Chapter 10 - The Best Man’s Voicemail
Detective Morales asked Ava not to touch the phone until an evidence technician arrived.
They placed the purse on the coffee table and activated the voicemail through a secure speaker.
Daniel’s voice filled the room.
“Ava, I heard there’s been some confusion at Margaret’s house. Don’t make decisions while you’re upset. Ethan loves you. Open the account, pay the remaining vendors, and we can keep this private.”
A pause followed.
Then his voice hardened.
“You don’t want stress affecting the baby.”
Officer Grant’s jaw tightened.
Ethan whispered, “He threatened her.”
Margaret looked away.
The voicemail continued.
“And tell Ethan he has until six tonight. After that, I stop protecting him.”
The message ended.
No one spoke.
It was 4:37 p.m.
Detective Morales immediately stepped into the hallway to make a call.
Ava looked at Ethan.
“How did Daniel know the police were here?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Ava turned toward her.
“You told him.”
“He called before you arrived.”
“You knew he was watching us.”
“I was trying to keep him calm.”
“You kept a criminal calm by trapping me.”
Margaret’s face crumpled for the first time.
Not elegantly.
Not strategically.
Her breath hitched, and her hands shook.
“I spent thirty years building this family’s name.”
Ava stared at her.
“And destroyed everyone to protect it.”
Ethan dropped into a chair.
“Daniel owns part of the debt?”
Margaret looked at him with exhausted contempt.
“Daniel owns all of it.”
Ethan went still.
“The private lender?”
“A shell company.”
“He set me up.”
“You signed every document.”
“He told me the land deal was guaranteed.”
“And you believed him because you wanted to be rich.”
Ethan covered his face.
Ava felt no triumph.
Only clarity.
Daniel had exploited Ethan’s greed.
Margaret had expanded the fraud.
Ethan had targeted Ava.
Each villain had another villain to blame.
But every one of them had chosen to continue.
Detective Morales returned.
“We have officers moving to locate Daniel. Ava, we also need to discuss your residence.”
“My apartment?”
“Daniel’s people may know the address. You shouldn’t return alone.”
Before Ava could answer, the doorbell camera chimed.
A man in a charcoal suit stood on the porch holding a large white envelope.
Margaret looked at the screen and whispered one word.
“Lawyer.”
But Ethan’s expression showed something worse than fear.
May you like
He recognized the envelope.
👉 The envelope carried documents Ethan had secretly signed before proposing to Ava.
