Chapter 2 - The Logic of Lies
The study was quiet, save for the rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock. Ethan sat behind the mahogany desk, his mind racing through terabytes of data, searching for the anomaly. He had always trusted data over intuition, but now, his intuition was screaming.
He didn’t trust Vanessa, but he didn’t know why. He started pulling up files on his laptop—not Northstar business, but personal history. He cross-referenced the dates she had mentioned, the locations she had claimed to visit, and the names of the friends she had introduced him to.
Ten minutes later, the door creaked open. It wasn't Vanessa. It was Maria.
She looked terrified, clutching her hands in front of her. “Mr. Cole, I—I don’t know what she heard. She has an active imagination.”
“Maria,” Ethan said, his voice softer than usual. “Look at me.”
She looked up, her eyes watery.
“She drew a house once,” Ethan said, pulling a drawer open and retrieving the crumpled, crayon-smudged paper Lily had given him months ago. “Three people. A sun. You, her, and someone else. Who was the third person, Maria?”
Maria went pale. “I... I don't know, sir.”
“You do,” Ethan said. “And you’ve been living in my penthouse for four years. You’ve seen things you weren't supposed to see. Does this have anything to do with Christian?”
Maria stifled a scream. “How do you know that name?”
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Ethan’s heart sank. “Because Lily mentioned it.”
The pieces of the puzzle weren't just falling into place; they were sharpening into a weapon aimed directly at his throat.
