Chapter 3 - What My Husband Knew
Reyes led us into a small conference room behind the terrace.
A resort employee brought a clean wrap and a sewing kit.
Anton thanked her, shut the door, and turned toward me.
“Tell me what you can.”
There was no accusation in his voice.
That made it harder.
I sat at the end of the table.
“My real name is Maya. I’m your wife. Everything we have is real.”
“I know that.”
“Lena Cruz was an undercover identity.”
He pulled out the chair beside mine.
“How long?”
“Eighteen months.”
“Doing what?”
“Getting close to a criminal network that moved stolen cargo through legitimate freight companies.”
Reyes remained near the door, giving us space without leaving.
I looked down at the stain on my dress.
“I collected records. Names. Shipment schedules. I helped identify who was paying officials to look away.”
“And the bullet?”
“The night we moved on their warehouse, they realized someone had talked.”
Anton’s jaw tightened.
“I got another officer out.”
“Did someone get you out?”
I swallowed.
“Eventually.”
He looked away for a second.
When he faced me again, his eyes were wet.
“All those nights you woke up. The grocery store when a pallet dropped and you couldn’t breathe.”
“I thought if I didn’t talk about it—”
“It would stay over.”
I nodded.
He took my hand.
“Maya, I wasn’t asking because I needed some impressive reason to defend you.”
“I know.”
“If that scar came from the worst mistake of your life, she still wouldn’t get to do this.”
I cried then.
Not loudly.
Just enough to make speaking impossible.
Reyes placed the envelope on the table.
“This paperwork is false,” he said. “The photograph is real. The case number is real. The accusations are not.”
Anton looked at him.
“How did she get restricted information?”
“That’s what concerns me.”
I showed them the messages.
Reyes read both, then called a detective from his phone.
He kept it simple.
Possible assault. Fabricated police documents. Potential exposure of a former undercover officer.
No speeches.
No promises.
Outside the room, footsteps passed and faded.
Anton squeezed my hand.
“We can deal with everything else later.”
A quiet knock came at the door.
Nina slipped inside before Reyes had finished opening it.
She was trembling.
“I didn’t know she was going to tear your dress.”
“What did you think she was going to do?” I asked.
“Show Anton the file. Privately. That’s what she told me.”
“Who gave it to her?”
Nina opened her mouth.
Then the door handle turned behind her.
A man’s voice came through the wood.
“Nina.”
She stopped breathing.
May you like
The voice continued, soft and patient.
“We need to talk.”
