Chapter 6
I reached for the hidden phone and typed out a short message to Ethan. [I need a divorce settlement drafted.]
His reply arrived several minutes later. [Paperwork is already being prepared. I also uncovered key information you asked me to look into.]
I typed back a quick response. [What have you found?]
Ethan: [Funds moved from Andrew's private Rilarian account three days before your health incident. The transfer totaled five million dollars. The recipient was a medical consulting firm registered in the Kamian Islands.]
My pulse spiked sharply as I stared at the words on screen.
Another message from him arrived quickly. [That firm links to a Dilasnian medical researcher named Hans Mueller. His work focuses on nerve-related medication and specialized studies into targeted nerve damage affecting vocal function.]
My fingers started to tremble. [What does that mean?]
Ethan: [I can't gather direct proof of Andrew arranging illegal dealings with this researcher. But I uncovered encrypted email records between Hans and Andrew's personal doctor.
[All attached files had been erased entirely. Small fragments still remained within original message subject lines.]
He paused the conversation for a moment, and then sent an image attachment with no further text.
The screenshot captured an email subject line printed in small font. The text was tiny and hard to read, yet I made out every word clearly.
It read: [Re: CLS—vocal cord protocol—final confirmation]
My mind fixed on the three-letter combination. Those letters didn't match the initials of my full name.
I sent my confusion to Ethan right away, and he replied within seconds. [The email logs clearly list CLS. I have run through every possible lead.
[It doesn't line up with Evelyn's legal or stage names. Her professional alias overseas carries a separate set of initials for official agency paperwork.]
[Then who does CLS stand for?] I asked.
Ethan: [There is no clear answer yet. The middle letter could link to common family names or unrelated labels. It may not reference a person's name at all and simply serve as a hidden project code.]
I sank into quiet thought over the strange detail.
The door swung open without warning before I could process the clue further. I quickly tucked the phone beneath my pillow and turned to face the doorway.
The visitor was the last person I expected to see. It was Vivian Lane, Andrew's mother and my mother-in-law.
She wore a tailored luxury designer set and carried a premium leather handbag, stepping into the room with sharp, commanding energy.
Her high heels clicked loudly against the floor. Two household staff followed closely behind while holding large gift baskets of fresh fruit.
"Charlotte." She drew out my name with a practiced smile that never reached her eyes. "I heard about your vocal injury. I came to see how you are holding up."
She settled on the edge of my bed and looked me over from head to toe. Her gaze lingered on my pale, weakened features before drifting away.
"You have grown far too thin these days." She patted the back of my hand in a tone that felt hollow and superior. "I will have the household prepare nourishing tonics to help you regain your strength.
"Every woman needs steady care to stay vibrant. Evelyn turned thirty some time ago yet still keeps soft, youthful skin. Years spent living abroad only refined her grace and gentle charm over time."
Open admiration and warmth filled her voice whenever Evelyn's name came up.
"Evelyn stopped by to see you today, I assume." She kept talking without waiting for a response. "I heard she cut short her performance commitment in Vestania and flew back on the first available flight to be here for you.
"She has such a kind, loyal heart. She reminds me so much of your mom back in the day."
When she mentioned "your mom", she didn't refer to my birth mother.
My real mother passed away when I was three years old, and my father raised me alone.
Evelyn's mother was my mother's younger sister and my aunt. Yet their family rarely offered support or kept in touch during the hardest years for my father and me.
"Charlotte." Vivian's voice pulled me back to the present moment. "I want to speak to you honestly as family."
She leaned closer and lowered her voice to a quiet murmur. "With your vocal injury, singing professionally is no longer an option.
"But don't worry. The Lane family will continue to provide for you generously.
"Focus on regaining your health and starting a family with Andrew. Living comfortably as his wife is the most secure future for you.
"A wife's true purpose lies in supporting her husband and raising their children. Those stage performances and public appearances were never meant to last a lifetime."
As she spoke, a faint sense of superiority crept into her tone. "Evelyn understands this perfectly. She knew exactly when to build her reputation abroad and when to return home.
"Her international experience has increased her value exponentially. Andrew's father has planned the most elaborate contract signing event in Starlight Entertainment's history for her.
"Half the entertainment industry will attend, and even city officials are expected to show their support."
She paused and studied my expression. Realization crossed her face that she had overstepped, so she quickly softened her tone to recover. "Of course, you will always hold your place as Andrew's wife and a member of the Lane family.
"That will never change. No matter how successful Evelyn becomes, she remains your cousin and family. You two could make an excellent team, one in the public eye and one providing steady support behind the scenes. That would benefit everyone."
She stood up with a smile and brushed imaginary wrinkles from her skirt. "I'll let you rest now. I'll visit again soon."
She reached the door and glanced back at me. Her eyes held a tangled mix of emotions, like pity, quiet contempt, a faint hint of satisfaction, and a clear sense that she had always seen this coming.
"Charlotte," she said in closing. "Learn to appreciate the good things you still have."
The door clicked shut behind her.
I lay in the hospital bed, listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor, and let out a sharp, bitter sound.
That laugh scraped through my damaged throat, rough, broken, like the cry of a lonely night owl. It sounded so harsh that I flinched at the noise.
Her words, "appreciate the good things I still have," echoed in my mind.
Andrew had destroyed my voice and claimed that it was more than I deserved.
Evelyn was taking over my life and framing it as family devotion.
Vivian wanted me to have a child, stay quiet, and step aside for Evelyn, and then told me to appreciate the arrangement.
Everyone of them smiled warmly, spoke of caring for my best interests, and insisted this was the best possible outcome.
Not a single person stopped to ask what I truly wanted.
I pulled the phone from under my pillow and sent a message to Ethan. [Keep investigating the CLS lead. Also, arrange a meeting with a lawyer on my behalf.]
His reply came quickly. [Will do. How are you managing physically?]
I replied: [Still breathing.]
Ethan: [Charlotte.]
I was confused. [What?]
Ethan: [I'm currently in Shaviston. I can come to you right away if you need me there.]
My throat felt tight as I read his message, stung by a dull, unclear ache.
I typed out: [The timing isn't right. I will reach out once I'm fully prepared.]
Ethan: [I will stay ready for you whenever the time comes.]
I set the phone aside and let my eyes fall shut.
The rough cry of a crow echoed outside the window. The sound drew nearer than it had the night before.