Chapter 4: The Voice on the Line
I kept the phone against my ear long after the call had ended.
Nothing.
No breathing.
No static.
Just silence.
Across from me, Ashley watched my face.
“What happened?””
I slowly lowered the phone.
“Someone called from my grandfather’s old private number.””
Her expression tightened.
“What did they say?””
“They told me not to sign anything tonight.””
Ashley went pale.
“Who was it?””
“I don't know.””
“What exactly did they say?””
“They said my grandfather's name.””
She took a step toward me.
“Ethan…”
I raised my hand.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
My mind was racing through impossible explanations.
My grandfather had been dead for three years.
The private number had been disconnected after the funeral.
Only a handful of people had ever known it existed.
My mother was one of them.
My grandfather's attorney was another.
And, as far as I knew, that was it.
I looked at Ashley.
“Why do you look scared?””
“I don't.””
“You do.””
She glanced toward the ballroom.
“I think we should leave.””
“Why?””
“Because this isn't safe.””
I almost laughed.
“Safe?””
“Yes.””
“You just told me you were pregnant, hid it from me, admitted another man knows about our baby, told me you've been married before, and now somebody called from my dead grandfather's private number.””
She swallowed.
“You're making it sound worse than it is.””
I stared at her.
“You are unbelievable.””
“I know how this sounds.””
“No. You don't.””
I stepped past her.
She caught my arm.
“Where are you going?””
“To find my mother.””
“Ethan, wait.””
I turned.
“Did you know that phone number?””
She hesitated.
That was enough.
“You did.””
“I've seen it before.””
“Where?””
“Ryan had it.””
My chest tightened.
“Ryan had my grandfather's private number?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“I don't know.””
“Stop saying that.””
“I don't know!””
Her voice cracked.
People in the ballroom turned toward the hallway.
Ashley lowered her voice.
“I swear to you, I don't know.””
I stared at her.
“Then why is Ryan involved in my family's trust?””
“He isn't involved in the trust.””
“You just said he had the private number.””
“He had information.””
“What information?””
She looked toward the ballroom again.
“I can't tell you here.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because someone could be listening.””
That stopped me.
I looked down the hallway.
An elderly uncle was laughing with a waiter near the coat check.
Two bridesmaids stood by the restroom, whispering.
A security guard was visible near the ballroom entrance.
Nothing looked unusual.
But suddenly everything did.
I lowered my voice.
“Come with me.””
Ashley shook her head.
“Where?””
“Somewhere private.””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“I need to make a call.””
“To Ryan?””
She didn't answer.
I held out my hand.
“Give me your phone.””
Her eyes widened.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because it's private.””
I almost smiled.
“You lost the right to say that when I found a message about our baby from another man on it.””
She stepped backward.
“Ethan, please.””
“Your phone.””
She gripped it tighter.
“No.””
I took one step toward her.
She took one back.
Then a voice came from behind us.
“That's enough.””
My mother.
She walked toward us with Aunt Linda beside her.
Mom's face was calm.
Too calm.
“Ashley,” she said, “give him the phone.””
Ashley stared at her.
“You knew?””
Mom looked at me.
“Knew what?””
“That she was pregnant.””
“Yes.””
I felt anger flare again.
“You knew everything.””
“No.””
“Then tell me what you knew.””
Mom glanced at Ashley.
“I knew she was pregnant. I knew she had concerns about the trust. I did not know about Ryan.””
Ashley said nothing.
Mom's eyes sharpened.
“Who is Ryan?””
Ashley looked away.
“Answer her,” I said.
“He was someone I knew before Ethan.””
Mom's expression didn't change.
“Does he have anything to do with the trust?””
“No.””
I looked at her.
“Mom.””
She nodded.
“I'm sorry.””
It was the first time I'd seen uncertainty in her face that night.
She turned to me.
“Your grandfather's private number was supposed to be destroyed when he died.””
“Then how did someone call me from it?””
“I don't know.””
“Could the number have been reassigned?””
“Not that number.””
“How do you know?””
“Because your grandfather paid for a private line that was never connected to the public network.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Mom took a breath.
“It was part of the security system around his estate.””
My skin prickled.
“Then somebody still has access.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Mom didn't answer.
Aunt Linda looked nervous.
“Diane…”
Mom cut her off.
“Not here.””
I nodded toward the ballroom.
“Then where?””
Mom looked at me.
“The old house.””
My grandfather's estate.
I hadn't been there since his funeral.
My stomach tightened.
“What would be there?””
“Records.””
