All Chapters of The Woman He Buried: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Isla’s smile faded the moment she stopped outside the half-open office door. The cake box trembled slightly in her hands.Through the narrow opening, she saw Cassian. He was slumped on the leather sofa, tie loose, the top buttons of his shirt undone. His head rested against the cushion, eyes closed.He looked exhausted. Completely drunk.For a brief second, relief softened her shock. The dinner must have gone worse than expected. He had probably overworked himself again.She shifted the cake box in her grip and took a careful step forward.Then she saw her. Sasha Marquez was kneeling beside him.Sasha’s hand moved gently through Cassian’s hair, brushing a loose strand from his forehead with a familiarity that didn’t belong to a colleague. It was slow, familiar, intimate.Cassian stirred slightly, his lips parting. “Isla...” The whisper was barely audible.Isla froze.Then, Sasha leaned in and kissed him.Everything around Isla seemed to disappear. She stood there, waiting, for Cassian

Breakfast at the Marquez estate always began the same way.By eight o'clock, the long dining table was set, the coffee freshly poured, and the household already moving in its quiet, practiced rhythm. The family rarely spoke unless necessary.Nothing about that morning suggested anything was out of the ordinary.Fabian Marquez sat at the head of the table, absorbed in the business section of the newspaper. Across from him, Agatha ate in composed silence. Beside her, Sasha scrolled through her phone, her breakfast barely touched.Mrs. Brooks, the senior housekeeper, moved quietly among the maids, refilling coffee cups and clearing finished plates. Everything followed its familiar routine.Then Tristan noticed the empty chair.His gaze lingered for a moment before he frowned. "Where's Isla?"The question settled over the table. No one answered.Fabian simply turned another page of his newspaper. Agatha continued eating without a word. Sasha never looked up from her phone.Tristan’s gaze

Morning broke over Blackridge Military Camp, quiet but never peaceful.Outside the perimeter fences, soldiers moved in routine rhythm, boots on concrete, orders called, vehicles heading out for drills. Life went on. Inside the military hospital, everything was sterile and still.In the ICU, monitors beeped and ventilators hissed. The unidentified woman pulled from Raven River had survived the night but had not woken.Outside her glass room, Idris Vector sat on a narrow bench, a cold cup of coffee in his hands. He hadn’t slept.Every few minutes, he looked toward the ICU window, waiting for movement that didn’t come.The doors behind him opened softly.Dr. Calix Wright stepped in, removing his surgical mask as he approached. His expression was tight but steady. “She made it through the night.”Idris gave a small nod, as if he had expected it rather than hoped for it.Calix stopped beside him. “That’s the good news.” He paused. “The swelling in her brain is still concerning.”Idris didn

Afternoon light filtered through the hospital window, casting a soft glow across the sterile room.For the first time since waking, Isla stayed alert long enough to notice the world beyond her bed. Propped up against raised pillows, she watched the military compound outside. Soldiers moved in small, disciplined groups between buildings. Armored vehicles passed along the perimeter roads at steady intervals.Everything ran with quiet precision, as if her arrival here had not disturbed anything at all.It should have felt unsettling. Instead, it felt strangely calming, orderly in a way her life had not been for a long time.A soft click at the door drew her attention back inside.Dr. Calix stepped in with a tablet in hand. When he saw she was awake, his expression softened into a small, professional smile. “You look better today,” he said.Isla managed a faint smile. “I feel... a little better.” Her voice was still rough, but no longer fragile.Calix pulled up a chair beside her bed and

The hallway outside Isla’s room was quiet.Through the narrow window, Dominic watched Nina sitting beside Isla’s bed. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but for the first time since the accident, Isla smiled.It was small, but it was real.Dominic stepped away from the door. Idris was waiting farther down the corridor. Together, they walked toward the end of the hall before Dominic finally spoke.“Has the police finished examining the vehicle?”Idris nodded. “The sedan has been recovered from the river. The forensic examination is complete, but we’re still waiting for the mechanical inspection report.”“I’d like a copy when it’s available,” Dominic said.Idris glanced at him. “You think she was right.”“I don’t know if she was right,” Dominic replied. “But after thirty years practicing law, I’ve learned not to dismiss a survivor’s account before the evidence is fully examined.”For a moment, neither spoke.Then Dominic looked at him again. “You seem well informed.”“I have contacts