I Thought My Fiancée Was Choosing Her Male Best Friend — Then I Discovered She Was Protecting Him From a Deadly Secret
Chapter 3
The next morning, Ethan went to work exhausted.
He owned a small architectural firm in downtown Chicago.
It wasn’t a huge company, but it had grown steadily.
His employees knew him as calm and practical.
That morning, however, he couldn’t concentrate.
His business partner, Marcus, noticed.
“You look terrible.”
“Thanks.”
“Wedding nerves?”
Ethan laughed.
“I wish.”
He explained enough of the situation without revealing Sophia’s private details.
Marcus listened.
Then asked:
“Do you trust her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you trust Daniel?”
“No.”
Marcus nodded.
“Then you’re stuck.”
“I know.”
“Have you asked Sophia for time?”
“She’s already taking it.”
Marcus smiled.
“Then give her some.”
Ethan hated the advice.
But he knew Marcus was right.
That evening, Sophia sent another message.
Can you meet me somewhere?
She gave him an address.
It was a small park near the river.
When Ethan arrived, Sophia was sitting alone on a bench.
She looked frightened.
“You came.”
“Of course.”
She looked down.
“I owe you an explanation.”
Ethan sat beside her.
“I’m listening.”
Sophia took a breath.
“Daniel’s sister, Claire, was arrested six months ago.”
Ethan frowned.
“For what?”
“Financial fraud.”
He waited.
“She worked for a private investment company.”
Sophia continued.
“Millions of dollars disappeared.”
Ethan frowned.
“What does that have to do with Daniel?”
“Everything.”
Daniel had been the company’s senior financial analyst.
When the fraud was discovered, evidence had been planted to make it look like he had helped his sister.
His reputation was destroyed.
He lost his job.
His apartment.
Almost all his friends.
Sophia had stayed beside him because she believed he was innocent.
Ethan looked at her.
“And you believed him?”
“I believed the evidence was wrong.”
“How?”
“Because I found something.”
She handed him a folder.
Inside were copies of financial records.
Emails.
Transfer logs.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Ethan recognized it.
Victor Hale.
A powerful investor who had been involved in several projects around Chicago.
“He framed Daniel.”
Sophia nodded.
“But why?”
“Because Daniel found something.”
“What?”
She looked at Ethan.
“He discovered a hidden account containing records of illegal transactions.”
Ethan studied the documents.
“Why didn’t he go to the police?”
“He tried.”
“And?”
“The investigator assigned to the case disappeared.”
Silence.
Ethan looked at Sophia.
“That’s why you’ve been helping him.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Daniel asked me not to.”
“Why would he?”
“Because he thought whoever was watching him might use you against him.”
Ethan leaned back.
“So you thought keeping me in the dark was safer.”
Sophia nodded.
He felt angry.
But now the anger was different.
It wasn’t jealousy.
It was fear.
Someone had been threatening Sophia.
Someone had already destroyed Daniel’s life.
And Ethan suddenly understood what her silence meant.
She hadn’t been hiding another man.
She had been hiding a dangerous secret.
Then she said:
“There’s one more thing.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Daniel believes the person behind this knows about our wedding.”
His stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because the day after our engagement party, someone broke into his apartment.”
She looked at him.
“They only took one thing.”
“What?”
“A photograph of you.”
