Chapter 8: The Truth About Ava
I stood there waiting.
Waiting for Rebecca to explain.
Waiting for the woman who had lied to me for months to finally tell the truth.
But she looked afraid.
Not guilty.
Afraid.
“What does Marcus want?””
Rebecca looked toward the windows.
The sunlight was fading.
“I don’t know exactly.””
“That’s not an answer.””
She closed her eyes.
“After Ava died, Marcus found out something.””
My heart tightened.
“What?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“Something about her death.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
Because grief never really leaves.
It just learns how to hide.
I had spent four years accepting the story.
A rainy night.
A highway accident.
A phone call.
A hospital room.
A goodbye I wasn’t ready for.
I had never questioned it.
Why would I?
The doctors explained.
The police explained.
Everyone explained.
But now Rebecca was standing in front of me telling me there was something I didn’t know.
“What are you saying?””
She looked down.
“I’m saying Marcus believes Ava’s death wasn’t just an accident.””
I stared at her.
“That’s impossible.””
“I thought so too.””
“You’re telling me this now?””
“I was afraid.””
I shook my head.
“You keep using that word.””
“Because it’s true.””
She stepped closer.
“Adrian, you think I’m the worst thing that happened today.””
I said nothing.
“But Marcus has been trying to control my life for years.””
I looked at her.
“You’re blaming him for everything?””
“No.””
Her answer came immediately.
“I made my choices.””
That surprised me.
For once, she wasn’t running away.
“But Marcus pushed me toward them.””
I folded my arms.
“Explain.””
Rebecca sat down slowly on the chapel bench.
For the first time, she looked exhausted.
Not like a villain.
Like someone who had been carrying a secret too heavy for too long.
“After my daughter died, Marcus became obsessed with finding a reason.””
She looked at the flowers.
“He said someone had to pay.””
I frowned.
“For what?””
“For taking away our family.””
I felt a chill.
“Rebecca.””
She looked at me.
“He found Ava’s old files.””
My breathing stopped.
“What files?””
“Medical records. Insurance documents. Messages.””
My mind raced.
“Why?””
“Because Marcus thought Ava knew something.””
“About what?””
Rebecca’s voice became barely audible.
“About him.””
The room went silent.
I stared.
“You’re saying Marcus was connected to Ava?””
Rebecca nodded slowly.
“I don’t know how.””
That wasn’t good enough.
“You expect me to believe you?””
“No.””
She looked at me.
“I expect you to investigate.””
That was the first thing she said all day that sounded honest.
I looked at her.
“Why would Marcus want custody papers?””
Rebecca swallowed.
“Because he knew if you lost Emily…”
She stopped.
“Then you would lose control.””
I felt my stomach drop.
Control.
Not love.
Not family.
Control.
Marcus wasn’t trying to take Emily.
He was trying to break me.
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, there was a photo attached.
I opened it.
My blood turned cold.
It was a picture of Ava.
Not from years ago.
Not from our wedding.
From the week before she died.
She was standing outside a building.
Beside someone.
I zoomed in.
The person standing next to her was Marcus Lane.
Rebecca saw my face.
“What?””
I turned the phone toward her.
Her expression disappeared.
“No.””
She whispered it.
Not like disbelief.
Like fear.
“That’s impossible.””
I looked at her.
“You said you didn’t know how he was connected.””
“I didn’t.””
“Then explain this.””
She couldn’t.
For the first time, Rebecca had no answer.
Then another message appeared.
From the same number.
*Now you know why Rebecca wanted you distracted by the wedding.*
My hands went cold.
Because suddenly the wedding wasn’t the center of the story.
It was a distraction.
A carefully planned distraction.
And somewhere out there, someone had been waiting for me to uncover the truth.
I looked at Rebecca.
“Where is Marcus?””
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
A sound came from behind us.
A phone ringing.
Not mine.
Not Rebecca’s.
Someone else’s.
We turned.
On the empty chapel bench near the altar sat a small black phone.
No one had noticed it before.
The screen was glowing.
Incoming call.
The name displayed on the screen made Rebecca stop breathing.
Marcus.
And before either of us could move, the call was answered automatically.
A man’s voice filled the chapel.
“Adrian Cole.””
I stepped closer.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then:
“The man who knows what happened to your wife.””
The line went silent for a second.
May you like
Then he added:
“And the man who knows what Rebecca has been hiding from you.””
