Echoes of the Past

Chapter 27

"No... no, what are you saying?" she replied, but the panic in her voice was unmistakable. I could see through her denial.

I felt like the ground was crumbling beneath me. My knees almost gave way, so I sat down, my mind racing, trying to make sense of everything. "Tell the fucking truth!" I shouted, my voice cracking with rage. She jumped, startled by my outburst.

"What is your father doing?" I demanded, my voice now cold and steady. "I know he's stealing from me. He's using my money to pay his debts, thinking I don't realize. He's involved in some filthy business in the Bahamas, and by coincidence, Ava was in the Bahamas." I pulled out the photo and shoved it toward her. "Who is this?" I asked, showing her the man with the fish.

She glanced at the photo, her face draining of color. "Where did you get that?"

"Just answer," I insisted, my patience wearing thin.

"That's Austin, an old friend of Dad's. He died two years ago. Why?"

"He's the owner of the island where Ava was kept!" I shouted, the revelation hitting her like a punch. She staggered slightly, grabbing onto the armchair for support. Too many coincidences were piling up, and I knew I had to act.

"I'm going to the police," I declared, standing up, ready to end this charade.

"No... please, James, don't do it... I'm pregnant, I don't want to end up in prison. Please... I had nothing to do with Ava's kidnapping. I was forced to do this... I'm sorry," she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Forced to do what? Explain yourself," I demanded, my voice like ice.

She started to cry, her sobs choking her words. For a moment, she couldn't speak. Finally, she broke down completely. "I... I was forced to marry you... I never loved you, James."

Her words were like a knife to the heart. I felt a lump forming in my throat as the full weight of her confession sank in. "What are you saying?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"My father's business had been going bad for years," she explained between sobs. "Then he met your father, and they thought that if I married you and merged your business with his, they could save it. He forced me to go along with it, and I had no choice but to marry you. He's always controlled my life. When I met Justin, I realized I couldn't keep going on with our marriage. I love you as a friend, but I've never been in love with you."

I felt like I was drowning, my world spinning out of control. "Then why did you try to break my marriage with Ava? Why did you keep coming after me even after we divorced?"

"When I left you, my father threatened me. He would take everything from me—the house, the car. He kept saying that if you didn't stay his partner, he was doomed. When you married Ava, he was on the verge of desperation, but he calmed down when you didn't mention leaving. Then Ava insisted that you leave and start your own business, and he turned his anger on me. He kept pushing me to get back to you. So I tried, even though I didn't want to. But you loved Ava so much that I couldn't compete. Then Cole came into the picture, and everything fell apart."

I could barely breathe as the truth spilled out. "You once told me you'd never leave Ava unless she left you, and I told my father, hoping he'd finally let me live my life with Justin. So he decided to get rid of Ava."

"Oh my God... You knew and said nothing," I accused, my voice breaking.

"No, I didn't know! He didn't tell me what he was going to do. For a while, I really thought she had left with Cole. But then he started pressuring me again, saying this was the time to win you back. He wanted me to get pregnant with your child, hoping a baby would reunite us."