The evening sky hung low behind the apartment windows. City lights glinted faintly before streaming into a room that felt far too quiet for two people who were supposed to support each other.
Sophia stood near the window. Her hands were folded across her chest not from cold, but because she needed something to hold back the tremors that had yet to subside. Marcus's words from last night still echoed in her head, like a recording playing on an endless loop without permission.
Your mother didn't die in an accident.
The sentence was simple, but its impact hit without mercy.
Ethan stood a few steps behind her. He had tried to speak three times since morning, only to stop each time he saw Sophia's unnaturally calm face. A calm that was not normal. A calm that was dangerous.
"I've already sent people to look for old archives from that hospital," Ethan said quietly at last. "And the police reports from that year too. We'll find out the truth."
Sophia did not turn around immediately. "We?"
Ethan fell silent.
He knew that single word held distance between them.
Sophia finally turned around. Her gaze was neither angry nor tearful. Only exhausted. "Since when did this become our business, Ethan? Didn't you also believe it was an accident back then?"
The question was not shouted, but it was enough to make Ethan's chest feel tight.
"I believed it because that's what everyone said," he replied. "And my father never denied it either."
Sophia smiled slightly. A smile that did not reach her eyes. "Yes. Your father."
The name hung in the air.
Marcus.
The man who had long been a hidden enemy, and now had torn open the past in the cruellest way possible.
Ethan stepped closer. "Sophia, I didn't know. I truly had no idea something was being hidden."
"Didn't know, or didn't want to know?"
The words hit harder than any accusation.
Sophia did not mean to hurt him, but wounds often speak faster than logic.
Ethan took a long breath. He tried to hold back the emotions that were beginning to creep in. "Do you think I would have stayed silent if I'd known about your mother… if someone had deliberately…"
"That's exactly it," Sophia cut him off. "I don't know who to trust anymore."
The room felt smaller by the second.
Sophia stepped away from the window and sat on the sofa. She bowed her head, staring at her clasped fingers. "All this time I've hated Marcus for how he treated my company. For how he forced me to submit through pressure and threats. But if he actually knew something about my mother… why did he only speak up now?"
Ethan sat down too, but kept his distance.
"That's what we need to find out," he said.
Sophia shook her head slowly. "No, Ethan. That's what you want to find out. I want to know if you're part of all this."
Ethan was stunned.
"What do you mean?"
Sophia finally looked him straight in the eye. There was a tremor there, and fear too. "Our company was almost bankrupt back then, then suddenly your father stepped in as an investor. He was like an uninvited saviour. As if he'd known everything would fall apart."
"That was a coincidence," Ethan said quickly.
"Are you sure?"
Silence.
Ethan tried to recall that time. Chaotic meetings, plummeting financial reports, bank pressure that came out of nowhere. He had always thought it was due to poor strategy and bad market conditions. But looking back, too many things felt… planned.
"If you suspect me," Ethan's voice was now quieter, "just say so directly."
Sophia swallowed. "I don't suspect you. I'm just scared."
"Scared of me?"
"Scared that you're caught between two worlds. And when the time comes to choose, you won't choose me."
Those words made something inside Ethan crumble slowly.
He had always believed he had made his position clear. He had defied his father. Leaked internal strategies. Even risked his reputation to protect Sophia. But all of it suddenly felt fragile when faced with an old, unhealed wound.
"I chose you a long time ago," Ethan said firmly. "I chose you even when you weren't sure about me."
Sophia closed her eyes for a moment. "I want to believe that."
"Then?"
"But every time I hear your father's name, something inside me freezes."
The words were not a threat. Not an ultimatum either. Only an honest admission.
Ethan realized this was no longer about business, or revenge. It was about a foundation that had started to crack. And small cracks, if left unattended, could bring down an entire structure.
"What exactly did Marcus say last night?" Ethan asked quietly.
Sophia took a long breath. "He said my mother didn't die at the scene. She was conscious for a while. She wanted to give a statement."
Ethan frowned. "A statement about what?"
"He didn't mention details. Only that there was a large transaction involving several companies including your father's one week before the accident."
