Chapter 2 - THE EMPTY COFFINThe rain began to pour just as the last police cruiser pulled away from the cathedral, its red and blue lights reflecting off the slick pavement. Inside the empty sanctuary, the smell of white lilies had turned sour. The grand cathedral, which only an hour ago was filled with the elite of Los Angeles society, now felt like a desolate tomb.
I stood beside the massive, sealed mahogany casket. My fingers trembled as I brushed them against the cold, polished wood.
"Sterling," I said, my voice cracking in the silence. "Explain it to me. Right now. If Ethan isn't dead, whose funeral did I just attend?"
Sterling Hayes locked his briefcase with a sharp click. He walked over to the casket, pulled a small silver key from his breast pocket, and inserted it into a hidden keyhole near the brass latch.
"The police were paid off by Evelyn's contacts to close the crash investigation quickly," Sterling explained calmly. "They claimed the body was recovered forty-eight hours after the crash, burned beyond recognition, and rushed the cremation authorization straight to Evelyn. But Ethan knew they would do that."
With a soft click, the heavy lid of the casket unlocked. Sterling slowly lifted it open.
I stepped closer, my heart hammering against my chest, preparing myself for a horrific sight.
Instead, the coffin was completely empty.
Inside lay only a heavy Kevlar vest, a laptop connected to a satellite uplink, and a sealed black envelope with my name written in Ethan’s precise, elegant handwriting.
I sank onto a wooden pew, grabbing my stomach as a sharp pain shot through my core. "He lied to me... He let me believe he was dead for four days! I went through hell, Sterling! I thought my baby would grow up without a father!"
"He had no choice, Sarah," Sterling said gently, sitting next to me. "If you had known the truth, your reactions wouldn't have been genuine. Evelyn’s surveillance team watched your house twenty-four hours a day. If you hadn't shown real, devastating grief, Evelyn would have known it was a setup. She would have launched her backup plan immediately."
"And what is her backup plan?" I demanded, tears of frustration hot on my cheeks.
Sterling pointed to the black envelope in the coffin. "Read it. He explained everything."
With shaking hands, I tore open the seal and unfolded the heavy paper.
My dearest Sarah,
If you are reading this, Evelyn and Madison have been taken into custody, but our nightmare is far from over. The Carter family empire is built on a lie that spans thirty years.
My father didn't die of a heart attack twenty years ago. Evelyn murdered him to take control of Carter Enterprises. For the last five years, I have been secretly auditing the company's hidden accounts. I discovered that Carter Enterprises is not just a real estate giant—it is a laundering front for an international syndicate known as The Apex Group.
Evelyn isn't the head of this beast; she is merely a manager. The true leaders of Apex realize I found their vault codes. When they realized I knew the truth, they ordered my execution.
I had to vanish to survive. But more importantly, I had to draw them into the light.
In my desk drawer at our Malibu home, behind the false panel, you will find a ledger bound in red leather. Do not give it to the police. Do not give it to Sterling. Keep it on your person at all times.
Trust no one, Sarah. Not even the people who claim to protect you.
I will come back for you and our child. I promise.
Yours forever,
Ethan
My hand shook so violently the paper rattled. I looked up at Sterling. His face was calm, professional, completely unreadable.
Trust no one. Not even the people who claim to protect you.
Ethan’s warning echoed in my brain like a alarm.
"What does the letter say, Sarah?" Sterling asked, taking a step toward me, his hand reaching out slightly toward the paper. "Does he mention where he is hiding?"
I quickly pulled the letter back, folding it tight and slipping it inside my maternity coat.
"No," I lied smoothly, forcing my face into a mask of exhaustion. "He just... he apologized. He said he had to go into hiding to stay alive and that you would handle the legal side."
Sterling’s eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, a fleeting gesture that would have gone unnoticed had I not been looking for it. Then, his professional smile returned.
"I see," Sterling said smoothly. "Well, we need to get you out of here. The press is gathering outside, and the estate needs to be secured before Evelyn’s lawyers attempt to file for emergency asset freezing."
"I want to go back to the Malibu house," I said firmly.
"Is that wise?" Sterling frowned. "It’s a crime scene area now. Evelyn’s associates might still be monitoring it."
"It’s my home," I insisted, standing up and placing my hand firmly over my pocket. "And Ethan left his instructions."
Sterling stared at me for a long moment, then bowed his head slightly. "As you wish, Mrs. Carter. My car is waiting at the side entrance."
We walked out into the pouring rain. As Sterling opened the door to his black town car, my phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out stealthily. It was an anonymous text message from an untraceable number:
DO NOT GET IN THE CAR. STERLING WORKING FOR APEX. LOOK UP AT THE TOWER.
May you like
My heart stopped. I slowly turned my head and looked toward the bell tower across the street from the cathedral. Standing in the shadows of the arched window, high above the wet pavement, was a tall figure wearing a dark trench coat.
He held a laser pointer, aiming a tiny red dot directly onto Sterling Hayes’s chest.
