Chapter 3 : The Mysterious Phone Call

I couldn't stop thinking about what Ethan's father had said.

Tell her the truth before she finds it herself.

What truth?

And why did it sound like everyone in that house knew something about my husband except me?

On the drive back, Ethan barely spoke.

Neither did I.

I watched the streets through the window while my mind went over every conversation we'd had since we met.

He had told me he was a businessman.

He had told me he was an only child.

He had told me his family wasn't very big.

But somehow, his family lived in a mansion, everyone seemed to know him, and his father knew about our private contract.

Something wasn't adding up.

When we arrived home, Ethan got out of the car without saying a word.

I followed him inside.

He headed toward the stairs.

"Ethan."

He stopped.

I stood at the bottom of the staircase.

"Are you ever going to tell me the truth?"

He turned around.

"I've told you the truth."

I almost laughed.

"That's the problem. I don't know which parts are true."

His expression hardened.

"Jasmine, this marriage is supposed to be simple."

"It stopped being simple when your father started warning me about you."

"He was trying to get inside your head."

"Maybe because you're hiding something."

He stared at me.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he walked upstairs.

Just like that.

I hated how easily he could end a conversation.

I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water.

My hands were still shaking.

I had barely taken a sip when I heard Ethan's phone ringing upstairs.

I ignored it.

Then it rang again.

And again.

Something told me it wasn't a normal call.

I heard Ethan answer.

His voice was low.

I couldn't make out the words.

I wasn't trying to listen.

At least, that's what I told myself.

Then I heard him say something that made me freeze.

"How did you get this number?"

I slowly put my glass down.

There was silence.

Then Ethan spoke again.

"You were told not to contact me."

My heart began beating faster.

Who was he talking to?

I moved toward the staircase.

"Listen carefully," he said. "If you come near my wife, I will—"

He stopped.

A few seconds later, I heard his footsteps.

I quickly stepped back into the kitchen.

Ethan came downstairs.

His face looked different.

The calm expression was gone.

He looked angry.

And worried.

He noticed me immediately.

"Why are you standing there?"

"I was getting water."

His eyes narrowed.

"Did you hear anything?"

"No."

It was the first lie I had told him.

He stared at me for a moment.

Then his phone rang again.

He looked at the screen.

His expression changed.

He immediately rejected the call.

I noticed.

"Who is it?"

"No one."

I raised an eyebrow.

"No one doesn't usually call three times."

He slipped the phone into his pocket.

"It's handled."

"What is?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

I folded my arms.

"You say that a lot."

"Because you ask a lot of questions."

"Maybe because you don't give me answers."

He walked past me.

"Ethan."

He stopped.

I looked at him.

"Who was calling?"

He didn't turn around.

"A business associate."

I stared at his back.

"At this hour?"

"Yes."

"And they were threatening your wife?"

He froze.

My heart jumped.

Slowly, he turned around.

His eyes met mine.

"You heard me."

I swallowed.

"I heard enough."

He walked toward me.

"Jasmine, you need to stay out of this."

"Out of what?"

"My problems."

"We're married."

"Contractually."

The words hurt more than they should have.

I looked away.

"Right."

His expression softened slightly.

But he said nothing.

I turned to leave.

Then my phone rang.

I pulled it out of my pocket.

Unknown number.

I stared at the screen.

Ethan noticed.

"Don't answer it."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"Just don't."

The phone continued ringing.

I pressed answer.

"Hello?"

There was silence.

"Hello?"

Then a man's voice came through.

Low.

Distorted.

"Are you Jasmine Parker?"

I glanced at Ethan.

"Who is this?"

"You need to leave that house."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

"Leave before it's too late."

The call ended.

I lowered the phone slowly.

Ethan was staring at me.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know."

He took my phone from my hand.

"Why would someone call you?"

"I don't know."

He checked the number.

His face went pale.

I had never seen him look like that before.

"What?"

He didn't answer.

"Ethan, what is it?"

He looked at me.

"Nothing."

I grabbed my phone back.

"You know that number."

"No."

"You're lying."

He turned away.

I stared at him.

Then I looked at the screen.

The number was still there.

I memorized the last four digits.

"Jasmine."

I looked up.

"Don't answer any more calls from unknown numbers."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

He walked away.

I watched him disappear upstairs.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

I opened my phone again.

I looked at the number.

Then at the message notification that had just appeared beneath it.

My fingers went cold.

There was a picture attached.

I tapped it.

The image loaded.

It was a photograph of Ethan.

But he wasn't alone.

He was standing beside a group of men outside a huge building.

All of them were dressed in expensive suits.

And behind them was a large sign.

I zoomed in.

My breath caught.

The sign read:

BLACKWOOD GROUP

I stared at the photograph.

Then at the message beneath it.

Only four words.

Ask him who he is.

I looked toward the staircase.

For the first time since I met Ethan Carter, I felt genuinely afraid.

Because whoever had sent that photograph knew my husband.

And apparently...

they knew the truth about him too.