Chapter 3 - ETHAN’S PHONE
The cracked phone lit up in Daniel’s hand before either of us could speak.
A message preview appeared.
DON’T LET CLAIRE GET BOTH HALVES.
Daniel read it.
So did I.
Vanessa moved first.
“That could mean anything.”
I stared at her.
“No. Actually, that one’s pretty specific.”
Daniel turned the screen toward himself. The message had come from a number without a saved contact.
“Do you know this number?”
Vanessa folded her arms. “No.”
Too fast.
Daniel noticed it too.
Lily began squirming against me, overwhelmed by the crowd. I carried her toward a quieter corner near the white floral wall while Daniel followed.
“Ethan wouldn’t leave his phone,” he said.
“You’re worried about him?”
“Yes.”
“Then call security.”
Vanessa appeared beside us.
“No police. No security. Not during our wedding.”
Daniel stared at her.
“My brother is missing.”
“He probably went outside.”
“Without his phone?”
She said nothing.
I looked at the cracked device again.
“Can you unlock it?”
Daniel shook his head. “Face ID.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity.
Millions of dollars written on a toddler’s drawing, a missing piece of paper, a missing brother, and the obstacle in front of us was a locked phone.
Then Lily reached toward it.
“Uncle E.”
Daniel’s face softened.
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Lily pointed toward the banquet table.
“Uncle E. mad.”
I crouched with her.
“When was Uncle Ethan mad?”
Her language was limited, but Lily understood far more than Vanessa seemed to realize.
Lily pointed at Vanessa.
“Her.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“She’s repeating nonsense.”
I ignored her.
“What did Uncle Ethan say?”
Lily pressed her face against my shoulder.
“Daddy money.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
I stood.
“You have about five seconds to start explaining.”
He rubbed his jaw.
“Three months ago, I created a trust for Lily.”
That was the first real answer.
“How much?”
His eyes moved toward the torn paper in my hand.
“Originally? Two point four million.”
My stomach dropped.
“You never told me.”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
Vanessa interrupted. “Daniel’s finances stopped being your business when you divorced him.”
“Lily’s finances are absolutely my business.”
Daniel nodded reluctantly.
“She’s right.”
Vanessa turned toward him.
The expression on her face was small, but vicious.
Daniel continued. “Ethan helped coordinate some of the paperwork because he handles compliance at Bennett Development.”
“And?”
“And last week he told me there were discrepancies.”
“What kind?”
“I didn’t know yet.”
Vanessa laughed. “Because there weren’t any.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You told me Ethan was overreacting.”
“He was.”
I unfolded my half of the drawing.
“Then why was this written on Lily’s paper?”
Nobody answered.
A hotel employee approached Daniel and whispered something.
Daniel’s face changed.
“What?”
The employee repeated it louder.
“Sir, your brother’s car is still in the underground garage.”
Daniel immediately headed toward the doors.
Vanessa caught his sleeve.
“Daniel.”
He pulled free.
I followed with Lily.
Vanessa’s voice came behind us.
“If you go looking for Ethan, you’re going to destroy this family.”
Daniel stopped.
He turned slowly.
“No,” he said. “I think somebody already tried.”
Then Ethan’s locked phone vibrated again.
Another message appeared on the screen.
This one contained only six words.
May you like
HE SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT.
📖 The trust finally explained the money, but the threat against Ethan transformed a financial secret into something that could tear the Bennett family apart. 👇
