Part 5: The Man Who Wanted My Life
The silence after the phone call was worse than the call itself.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because every person in that room understood the same thing.
The person who had been watching us wasn't finished.
He was closer than we thought.
Detective Miller immediately took control.
"Everyone stays together."
He looked at my father.
"Where would Adrian go?"
My father didn't answer.
His face was pale.
Like he had been afraid of this moment for years.
"Thomas."
Detective Miller's voice hardened.
"Where would he go?"
My father slowly sat down.
"I don't know."
I stared at him.
"You said he wanted my life."
"How much does he know about me?"
My father looked at me.
"Everything."
The answer made my stomach turn.
"Everything?"
He nodded.
"Your job."
"Your home."
"Your marriage."
"Your baby."
Clara wrapped her arms around herself.
A frightened pregnant woman who had already been through too much.
And I hated myself for not protecting her.
My father continued.
"Adrian spent years studying you."
"He believed I replaced him with you."
I shook my head.
"I never even knew he existed."
"I know."
His voice cracked.
"And that's why he hates you."
The words hurt.
Because it wasn't my fault.
But somehow...
I was the target of a hatred that started before I was even old enough to understand it.
Detective Miller picked up the phone.
"We need to find the source of the call."
He looked at his officers.
"Trace it."
While they worked, I stayed beside Clara.
I held her hand.
And for the first time that night, I truly understood something.
The woman I almost accused...
Was the person I should have protected.
"I'm sorry."
I whispered.
Clara looked at me.
Her eyes were tired.
Painful.
"For what?"
"For believing the wrong story."
She didn't answer immediately.
Then she said:
"You weren't the only one fooled."
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
She looked toward my father.
"Someone wanted us to destroy each other."
And she was right.
The broken picture.
The blood.
The nightgown.
The message.
Everything had been designed.
Not to reveal a betrayal.
To create one.
Then Detective Miller's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then his expression changed.
"What?"
Everyone looked at him.
"We found Adrian."
My chest tightened.
"Where?"
The detective hesitated.
"At the old Harris building."
My father immediately stood.
"No."
Detective Miller looked at him.
"You know the place?"
My father's face turned serious.
"That building was where Adrian used to live."
I frowned.
"Why would he go there?"
My father didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
"He wants Ethan to come."
The room went silent.
"What?"
My father looked at me.
"He doesn't want to run."
"He wants a confrontation."
Detective Miller shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
But before anyone could stop me, I knew.
I had to go.
"No."
Clara grabbed my hand.
"Ethan, don't."
I looked at her.
"I need to end this."
Her eyes filled with fear.
"You don't know what he'll do."
I squeezed her hand.
"I know."
"I know because I spent the last hour thinking you betrayed me."
She looked hurt.
"And I was wrong."
I touched her face gently.
"I won't make that mistake again."
Detective Miller disagreed.
"You are not going there alone."
"I wasn't planning to."
My father looked at me.
"I'll come."
I stared at him.
After everything...
I didn't know whether to trust him.
But then he said something that changed everything.
"Adrian isn't angry because I left him."
"He is angry because he believes I chose you."
My father looked at me.
"And he wants me to watch him take away the one thing I protected."
A cold feeling passed through me.
"He wants Clara."
My father nodded.
"And the baby."
We left twenty minutes later.
The old Harris building was abandoned.
A place full of empty offices and broken windows.
The perfect place for someone who wanted to disappear.
Police surrounded the area.
But Adrian knew we were coming.
As I stepped inside...
The lights turned on.
One by one.
A voice echoed through the empty hallway.
"Welcome, brother."
I stopped.
"Adrian."
A man stepped out from the shadows.
He looked older than me.
But there was something familiar in his face.
A resemblance.
A reminder.
He smiled.
"So that's what you look like."
I stared.
"Why?"
He laughed.
"That's your first question?"
"What do you want?"
His smile disappeared.
"What do I want?"
He looked around.
Then at me.
"I wanted a father."
"I wanted a family."
"I wanted someone to choose me."
His voice became bitter.
"But your father gave you everything."
"I didn't know about you."
"Exactly!"
He shouted.
"You didn't even have to fight for it!"
The anger in his voice filled the building.
Then he pulled out his phone.
My blood ran cold.
Because on the screen...
Was a live video.
Clara.
At home.
Sitting on the couch.
My heart stopped.
"Where is she?"
I demanded.
Adrian smiled.
"Relax."
"I just wanted you to understand something."
He stepped closer.
"You think you love your wife."
"You think you deserve that family."
His eyes became dark.
"But I built this moment."
"What?"
He smiled.
"I planted the doubts."
The words hit me.
"I was the one who convinced your mother to warn you."
My blood froze.
"I was the one who took the picture."
My fists tightened.
"I was the one who broke the frame."
He laughed softly.
"I wanted you to hate her."
"Why?"
He looked at me.
And whispered:
"Because I wanted you to feel what it was like to lose a family."
Then his phone rang.
Adrian answered.
Listened.
Then smiled.
"Perfect."
He looked at me.
"It's time."
"What time?"
His smile widened.
"Time for your wife to know the truth."
Then the video changed.
And I saw Clara standing in the apartment...
With someone behind her.
My mother.
But she wasn't holding a weapon.
She was crying.
And she said:
"Ethan..."
The screen shook.
"I need to tell you something."
Then the video cut off.
May you like
And Adrian whispered:
"The baby isn't the only secret your wife has been hiding."
