Chapter 4 - THE NIGHT SHE RAN
The room disappeared.
For Evelyn, there was no ballroom.
No music.
No champagne.
No staring faces.
Only rain.
Headlights.
A crushed black car.
And her brother’s blood on a white hospital sheet.
“Don’t,” Evelyn said.
Daniel heard the warning.
He smiled anyway.
Chloe wiped her tears.
“What is he talking about?”
Daniel turned toward her.
“Evelyn has secrets too.”
Evelyn’s fingers tightened around her clutch.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Daniel, enough.”
Daniel laughed.
“Interesting. Now everybody wants privacy.”
He faced the guests.
“Three years ago, Evelyn’s younger brother, Michael, died in a car accident.”
A few people lowered their eyes.
The Cross family tragedy had once been national news.
Daniel continued.
“She blamed herself.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You have no right.”
“I was your husband.”
“You were never his brother.”
“No. I was the man cleaning up the mess after he died.”
Something in Evelyn snapped.
She walked forward and slapped him.
The crowd gasped.
Daniel’s head turned with the impact.
He slowly looked back at her.
His cheek reddened.
Evelyn’s voice shook.
“You don’t say his name.”
Daniel touched his face.
For one second, rage flashed in his eyes.
Pure.
Ugly.
Then he smiled.
“There she is.”
Marcus stepped between them.
“Back off.”
Daniel ignored him.
“Tell them, Evelyn.”
She said nothing.
“Tell them Michael called you that night.”
Her breathing changed.
“Stop.”
“He begged you to pick him up.”
“Stop.”
“But you were too busy.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
Daniel pressed harder.
“You were in a board meeting.”
Chloe stared at Evelyn now.
Some guests looked uncomfortable.
Daniel said, “Michael drove himself home drunk.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“And he died.”
“Stop!”
Her scream echoed across the ballroom.
The orchestra members lowered their instruments.
Daniel looked satisfied.
Evelyn hated him for that.
Hated herself more for giving it to him.
He stepped closer.
“You abandoned your own brother when he needed you.”
Evelyn opened her eyes.
Tears ran down her face.
“Yes.”
A hush settled over the room.
Evelyn swallowed.
“Yes, he called me.”
Daniel’s smile faded slightly.
“I didn’t answer.”
Nobody spoke.
“I was in a meeting.”
Her voice cracked.
“And I thought I could call him back later.”
She looked at the floor.
“There was no later.”
Chloe’s anger softened.
Evelyn wiped one tear away.
“I lived with that every day.”
Daniel folded his arms.
“Exactly.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“But that’s not why I left you.”
His face changed.
Just enough.
She saw it.
Marcus saw it.
Evelyn continued.
“I left you because six months after Michael died, I found out someone had been withdrawing money from his foundation.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
The room seemed to tighten.
Evelyn stepped toward him.
“The foundation I created in his name.”
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“Be careful.”
“Two million dollars disappeared.”
Chloe looked at Daniel.
“Two million?”
Evelyn nodded.
“I spent months thinking an employee had stolen it.”
Daniel whispered, “Evelyn.”
“I fired people.”
Her voice broke.
“I destroyed careers.”
She looked at the guests.
“Because I trusted my husband.”
Daniel’s fists tightened.
Evelyn faced him.
“Then I found the authorization logs.”
Silence.
“You used my login.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“You used my dead brother’s foundation to cover your debts.”
“That is not true.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“I have the bank records.”
Daniel glanced at the doors.
Marcus noticed.
So did Evelyn.
Chloe stepped between Daniel and the exit.
“You stole from a charity?”
Daniel snapped, “Move.”
“No.”
“Chloe.”
“No.”
He grabbed her wrist.
Too hard.
She cried out.
Marcus rushed forward.
Evelyn moved faster.
“Let her go.”
Daniel squeezed harder.
His mask was gone now.
Completely.
“Everybody needs to stop telling me what to do.”
Evelyn’s voice turned cold.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“If you don’t release her, you’ll leave this house in handcuffs.”
Daniel laughed.
Then blue lights flashed outside the tall ballroom windows.
Police.
His smile disappeared.
May you like
But instead of releasing Chloe, Daniel pulled her against him.
And reached inside his jacket.
