Chapter 4 The Man Who Wouldn't Let Me Go

Mia didn't speak during the drive back to her mother's apartment.

Ryan kept both hands on the steering wheel, giving her the silence she needed.

But his mind was racing.

He had seen the way Ethan looked at her.

For the first time, Ethan Carter looked afraid.

Not angry.

Not arrogant.

Afraid.

Afraid of losing his wife.

Ryan glanced at Mia.

She was staring through the window, her face expressionless.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to keep saying that."

She turned toward him.

"What should I say?"

"The truth."

Mia looked down at her hands.

"The truth is that I'm exhausted."

Ryan's expression softened.

"Then stop fighting today."

She gave him a confused look.

"Just rest."

"I have the divorce papers to prepare."

"Tomorrow."

"But—"

"Tomorrow."

Mia stared at him for a moment before a tiny smile appeared.

"You're really bossy."

"So you've said."

She laughed softly.

Ryan smiled.

He had missed that sound.

For years, he had watched Mia give everything to a man who barely noticed her.

Now that Ethan had finally realized her worth, Ryan refused to let Mia believe that Ethan was her only choice.

---

At Carter Group, Ethan was having a very different day.

He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, staring at the city.

Ryan's words kept replaying in his mind.

I was waiting for you to realize what you had.

Ethan hated the way those words affected him.

He hated even more that Ryan had been right.

His phone rang.

"Daniel."

"We found something."

Ethan turned immediately.

"What?"

"The security company that took the photographs was paid through an account connected to Vanessa's family."

Ethan's expression hardened.

"You're certain?"

"Yes."

"Who authorized the payment?"

"We're still tracing it."

"Then trace it."

Daniel hesitated.

"There is something else."

Ethan's patience disappeared.

"What?"

"The lawyer Mia met, Michael Grant, was investigating missing funds from one of your company's subsidiaries."

Ethan frowned.

"Why would Mia investigate my company?"

"That's what we're trying to determine."

Ethan slowly sat down.

Suddenly, the photographs looked different.

Mia hadn't been cheating.

She had been investigating something.

And he had accused her without even asking why.

He picked up his phone.

He called Mia.

No answer.

He called again.

Nothing.

A third time.

Still nothing.

Ethan stared at the screen.

He had never been the one waiting for someone to answer.

Now every unanswered call felt like punishment.

He opened their message history.

The last message Mia had sent him before switching off her phone was painfully simple.

There's nothing left to say.

Ethan closed his eyes.

"She's really leaving me."

The realization came quietly.

But it terrified him.

---

At the apartment, Mia opened an old wooden box belonging to her mother.

She hadn't touched it since the funeral.

Inside were old photographs, letters, and a few documents.

Ryan stood nearby.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I need to find my mother's insurance papers."

Mia searched through the box.

Then she stopped.

A photograph had fallen from beneath a stack of letters.

She picked it up.

Her eyes widened.

It was a picture of her mother standing beside three people.

One was a much younger Ethan's father.

The second was a man Mia didn't recognize.

And the third was—

Vanessa's father.

Mia's breathing changed.

"Why is my mother with them?"

Ryan took the photograph.

"I don't know."

Mia turned it over.

There was a handwritten date on the back.

June 14, 2019.

Her mother's death had occurred less than a year later.

Mia frowned.

Something about the photograph felt wrong.

Then a folded piece of paper slipped from the box.

She opened it.

There was only one sentence.

Don't trust the Carters.

Mia's blood ran cold.

"Ryan."

He took the paper.

His expression changed.

"Where did you find this?"

"Inside my mother's box."

Neither spoke.

Then Mia's phone rang.

Unknown number.

She answered cautiously.

"Hello?"

A distorted voice whispered,

"Your mother didn't die in an accident."

Mia froze.

"What?"

"She was silenced."

Her fingers tightened around the phone.

"Who are you?"

"Someone who knows the truth."

"What truth?"

"The same people who destroyed your mother's life are destroying yours."

The call ended.

Mia stood frozen.

Ryan immediately took the phone from her.

"Who was that?"

"I don't know."

She looked at the photograph again.

Her mother's face suddenly seemed different.

As if Mia were seeing her life for the first time.

"Ryan..."

"Yes?"

"I think my mother knew Ethan's family."

Ryan looked at the photograph.

"And I think someone doesn't want me to find out why."

---

Across the city, Vanessa sat in Ethan's office.

She had been waiting for him for almost twenty minutes.

When the door finally opened, Ethan walked in.

She smiled.

"Ethan."

He didn't smile back.

"Why did your family's company pay a security firm to follow Mia?"

Vanessa's face went pale.

"What?"

"I asked you a question."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ethan placed a document on the desk.

"Don't lie to me."

Vanessa stared at the document.

Her hands trembled.

"Ethan, I swear—"

"Who hired them?"

"I didn't."

"Then who did?"

"I don't know."

Ethan stepped closer.

"You told me Mia was cheating."

"Because I saw the photographs."

"You knew where the photographs came from."

Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.

"You don't believe me?"

"I believed you yesterday."

He paused.

"That's what destroyed my marriage."

Vanessa's face changed.

"Ethan..."

"I want the truth."

She shook her head.

"I don't understand."

"You will."

He walked toward the door.

"From now on, don't contact Mia."

Vanessa stared at him.

"You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious."

"But you said you were going to divorce her."

Ethan turned.

"I was wrong."

Those three words shocked even him.

Vanessa's expression twisted.

"You love her?"

Ethan didn't answer immediately.

Then he looked down at his wedding ring.

"Yes."

Vanessa's eyes hardened.

"You didn't love her yesterday."

"I didn't realize what I had."

He walked away.

Vanessa remained alone in the office.

The moment the door closed, her tears disappeared.

Her expression became cold.

"So you've finally realized."

She picked up her phone.

"I need you to speed things up."

A man's voice answered.

"Are you sure?"

Vanessa looked toward the closed door.

"Ethan is investigating."

There was silence.

"Then we don't have much time."

Vanessa smiled bitterly.

"Make sure Mia finds nothing."

---

That night, Mia stood on the balcony of her mother's apartment.

The city lights blurred through her tears.

She had thought leaving Ethan was the hardest thing she would ever do.

Now she wasn't sure.

There were too many unanswered questions.

Her mother's death.

The photographs.

Vanessa.

The missing money.

And the mysterious caller.

Ryan stepped beside her.

"You should sleep."

"I can't."

He looked at her.

"You're thinking about Ethan."

Mia was silent.

Ryan sighed.

"I know you still love him."

She turned toward him.

"Ryan..."

"You don't have to deny it."

His voice was gentle.

"I know you better than you think."

Mia lowered her eyes.

"I don't know what I feel anymore."

Ryan nodded.

"Then don't choose anyone."

She looked up.

"What?"

"Not Ethan. Not me."

He smiled sadly.

"Choose yourself first."

Mia's eyes filled with tears.

For the first time since leaving Ethan, she felt something she hadn't expected.

Hope.

But inside Ethan's mansion, he was staring at Mia's empty side of their bed.

Her clothes were gone.

Her perfume was gone.

Even her favorite book was missing.

The room had never felt so empty.

He picked up her pillow and held it against his chest.

Then his phone rang.

Daniel.

"We found the person who hired the security company."

Ethan immediately straightened.

"Who?"

Daniel's voice became low.

"It was someone inside the Carter family."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"Who?"

A pause.

Then Daniel answered.

"Your mother."