite name.

-----

The email arrived at 3:47 PM on what had seemed like an ordinary Sunday afternoon.

Avalon was reviewing quarterly projections when his phone chimed unexpectedly. Unknown sender. Subject: “Information regarding your wife.”

His finger hovered over delete. Probably spam, curiosity made him open it cautiously.

*Mr. Pierce,*

*I work for your uncle and have been instructed to investigate your marriage. While I cannot share my findings directly, I felt compelled to provide you with a date: March 15, 2014.*

*Hospital records are sealed, but admission logs are public information.*

*Why am I telling you this? Because I know when someone is being used. Your uncle has no interest in the truth. Only leverage.*

*This is the only communication you’ll receive from me.*

Avalon stared at the screen, his heart pounding.

March 15, 2014.

The date meant nothing to him. Three days later, Selene had stopped answering his calls. What had happened?

He pulled up his old calendar. March 2014. He’d been in finals, working on Nexus, trying to understand why Selene had vanished.

March 15th—he’d been at a pitch meeting. He remembered because he’d bombed it, too distracted.

He opened a new browser, searched for San Francisco General’s public records portal. Found the form. Hesitated.

Did he really want to know?

His phone rang. Marcus.

He let it go to voicemail, but the message made his blood run cold:

“Avalon, wanted to give you a heads up. I’ve come across interesting information about your wife. Medical information from  ten years ago. I think the board would find it illuminating, see you Thursday nephew.”

Avalon’s hands tightened. Marcus had something. Something from March 2014. Something he doesn’t have, what could it be?

He pulled up the portal again. Submitted the request for admission logs from March 15, 2014. It would take twenty-four hours.

Just a day, to wonder what secrets Selene had been carrying.

He found her in the living room, reading. She looked up when he entered, and something in his expression made her set down her book.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to ask you something, I also need you to be honest.” He sat across from her. “What happened on March 15, 2014?”

The colour drained from her face. “What?”

“March 15, 2014. Three days after you stopped talking to me.” He leaned forward. “Marcus has information from that date. He’s planning to use it at the board meeting.”

Selene’s hands shook. She pressed them together.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.” Her voice broke. “Please, Avalon. Don’t ask me this.”

“I have to. Whatever Marcus has, I need to be prepared.”

“You’ll hate me.”

“Tell me.”

“I can’t.” Tears streamed down her face. "At least not yet. Just trust me.”

“Trust you? You’re asking me to walk into that board meeting blind while Marcus has ammunition.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But if I tell you now, like this, it’ll destroy everything.” She stood, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. “I need more time please.”

“We don’t have time! The meeting is in four days!”

“I know!” She was crying openly now. “Don’t you think I know that? But I can’t—I need to find the right way, and this isn’t it.”

Avalon stared at her, frustration and deep concern warring in his chest. She looked absolutely terrified. Not of him, but of whatever dark truth she was hiding deep inside.

“Fine,” he said finally, his voice heavy. “You have until Wednesday night. After that, I’m going into that meeting whether you’ve told me or not.”

She nodded, unable to speak through her tears.

He left her there, crying alone in the darkness, and returned to his study to wait impatiently for records that would change everything between them.