Sweet Vengeances
Chapter 46: Whispers of Redemption

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Whispers of Redemption

Gold and scarlet streaks painted the sky as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. Lily sat with a hot cup of coffee in her hands in the living room of her small apartment. She barely noticed the scent permeating the room. She did not think about calm mornings. She had a lot of questions, all of them centered on Ethan and the web of lies that seemed to be encircling her.

Everything changed after Jack Monroe’s shocking disclosure. She couldn’t help but feel like a pawn in someone else’s risky game as the secure footing she had believed she had found crumbled beneath her. Something about Ethan’s raw, tormented expression made her want to trust him even if she had a gut feeling he wasn’t being totally honest.

Her stream of thinking was interrupted by the soft buzz of her phone. With hesitation, she took it up, and when she saw the caller ID—Jack—her heart sank.

Trying to hide the uneasiness in her voice, she responded, "Hello?"

Jack spoke in a clipped, piercing voice, "Lily, we need to talk." "I discovered something that you must see."

She gripped the phone more tightly. "What is it?"

"Not on the phone. In an hour, meet me at the Fourth Street warehouse.

Before she could ask any more inquiries, the line died. She put the phone down and felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach. Now what would Jack have discovered?

With its rusting appearance serving as a harsh reminder of the city’s abandoned parts, the warehouse loomed ahead. After parking her car a little distance away, Lily stepped outside and pulled her coat tighter to protect herself from the chilly weather. She had no idea what to anticipate, but every step she took made the uneasiness that was eating away at her worse.

Jack was waiting inside, close to a makeshift table covered in papers and pictures. When she walked up to him, he looked up grimly.

He motioned for her to sit down and said, "At first, I didn’t want to believe it, but the pieces are starting to fit together."

Lily scowled as she glanced at the pictures arranged in front of her. Images of transactions, property deeds, and surveillance photos of unknown people didn’t make sense at first. One name, however, jumped out at her as she skimmed the documents: Ethan Blake.

Her voice was hardly audible above a whisper when she queried, "What is this?"

Jack blew out his breath and combed his hair. "Lily, it’s a trail of deceit. Ethan has deeper ties to Cassandra than he has disclosed. Together, they have been transferring assets and embezzling funds through fictitious businesses. I believe that everything is connected to your husband’s business activities.

The weight of his words struck her, and her heart fell. Are you implying that Ethan was aware of Daniel and Cassandra’s affair from the beginning? That he has been involved in this from the start?

After hesitating, Jack nodded. "His involvement is indisputable, even though I don’t think his motives are totally evident. I’m not sure if he’s trying to protect you or is just using you. But Lily, you must exercise caution.

As Lily picked up one of the pictures, her hands shook. Ethan and Cassandra were seen standing together outside a modern office building in the hazy photo. Even though their faces were unreadable, there was no denying the closeness of their posture.

"What kept him from telling me?" More to herself than to Jack, she whispered.

Jack remarked somberly, "Perhaps he didn’t think you’d find out." "Or perhaps he kept you in the dark for personal reasons."

Lily’s thoughts were racing. She became enraged, not only at Ethan but also at herself for lowering her defenses. She had permitted herself to trust that he was different, to believe in him. Now, however, skepticism tainted everything.

Lily confronted Ethan in his posh apartment later that night. The sight of the sparkling city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows did little to ease her anxiety. As she tossed the pictures onto the coffee table between them, Ethan stood by the fireplace, his face impassive.

"Want to elaborate?" Her voice was sharp as she urged.

Ethan’s jaw tensed as he looked at the pictures. "Where were these purchased?"

"Is it important?" She fired back. "The reason you didn’t tell me the truth is the question. Haven’t you been collaborating with Cassandra the entire time?

His eyes were dark with something she couldn’t quite identify as he met her gaze. "Lily, it’s not what you think."

Her voice cracked as she added, "Then tell me about it." "Because it appears that you have been deceiving me from the beginning."

With a groan, Ethan combed through his hair. Yes, there is a past between Cassandra and myself. Indeed, I have been attempting to expose her plots. It’s not what you think, though. Because I didn’t want you to suffer, I kept it from you.

"Don’t give that to me," she yelled. "Have you not been playing both sides? Feigning concern for me while maintaining secrecy throughout.

Ethan took a step closer and added firmly, "I do care about you, Lily." "More than you know." However, this is larger than either you or me. Cassandra is doing more than only controlling Daniel. I’ve been attempting to stop her from being a part of something far more harmful.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Lily shook her head. "How can I be expected to trust you? after everything?

"Because I’ve been attempting to keep you safe," he replied, his tone becoming softer. "I need you to trust that I’m on your side, but you don’t have to believe me."

She looked for any hint of dishonesty in his expression, and her chest constricted. Even though her gut told her to be cautious, she wanted to believe him because of the unvarnished honesty in his gaze.

She muttered, "This does not mean I forgive you."

With a wounded gaze, Ethan nodded. "I don’t think you will. However, I swear to you, Lily, I will put things right.

Lily’s emotions were a jumbled mess as she left Ethan’s flat. She was no longer sure what to believe. One thing was for sure, though: the stakes were higher than ever, and continuing was the only way out.

A figure in the shadows, with their phone held to their ear, observed her from a distance. The voice said, "She is approaching too closely." "We must take action now before it’s too late."

Lily was about to discover just how risky the next move would be, and the game was far from ending.