All Chapters of Loving Mr. Vance in Silence: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Nick did not want to see her.The thought of sitting across from Mara Webb — the woman who had stalked him for twenty-five years, the woman who had kidnapped his wife, the woman who had killed his unborn daughter — made his stomach churn. But Detective Marquez had called that morning with news. Mara was asking for him. She would only confess to him."Then she doesn't confess," Nick had said."She's the only one who can tell us where the evidence is buried," Marquez replied. "Without her testimony, the case against her is circumstantial. She could walk."Nick had hung up.He had looked at Emma — still in the hospital bed, still pale, still broken. She had nodded."Go," she had said."Emma—""Go. Get her confession. Put her away. For Hope."Nick had kissed her forehead and walked out the door.---The prison was gray and cold.Nick sat in a small room, a thick glass window separating him from the woman who had destroyed his life. He had been waiting for ten minutes. His hands were clasp

The trial began on a Monday.The courthouse was an old stone building with high ceilings and cold floors and windows that let in pale winter light. Emma sat in the front row, Nick beside her, their hands intertwined. Behind them sat Olivia, Daniel, Eleanor, and Rachel. Behind them sat strangers — reporters, curious citizens, people who had read about the case in the news and wanted to see the woman who had done such terrible things.Emma didn't look at them.She looked at the judge — a woman with gray hair and sharp eyes and a voice that commanded silence.She looked at the jury — twelve strangers who would decide Mara's fate.She looked at the defense table — at the lawyers in their expensive suits, shuffling papers, whispering strategies.And she looked at Mara.Mara Webb sat at the defense table, wearing a black dress and a calm expression. Her dark hair was brushed, her face was composed, her hands were folded in front of her. She looked like a woman attending a business meeting,

The weeks after the trial were quiet.Not the silence of fear or grief — the silence of two people learning to exist together in a world that had tried to break them. Emma went to Healing Hearts three days a week. She saw clients. She attended staff meetings. She smiled at Margaret in the hallway and nodded at the right moments and pretended that her heart wasn't still bleeding.Nick went back to the office.He had been away for so long — first the wedding, then the kidnapping, then the hospital, then the trial. His desk was buried in paperwork. His inbox was overflowing. Chloe had done her best, but she was not Emma, and the company had suffered."I should fire half the board," Nick said one night, sitting on the couch, rubbing his temples."You should not fire half the board," Emma said, sitting beside him."They're incompetent.""They're human.""Same thing."Emma took his hand. "Nick. You've been gone for months. They did the best they could."Nick looked at her. "I know. I'm just

The dinner at Eleanor's was supposed to be simple.That was Eleanor's word. Simple. She had repeated it so many times that Emma had started to believe her. But nothing about dinner at Eleanor's was ever simple. The table was set with china that had belonged to Nick's great-grandmother. The silverware was arranged just so. The candles were tall and white and dripped wax onto the linen tablecloth.Emma sat beside Nick, her hand on her stomach — still flat, still empty, but full of hope. They had been trying for a baby for three months now. Every month, Emma took a test. Every month, it was negative. Every month, she cried in the bathroom while Nick waited on the other side of the door.But tonight, she was determined to be happy."Emma," Eleanor said, passing the bread basket. "You're not eating.""I'm not hungry.""You're always hungry."Emma forced a smile. "I'm saving room for dessert."Eleanor raised an eyebrow but said nothing.---The dining room was warm and golden, the chandelie

Chapter 80: The PhotographsThe call came on a Monday.Emma was at Healing Hearts, sitting in her small office, reviewing notes from her morning session with Claire. The sun was warm through the window. The garden was starting to bloom. She had been feeling different lately — tired, a little nauseous, but she told herself it was stress. The investigation. The photographs. The Webb family haunting them from the past.Her phone buzzed.Detective Marquez."Mrs. Vance," Marquez said. "We've found more photographs. You and your husband need to come to the station."Emma's heart pounded. "What kind of photographs?""Photos of Mara Webb. At Vance family events. Picnics. Birthday parties. Holidays."Emma's blood ran cold."She was in your home," Marquez continued. "She knew your husband as a child. She played with him. Ate with him. And no one knew who she really was."Emma closed her eyes."We'll be there in an hour," Emma said.---Nick was in his office when Emma arrived at Vance Corporati