Chapter 3 - THE FIANCÉ WHO CAME TO MY OFFICE
Marcus arrived at 8:07 the next morning.
Angry.
Not worried.
That told me everything.
He tried his access card.
Red light.
Again.
Red.
Then he called.
I watched from the conference room window.
Naomi sat beside me.
Security stood downstairs.
“Answer,” she said.
I did.
“Danielle, why is my badge disabled?”
No hello.
“I changed security.”
“Why?”
“Routine.”
Silence.
“You never change anything without telling me.”
Interesting.
“My company.”
“Our future company.”
There.
Not ours now.
Future.
In his mind, already possessed.
He continued:
“I need to get upstairs.”
“No.”
“Danielle.”
“I’m busy.”
“I left files in your office.”
“What files?”
“The merger documents.”
“Email them.”
His voice hardened.
“Open the door.”
“No.”
I could almost hear the mask slipping.
Then he changed tactics.
“Baby.”
My skin crawled.
“I don’t know what happened last night, but Mom said you seemed strange when you left.”
“Strange?”
“She thinks meeting the family overwhelmed you.”
Of course.
“Marcus.”
“Yes?”
“Where is Julian?”
Silence.
Long.
Too long.
“What?”
“Your brother.”
“I know who Julian is.”
“Where is he?”
“Singapore.”
“What hotel?”
“Danielle, what is this?”
“Company?”
“He’s consulting.”
“For whom?”
Silence.
“You've never asked before.”
“I’m asking now.”
Another pause.
Then:
“You talked to Clara.”
Not question.
I said nothing.
His breathing changed.
“What did she tell you?”
“Why are you afraid of your sister-in-law?”
“I’m not.”
“Then why did you just assume she said something?”
He hung up.
Good.
Thirty seconds later, security called.
“Ms. Reyes, Mr. Vance is demanding entry.”
Naomi replied:
“Remove him.”
Marcus was escorted outside.
He shouted once.
Not words I could hear.
Then he left.
At 8:26, Clara called from an unknown number.
“Danielle?”
“Yes.”
“Did you record it?”
“Yes.”
She started crying.
“Thank God.”
“Where are you?”
“Bathroom.”
“Are you safe?”
“No.”
My chest tightened.
“Can you leave?”
“I tried before.”
“What happened?”
“They control everything.”
“Do you have identification?”
“No.”
“Money?”
“No.”
“Phone?”
“This is a housekeeper’s.”
“Can she help?”
“She’s scared.”
I looked at Naomi.
She was already writing.
“Clara, I need you to listen. If you believe you’re in immediate danger, we can contact police.”
Her breath caught.
“Evelyn knows people.”
“Not everyone.”
“I tried once.”
“What happened?”
“Julian brought me back.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He was still alive then.”
“Where is he now?”
Clara went silent.
Then:
“I don’t know.”
The truth was worse than I expected.
May you like
Julian had not been overseas for weeks.
He had been missing for fourteen months.