“You have records in the house?””
“Some.””
“What kind?””
Mom looked at Ashley.
“Trust records.””
Ashley stepped backward.
“I don't want to go there.””
I turned.
“Why?””
“I just don't.””
“Why?””
She shook her head.
“I can't explain.””
Mom's expression changed.
“Ashley.””
Ashley looked at her.
“You've been there before?””
Ashley said nothing.
I felt the answer settle in my chest.
“You've been to my grandfather's house.””
She looked at me.
“Once.””
“When?””
“Before we were engaged.””
“Why?””
“I was invited.””
“By whom?””
She hesitated.
“Your grandfather.””
The hallway went silent.
My mother stared at her.
“He died before you met?””
“I know.””
“Then how?””
Ashley started crying.
“I didn't know who it was.””
My head was spinning.
“What are you talking about?””
“A man contacted me.””
“What man?””
“I thought he was working for your grandfather.””
“Why would he contact you?””
“He asked me questions.””
“What questions?””
Ashley wiped her cheeks.
“About you.””
My mother stepped closer.
“What did he ask?””
Ashley whispered, “Whether Ethan had ever talked about the trust.””
Mom's face hardened.
“Did you answer?””
“Yes.””
“What did you tell him?””
“That Ethan didn't know much.””
I looked at Mom.
She looked furious.
Not at me.
At Ashley.
“Who contacted you?”” Mom asked.
“I don't know.””
“You have to remember.””
“I never met him face-to-face.””
“How?””
“Messages. Then phone calls.””
“From what number?””
Ashley stared at the floor.
“I don't remember.””
Mom said quietly, “Yes, you do.””
Ashley lifted her eyes.
“It was the same number.””
My heart thudded.
“Which number?””
She looked at me.
“Your grandfather's private number.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Aunt Linda whispered, “That's impossible.””
Ashley began shaking.
“I thought I was being tested.””
“Tested for what?”” I asked.
“I don't know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I don't care what you believe!””
Her voice broke.
“I didn't know what was happening!””
I stared at her.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because every time I tried, something happened.””
“What something?””
“My father received threats.””
That caught me off guard.
“Your father?””
“Yes.””
“What kind of threats?””
“Financial.””
“From who?””
“I don't know.””
My mother looked toward Aunt Linda.
“Call Daniel.””
Aunt Linda pulled out her phone.
“Who is Daniel?””
“My father's attorney,” Ashley said.
I turned to her.
“You have an attorney involved?””
“He's been helping my family.””
“Why?””
“Because my father's company is in trouble.””
I stared at her.
“And you didn't think that mattered?””
“It didn't involve you.””
“It involved you.””
“I was trying to fix it.””
“How?””
She hesitated.
My mother answered for her.
“Through the trust.””
I looked at Mom.
She nodded.
“She thought marrying you would make access easier.””
Ashley immediately shook her head.
“No.””
Mom continued.
“She believed once you were married, she would have standing to request distributions.””
“That isn't what happened.””
“You were told that it might.””
Ashley looked at me.
“People told me things.””
“Who?””
“Ryan.””
I felt my stomach turn.
“Ryan told you marriage would get you access to my family's money?””
“He said he thought it would.””
“Why?””
“He said your grandfather had done something similar before.””
“To whom?””
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“To whom?””
Ashley whispered,
“To my mother.””
I froze.
“What?””
She nodded.
“My mother was involved with your family.””
My mother went completely still.
Then she said one word.
“That's impossible.””
Ashley shook her head.
“No. It's not.””
Mom's face drained of color.
“How?””
Ashley looked directly at her.
“Because my mother's maiden name was Morgan.””
The name hung in the hallway.
I looked at Ashley.
Then at Mom.
Mom didn't move.
“What's her full name?”” she asked.
Ashley whispered it.
Mom's fingers began trembling.
She took one slow step backward.
Aunt Linda caught her elbow.
“Diane?””
Mom looked at me.
There was something in her eyes I had never seen before.
Fear.
Real fear.
“She isn't Ryan's contact,” Mom whispered.
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
Mom looked at Ashley.
“She isn't just Ashley Morgan.””
Ashley covered her mouth.
Mom finished the sentence.
“She is the daughter of the woman who tried to destroy your grandfather.””
Before I could ask what that meant, every light in the hallway went out.
The ballroom music stopped.
Guests began screaming.
Then, from somewhere inside the darkness, a man's voice spoke through the emergency speakers.
May you like
“Ethan, you should have listened.””
And my mother's hand tightened around my arm.
