Chapter 4 - THE FIRST EMPIRE TO FALL
Mara woke up in Adrian's car.
Again.
This time, her wrists were not tied.
Her clothes were not torn.
But the smoke still burned in her lungs.
The last thing she remembered was the door opening.
Then chaos.
The man Adrian had sent had pulled her through the bathroom window.
They had escaped down the fire stairs.
Adrian had been waiting outside.
He had looked furious.
Not angry.
Furious.
Now he sat beside her in the back seat.
Mara stared at him.
“You followed me.”
“Yes.”
“You had someone watching me.”
“Yes.”
“Without my permission.”
“Yes.”
She turned toward the window.
“I hate you.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I know.”
Mara turned back.
“That doesn't bother you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re alive.”
She had no answer.
The car stopped at a red light.
Adrian looked at her.
“You found the tracker.”
“Yes.”
“Did you touch it?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Mara crossed her arms.
“Are you going to tell me what happened to your sister?”
Adrian's expression darkened.
“Not yet.”
“Then don't expect me to trust you.”
“I don't.”
The answer silenced her.
Adrian continued.
“Trust isn't something you give because someone asks for it.”
Mara studied him.
“Then what do you want?”
He looked out the window.
“Blake.”
She stared.
“That's all?”
“No.”
His eyes returned to hers.
“I want the truth.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
The car began moving again.
They arrived at a downtown office building.
Mara recognized the name.
Cross Holdings.
Adrian led her inside.
People stopped talking when he entered.
Everyone looked at him.
Then at Mara.
She hated the attention.
Adrian noticed.
“Don't look at them.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re looking at you.”
“Exactly.”
“Let them.”
Mara frowned.
He walked into his office.
A wall of windows overlooked Baltimore.
Adrian placed a folder on the desk.
“This is Blake's financial network.”
Mara didn't sit.
“What do you want me to do with it?”
“Tell me what you recognize.”
She opened the folder.
Names.
Companies.
Numbers.
Addresses.
Mara scanned the documents.
Then she stopped.
“This one.”
Adrian watched her.
“Bennett Logistics.”
“Yes.”
“Blake owns it.”
“No.”
Mara looked up.
“What?”
“Not officially.”
She turned the page.
“This company was supposed to be sold two years ago.”
“To whom?”
Mara stared at the name.
“Cross Holdings.”
Adrian became still.
Mara looked at him.
“Blake sold it to you.”
“When?”
“Six months after we married.”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because you never met with him directly.”
Mara pointed at the documents.
“He used a lawyer.”
Adrian took the folder.
His face became cold.
Mara watched him.
“You didn't know?”
“No.”
“Then Blake lied to you too.”
Adrian said nothing.
Mara continued through the documents.
“This one is fake.”
Adrian looked up.
“Which?”
“This account.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Blake used it to pay the property taxes on our house.”
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
“You handled the finances?”
“Some of them.”
“Why?”
“Because he made me.”
Adrian stared at her.
Mara continued.
“He said I needed to learn how to be a proper wife.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
She looked down.
“I paid bills. Organized paperwork. Signed things.”
“What things?”
Mara slowly lifted her eyes.
“I don't know.”
Adrian went still.
“What do you mean, you don't know?”
“He would put documents in front of me.”
“And you signed them?”
“He told me what they were.”
“What were they?”
“I don't know.”
The silence became heavy.
Adrian picked up his phone.
“Get every document signed by Mara Bennett over the last two years.”
A voice answered.
“Every document?”
“Yes.”
He ended the call.
Mara stared at him.
“What if I signed something illegal?”
“Then we find out.”
“What if I’m responsible?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Were you?”
“I don't know.”
“Then we find out.”
His calmness frightened her.
“You make everything sound simple.”
“It isn't simple.”
“Then why do you act like it is?”
“Because panic doesn't solve anything.”
Mara looked away.
Adrian walked to the window.
“Blake has been using you.”
Mara laughed bitterly.
“I know.”
“No.”
He turned.
“You don't.”
Mara stared at him.
“He used your signature.”
She said nothing.
“He may have used your name to move money.”
Mara felt sick.
“Why?”
“To create distance between himself and the crimes.”
Mara sank into a chair.
Adrian watched her.
“If he did that, I could go to prison.”
“I won't let that happen.”
“You can't promise that.”
“No.”
Mara looked up.
Adrian continued.
“But I can promise I'll find the truth before anyone else does.”
Before she could answer, the door opened.
The man from the hotel entered.
“Boss.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
“We found the source of the tracker.”
“Where?”
He looked at Mara.
“Her phone.”
Mara stiffened.
“I thought you removed it.”
“We did.”
The man placed a small device on the desk.
“It was hidden inside the charging port.”
Mara stared at it.
Adrian's expression hardened.
“Who planted it?”
“We don't know.”
“Find out.”
The man hesitated.
“There’s more.”
Adrian waited.
“We found a second device.”
“Where?”
The man looked at Mara.
“Inside her wedding ring.”
Mara stopped breathing.
Her hand moved to her finger.
The ring was gone.
Adrian had removed it from her at the hotel.
She stared at him.
He had it in his hand.
The diamond ring she had worn for two years.
Adrian turned it over.
“Cut it open.”
Mara stared.
“What?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Your husband was listening to you.”
Mara felt the room tilt.
“No.”
The man took the ring.
A few minutes later, he returned with the tiny device.
Mara stared at it.
Her voice shook.
“He heard everything.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Probably.”
She stood abruptly.
“I need air.”
She walked toward the door.
Adrian did not stop her.
But when she reached the hallway, she heard his voice.
“Bring me Blake.”
Mara froze.
Adrian's voice was cold.
“Alive.”
May you like
Then he added:
“For now.”
