Chapter 6: The Evidence Michael Left Behind
The sound echoed through the parking lot.
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what had happened.
My ears rang.
My body pressed against the cold concrete wall.
Victor’s hand was gripping my shoulder.
“Stay down.””
His voice was no longer calm.
No longer controlled.
It was the voice of someone who had seen this before.
Someone who knew exactly how dangerous the situation was.
I looked at Jasmine.
She was crouched beside the box, holding the black notebook against her chest.
Her face had lost all color.
“What was that?”” I whispered.
Nobody answered.
Another sharp sound cut through the air.
This time, I knew.
It wasn’t an accident.
Someone was trying to scare us.
Or stop us.
Victor leaned around the wall for half a second, then immediately pulled back.
“They’re still here.””
“Who?”” I asked.
He looked at me.
“The people who don’t want Michael’s truth coming out.””
My heart pounded.
I hated that sentence.
Because every person in my life suddenly seemed to have a hidden enemy.
And somehow, I had become part of a story that started years before I even knew it existed.
“We need to leave,” Jasmine whispered.
Victor looked at her.
“Now you agree?””
She ignored the comment.
“We can’t stay here.””
I looked at both of them.
“No.””
They stopped.
I pushed myself up slightly.
“No more.””
Victor frowned.
“Daniel.””
“No.””
My voice shook, but I didn’t care.
“I’m tired of being moved around like a piece on a chessboard.””
Nobody spoke.
“I’m tired of people telling me there’s danger, there are secrets, there are reasons.””
I pointed toward the notebook.
“That belongs to me now.””
Jasmine looked hurt.
“It doesn’t.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“It belongs to Michael.””
“And Michael wrote my name in it.””
She looked away.
That was enough.
“Exactly.””
Victor watched me carefully.
“You’re angry.””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Anger means you’re paying attention.””
I didn’t like him.
But I understood what he meant.
For years, I had trusted love to protect me.
Now I was learning love could also hide things.
Victor looked toward the parking lot.
“We leave separately.””
Jasmine shook her head.
“No.””
“We have no choice.””
“If they followed us here, they know.””
Victor looked at her.
“They know about the box.””
Jasmine froze.
“What?””
“They wouldn’t have attacked if they didn’t.””
The words settled heavily.
I looked at the box.
The notebook.
The photographs.
Whatever Michael left behind had become dangerous.
Dangerous enough that someone was willing to attack in broad daylight.
“Where is Lena?”” I asked.
Neither answered.
That scared me more than anything.
“Where is my wife?””
Jasmine looked down.
“I don’t know.””
I laughed once.
It wasn’t funny.
“You don’t know.””
“No.””
“But you know everything else.””
Her eyes filled with guilt.
“Daniel…”
“No.””
I stepped away.
“I need the truth.””
She nodded slowly.
“You’re right.””
For the first time, Jasmine didn’t fight me.
She looked tired.
Older.
Like the confidence she always carried was finally gone.
“I lied to you.””
I stared at her.
“Yes.””
“I lied to Lena too.””
That caught me off guard.
“What?””
Jasmine looked at the ground.
“When Michael disappeared, I told Lena I would help her.””
Victor’s expression hardened.
“Jasmine.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“He needs to know.””
She looked at me.
“I thought I could fix everything.””
The wind moved through the parking lot.
Cars passed on the street outside.
The world kept moving.
Like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
“I knew about the affair before Michael did,” Jasmine said.
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“I found out first.””
“Why?””
She looked ashamed.
“Because Lena told me.””
“Why would she tell you?””
“Because she was going to end it.””
“With Michael?””
Jasmine nodded.
“She said she made a mistake. She said she loved Michael.””
The words hurt.
Even though it happened before me.
Even though it wasn’t my marriage yet.
Because I realized something.
I wasn’t just learning about Lena’s past.
I was learning about the person she had chosen not to show me.
“What happened next?””
Jasmine looked at the notebook.
“Michael found out anyway.””
