Chapter 5 - The Secret Marriage Behind Ours
The empty grave changed everything.
My father had disappeared twelve years earlier.
Ethan's father had supposedly known him.
And now someone had spent years watching me.
The police began investigating.
I moved into a hotel under an alias.
Ethan insisted on paying.
I refused.
He paid anyway.
I threatened to send the bill back.
He smiled.
“Send it.”
“You're infuriating.”
“You've said that before.”
“You used to like it.”
His smile faded.
“I still do.”
We were sitting in a hotel suite discussing security when Claire arrived with another folder.
“There’s something you need to see.”
She placed a marriage certificate on the table.
I stared at it.
Two names.
Rebecca Blackwood.
David Hayes.
My father's name.
My mouth went dry.
“My parents were married before I was born.”
Ethan looked stunned.
“Your father married my mother.”
I couldn't process it.
The timeline made no sense.
“Then why did my mother marry my father later?”
Claire shook her head.
“She didn't.”
“What?”
“Your mother Lorraine wasn't your biological mother.”
I stopped breathing.
Everything I knew about myself began falling apart.
“My mother raised me.”
“Yes.”
“Then who was my mother?”
Claire looked at Ethan.
“Rebecca Blackwood.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
Ethan was pale.
“That means…”
“Yes,” Claire said.
“You and Ethan are not biologically related.”
“I know.”
“That isn't the point.”
Claire nodded.
“The point is that Rebecca had a child.”
I whispered:
“Me.”
Ethan stood.
“My mother had a daughter?”
Claire nodded.
“Your father and Rebecca were trying to expose Victor Blackwood.”
“But Rebecca died.”
“Rebecca disappeared.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
The exact year my marriage began collapsing.
Ethan looked at me.
“My father knew.”
“He knew.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he believed your life was safer if you remained outside the Blackwood family.”
I laughed bitterly.
“I married into it anyway.”
No one spoke.
The entire marriage suddenly looked different.
Ethan had chosen me.
But someone else had placed me in his path.
That afternoon, I confronted Lorraine.
She broke down immediately.
“I never wanted to lie to you.”
“You did.”
“I was protecting you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“I was told if I told you who your biological mother was, they would kill you.”
“Who?”
“Victor.”
“But he's dead.”
“No.”
I froze.
“What?”
Lorraine shook her head.
“Victor Blackwood is alive.”
Ethan entered the room behind me.
“That’s impossible.”
Lorraine looked at him.
“Is it?”
She revealed the truth.
Victor had faked his death.
He had been operating under a different name.
He had engineered the collapse of Ethan's marriage because he knew Emma's emotional connection to Ethan could be used.
“He wanted you divorced,” Lorraine said.
“Why?”
“Because he wanted access to Ethan without you protecting each other.”
Ethan clenched his fists.
“Where is he?”
Lorraine looked at me.
“He's already close.”
The room became silent.
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“He owns part of Blackwood Holdings.”
Ethan stared.
“No.”
“He's been using a proxy.”
Claire stepped forward.
“We suspected something like this.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Who?”
Claire said the name.
Andrew Mercer.
Ethan's chief operating officer.
The man Ethan trusted most.
My blood ran cold.
Andrew had attended our wedding.
He had comforted Ethan after I filed for divorce.
He had even congratulated us on the settlement.
He had been inside Ethan's company for ten years.
Ethan grabbed his phone.
“Call security.”
Claire shook her head.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because if Mercer is involved, your security is compromised.”
Ethan stared at her.
Then I felt the baby move.
It was too early.
Probably impossible.
But I pressed my hand against my stomach anyway.
And for the first time, Ethan saw me do it.
His expression softened.
He approached slowly.
“Can I?”
I hesitated.
Then nodded.
He placed his palm gently against my stomach.
Nothing happened.
Of course.
Still, he didn't move.
“I don't care about the money,” he whispered.
I looked at him.
“I care about you.”
My eyes filled.
“I wish you had said that three years ago.”
“I know.”
Then his phone rang again.
This time, it was Andrew Mercer.
Ethan answered on speaker.
“Ethan,” Andrew said calmly.
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Your wife.”
I stiffened.
Andrew continued:
“Actually, your ex-wife.”
May you like
Then he said:
“If you want Emma alive, come alone.”