Ethan's heart beat faster.
"That doesn't make sense," he said quickly. "My father is tough in business, but…"
"But you've never seen his dark side firsthand," Sophia cut in gently.
Ethan fell silent.
He had grown up in Marcus's shadow. He knew the man was ambitious, manipulative, and not afraid to destroy his enemies. But murder? Silencing a witness?
The accusation was too big.
Sophia stood up again, walking slowly toward the small kitchen and pouring water into a glass. Her hands were slightly shaking. "I always felt something was off that day. Mother left in a hurry. She didn't answer my questions. And that night, the police came with news that changed everything."
She took a sip of water, then continued, "If there was something she wanted to reveal, and someone made sure she never got the chance…"
Her words trailed off.
Ethan stood up and moved closer. He wanted to touch Sophia's shoulder, but hesitated. The distance between them was no longer just physical.
"I'll find out," he said. "And if my father is involved, I won't defend him."
Sophia let out a small, bitter laugh. "Easy to say."
"I'm serious."
"I know you're serious. But when the truth finally comes out, when the world sees your family as the mastermind behind my mother's death, are you ready to destroy that name?"
The question hung in the air for a long time.
Ethan did not answer immediately.
Because for the first time, he was not sure either.
Sophia saw the momentary doubt in Ethan's eyes, and that was enough.
"See?" she whispered.
Ethan shook his head quickly. "It's not that. I'm just thinking about the consequences."
"Consequences are always there," Sophia replied. "The question is, who is willing to bear them."
Silence fell over the room again.
Outside, the sound of traffic was faint. Life went on, streets remained busy, people still laughed in the restaurant across the way. Only in this room, time felt suspended.
"I need time," Sophia said quietly at last.
"Do you want to leave?" Ethan asked quickly.
"No. I just… need space to think. To make sure my feelings for you aren't clouding my judgment."
Those words cut deeper than any shout.
Ethan looked at her for a long time. "Do you regret loving me?"
Sophia was silent for quite a while before answering. "No. That's exactly what makes everything harder."
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
He had always known their relationship would not be easy. There were differences in background, family history, business rivalry. But he had never imagined the past would come back in such a cruel way.
Sophia stepped closer. For the first time since morning, she touched Ethan's hand. The touch was light, but enough to make both of them realize the thread between them was not completely broken yet.
"I don't want us to blame each other," Sophia said. "But I can't pretend everything is okay either."
"We'll get through this," Ethan replied.
"What if we don't?"
The question was simple, but honest.
Ethan squeezed Sophia's hand tighter. "If we don't get through it, at least we'll try honestly. No lies. No secrets."
Sophia looked at him for a long time, as if trying to find a crack in his words.
"I want to trust you," she said again.
"Trust me."
"Show me."
Ethan nodded slowly.
He knew this was not about sweet promises. It was about real action. About daring to dig into the past, even if the results were devastating.
Sophia slowly pulled her hand away. "I'll go back to my apartment tonight."
The words sounded like a final decision, even though they were spoken gently.
Ethan held back the urge to ask her to stay. He knew forcing her would only widen the distance between them.
"I'll drive you," he said simply.
Sophia shook her head. "No need. I want to be alone."
Ethan nodded.
He stood still as Sophia picked up her bag. Each step she took toward the door felt like seconds passing far too quickly.
Before opening the door, Sophia paused.
"Ethan."
"Yes?"
"If you find out something about your father later… don't hide it from me. No matter what it is."
Ethan looked at her steadily. "I won't."
Sophia nodded, then walked out without looking back.
The door closed softly.
Ethan stood where he was for a long time, staring at the empty space that had just been filled by the woman he loved.
The crack had not completely split them apart yet. But its thin line was already clearly visible.
And if he was not careful, if he took even one wrong step, that crack could turn into an abyss.
Ethan finally walked to his desk. He opened his laptop, then stared at the screen with a firm jaw.
If the truth was indeed hidden in the past, he would dig until he reached the bottom.
Not just to prove he was different from his father.
But to make sure this tested love did not fall apart before it could be saved.