“How?””
“He saw messages.””
“And then?””
“He confronted Lena.””
I waited.
“He left.””
“That’s it?””
“No.””
Jasmine’s voice lowered.
“That was when everything changed.””
Victor looked at her.
“You still haven’t told him the worst part.””
Jasmine closed her eyes.
“I know.””
My chest tightened.
“What worst part?””
Nobody answered.
Then Jasmine whispered:
“Michael didn’t disappear after the breakup.””
I stared at her.
“He disappeared after he learned about Victor.””
I turned toward Victor.
“What does that mean?””
Victor didn’t look away.
“Michael found out I existed.””
“That’s not an explanation.””
“No.””
Victor sighed.
“It’s not.””
He looked older suddenly.
“I was investigating his company.””
I frowned.
“His company?””
“Michael was not just a normal guy.””
I felt confused.
“What are you talking about?””
Victor looked at me.
“Michael worked in corporate security.””
“So?””
“So he discovered financial fraud.””
The words hung there.
Fraud.
Money.
Secrets.
Suddenly the story became bigger than an affair.
Bigger than a relationship.
“What did he find?””
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“Evidence.””
“Of what?””
He looked at the notebook.
“People with power.””
I waited.
“And they didn’t want anyone finding out.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Is that why he disappeared?””
Victor didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
I looked at Jasmine.
“And Lena?””
Her face crumpled.
“She knew.””
The words hurt.
I shook my head.
“No.””
“She knew something was wrong.””
“No.””
“She didn’t know everything.””
I looked at her.
“But she knew enough.””
The parking lot felt like it was closing in.
My wife knew.
Maybe not everything.
Maybe not the entire truth.
But enough.
Enough to build a life with me while leaving the foundation cracked.
My phone rang.
Everyone froze.
I pulled it out.
Lena.
Her name appeared on the screen.
For a second, I couldn’t breathe.
Then I answered.
“Lena?””
Silence.
Then her voice.
Weak.
Scared.
“Daniel.””
I closed my eyes.
“Where are you?””
“Are you alone?””
The question immediately worried me.
“No.””
A pause.
“Who’s with you?””
“Jasmine and Victor.””
The silence afterward was terrifying.
“Daniel…”
“What?””
“You need to leave.””
I looked around.
“Why?””
“Because they know.””
“Who?””
Her breathing became shaky.
“The people who took Michael.””
My blood went cold.
“Lena, where are you?””
“I can’t tell you.””
“Why?””
“Because if I tell you, they’ll find you.””
I looked at Jasmine.
She looked terrified.
“Lena, I need answers.””
“I know.””
“Then give them to me.””
Another pause.
Then:
“I didn’t marry you because you saved me.””
My chest tightened.
I knew where this was going.
“I married you because I thought you were the only person who could never be controlled by them.””
I froze.
“What does that mean?””
Her voice cracked.
“It means Michael chose you.””
The parking lot disappeared.
Everything went silent.
“What?””
“Before he disappeared, he found out something.””
“What?””
“He found out that the people behind everything were closer than he thought.””
“Lena.””
“He found out they were connected to someone in his own family.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
“Lena.””
A whisper.
Then:
“Daniel…”
The call suddenly cut out.
I pulled the phone away.
“No.””
I called back.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Victor looked at me.
“What did she say?””
I stared at the dark screen.
My voice barely worked.
“She said Michael chose me.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Jasmine slowly looked at the notebook.
At the first page.
At my name written in Michael’s handwriting.
And she whispered:
“Then Michael knew this day would come.””
A notification appeared on my phone.
A new message.
From Lena.
One photo.
No words.
I opened it.
And my entire body went cold.
It was a picture of Lena standing in a dark room.
Behind her was a wall covered with photographs.
Photographs of Michael.
Photographs of Jasmine.
Photographs of Victor.
And one photograph in the center.
One photograph that made me stop breathing.
May you like
Me.
Taken three years before I met Lena.
