Chapter 2 The First Crack

Ava sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the letter so tightly that the edges crumpled beneath her fingers. Her heart pounded in her chest, a steady rhythm of disbelief and fear. The words on the page echoed in her mind. Your fiancé's father destroyed your family. It had to be a lie. Some cruel joke. Someone trying to ruin the happiest moment of her life. But deep inside, a seed of doubt had been planted, and it was growing fast. She glanced at her phone, Ethan's name glowing on the screen. He had texted her a dozen times since she left him under the oak tree, but she hadn't responded.

Not yet. Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. She needed answers. Ethan's house was on the nicer side of town, a white colonial-style home with a wraparound porch and flower beds his mother tended to every morning. As she pulled into the driveway, she saw the light in Ethan's room flicker on. He answered the door before she could knock. His face lit up at the sight of her, but the smile quickly faded when he saw her expression. "Ava? What's wrong?" She stepped inside, the letter clenched in her fist. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me." Ethan nodded slowly. "Of course." She hesitated, her throat dry. Finally, she held out the letter. "I got this tonight." Ethan took it, his eyes scanning the words. His brows furrowed, and when he finished reading, he exhaled sharply. "This is insane," he said, shaking his head. "My dad? Destroyed your family? Ava, that doesn't make any sense." She studied his face carefully. "Are you sure? Is there anything-anything at all-that you know about your father's past that could connect him to my family?" Ethan scoffed. "Ava, come on. Do you really think I'd propose to you if I was hiding something like that?" A flicker of relief washed over her. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe it was just some random person trying to stir up trouble. Then Ethan's expression changed. His jaw tightened, and a shadow crossed his face. Ava caught it instantly. "What?" she pressed. "What aren't you telling me?" Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look... I don't know much. But there was some kind of falling out between our fathers a long time ago. My dad never talked about it. Just said it was 'complicated.'" Ava's stomach dropped. "Complicated?" she repeated. "Ethan, my parents lost everything when I was a kid. My dad had a business, and one day it all just... fell apart. They never told me why." Ethan took a step closer, his voice soft. "Ava, I swear, I don't know what happened. But I can ask my dad if-" "No," she cut in. "I'll ask him myself." Ethan hesitated. "Ava, maybe we should-" "I need to do this," she said firmly. "If I don't, I'll never stop wondering." Ethan searched her face, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go." Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in Ethan's father's home office. Mr. Carter was a tall, imposing man with silver-streaked hair and a calculating gaze. He looked surprised to see them at this hour, but when Ava held out the letter, his expression darkened. "Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice calm but firm. "It was sent to me anonymously," Ava replied. "Is it true? Did you do something that hurt my family?" Mr. Carter's eyes flickered to Ethan before settling back on Ava. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "It's complicated." Ava's pulse quickened. "So it's true." "I didn't say that," Mr. Carter replied smoothly. "But there are things about the past that should stay buried." A chill ran down Ava's spine. She had hoped for denial, for proof that this was all some kind of mistake. Instead, she got something worse-confirmation that there was *something* he wasn't telling her. Ethan turned to his father, his voice tight. "Dad, just tell us the truth." Mr. Carter's gaze hardened. "I suggest you both leave this alone." But Ava wasn't done. "If you didn't do anything wrong, then why won't you just tell me what happened?" A long silence stretched between them. Then, finally, Mr. Carter spoke. "Because the truth will destroy everything." Ava's breath caught in her throat. And deep inside, she knew-this was only the beginning.