The air in the warehouse felt suffocating, thick with the weight of what had just happened. The call had been brief, but the message was crystal clear - whoever was on the other end did not want us to dig any further.
Julian lowered the phone slowly, his expression unreadable, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the barely restrained fury in his clenched fists. Danielle exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair.
"That wasn't just some random guy," she said. "He knew. He knew Daniel."
Kaden crossed his arms, watching us with mild amusement. "Congratulations, you just pissed off someone who clearly doesn't want to be found."
I turned to him, my voice shaking. "But why? Why would someone go to such lengths to hide the truth about my husband?"
Kaden shrugged, but I caught the flicker of something in his eyes - hesitation. Like he knew more than he was letting on.
Julian stepped closer to him. "You recognized Daniel's name. Don't lie."
A smirk tugged at Kaden's lips. "I recognize a lot of names, kid. Doesn't mean I have a death wish."
"Enough with the games!" I snapped, my frustration boiling over. "If you know something, tell us."
Kaden studied me for a moment before sighing. He walked over to a cabinet, rummaged around, and pulled out an old, worn folder. He tossed it onto the desk. "This is all I got. If you're smart, you'll take it and walk away."
Julian wasted no time flipping it open. My stomach twisted as I peered inside.
Old documents. Financial records. A fake passport.
And then -
A photo.
I gasped, my hands trembling as I picked it up.
It was Daniel.
But not the Daniel I remembered.
He was dressed differently - expensive suit, slicked-back hair, a guarded expression on his face. He stood beside another man, shaking hands. The other man's face was blurred, but the image sent a chill down me.
"Who is this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Kaden leaned back, his smirk gone. "Your husband wasn't just some guy who vanished, sweetheart. He was living a whole other life."
I shook my head. "No. That's not possible. He was - he was a teacher. He loved books, he - "
"He lied," Kaden interrupted. "And from what I can tell, he was damn good at it."
Julian ran a hand down his face. "We need to track down the guy on the phone. He's the key to all of this."
Kaden chuckled. "Good luck with that. The number's probably been deactivated by now."
Julian didn't respond, already dialing again.
This time, the number was out of service.
Danielle cursed. "Damn it."
My heart pounded. My head spun with questions, with doubts. Who had Daniel really been? What kind of life had he been leading behind my back? And why - why had he disappeared instead of coming home?
Kaden sighed, rubbing his temples. "Look, I don't care what you do with that information, but take my advice - drop this. Some ghosts are better left buried."
I met his gaze, my fingers tightening around the photograph.
"I can't," I whispered.
Julian touched my arm lightly, grounding me. "Then we keep going."
I nodded.
Even if the truth was painful.
Even if it shattered everything I thought I knew.
I needed to know who my husband really was.
And I wasn't stopping until I found out.