Emma stared at the screen long after Dominic's last message faded into silence.
In a meeting. Can't talk. Later.
Later had started to feel like exile.
Outside, the evening sky deepened into blue-grey shadows, the mansion quiet in that unsettling way that made every small sound echo louder than it should. She paced slowly across the room, barefoot against polished floors, her mind replaying Margaret's visit, every carefully chosen word.
Something wasn't right.
And she could feel it now….. like a thread pulling tighter around her chest.
The call came at 2:14 a.m.
Her phone vibrated.
Ethan.
She answered immediately.
"I checked," he said without greeting.
His voice sounded sharper, stripped of warmth. Professional. Controlled.
Emma swallowed. "And?"
"Dominic never boarded any flight to Singapore."
The words dropped heavily between them.
Her breath hitched. "What do you mean never?"
"I mean there's no departure record, no arrival record, no private jet filing under his name or company," Ethan said. "I went through commercial databases, aviation logs, even charter registries. Nothing."
Emma sat slowly on the edge of the bed.
"That's impossible," she whispered.
"I thought so too."
Silence stretched.
"So where is he?" she asked.
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"He's in the Maldives."
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
"The Maldives?" she repeated faintly.
"Yes. A private island resort. Ultra-luxury. Couples-only."
Couples only….
The word scraped painfully across her thoughts.
Emma closed her eyes.
"No," she said automatically. "There must be some mistake."
"There isn't," Ethan replied gently. "The booking was made four months ago through Sterling Group's corporate travel office."
Four Months ago.
Her heart pounded harder.
"Who made the booking?" she asked, voice barely steady.
Ethan hesitated.
Then exhaled.
"The authorization came from Dominic's office administrator."
Emma's stomach dropped.
"Vivian," he said quietly. "Vivian Clarke."
The name hit like cold water.
Vivian Clarke.
Emma's grip tightened as memories rose uninvited.
"I need to go, I will get back to you if I find something else..," Ethan added quickly. "Emma, listen ….don't confront him yet. Just… be careful."
The line went dead.
Emma lowered the phone slowly, her thoughts spiraling.
Vivian.
Of course.
The memory surfaced sharply.
******
The first time Emma had met Vivian Clarke was in Dominic's office.
She had walked in quietly, unsure of her place in a world that felt too polished, too expensive. The office had smelled faintly of leather and expensive perfume.
Vivian stood near Dominic's desk — tall, impossibly poised , blonde hair falling in smooth waves, blue eyes sharp and assessing, the kind of woman who looked more suited for a runway than an office.
Her blouse had been cut low, the fabric draping just enough to suggest rather than reveal, though nothing about her seemed accidental. Every movement looked practiced. Controlled. Designed to draw attention.
And Dominic had noticed.
Emma remembered the way Vivian leaned slightly closer than necessary when handing him files, her fingers brushing his arm casually she spoke, casual yet intimate. Her laugh was soft, almost mocking., lingering just a fraction longer.
A smile that wasn't entirely professional.
Blue eyes that assessed everything.
Including Emma.
Vivian's gaze had traveled over her slowly, calculating.
Then she had smiled … sweet but sharp.
"Oh," she had said lightly, as if surprised. "So this is Emma."
Dominic had introduced them quickly, dismissively.
"I'll just steal him for a few minutes," she added, leaning closer to Dominic, her voice dropping. "You know how lost you'd be without me."
Emma remembered stepping aside later, pretending to look at artwork on the wall while voices drifted from the adjoining hallway.
Vivian's voice, low and amused.
"Interesting choice," she had murmured.
Another voice laughed softly.
"Is this really who Dominic is settling for?"
Emma's stomach had twisted then.
She had told herself she misunderstood.
But the memory lingered.
The way Vivian's hand had rested on Dominic's arm.
The way Dominic hadn't pulled away.
******
Emma inhaled sharply, dragged back into the present.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
A chill ran through her.
She opened the message.
"People are not what they seem like."
Her pulse quickened.
Another message followed immediately.
"These are dangerous people."
Emma's breathing slowed instinctively, senses sharpening.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Who are you ?
….."I am the one trying to keep you alive."…..
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
Alive?
The word felt heavy. Wrong.
Her gaze lifted slowly to the silent room around her.
The house suddenly felt less like home and more like a stage set ….. every corner holding secrets she hadn't been meant to see.
Vivian Clarke.
The name echoed in her mind.
Confident smiles. Fingers brushing Dominic's sleeve.
And now… a couples retreat booked months ago.
Emma's stomach churned.
Had it been happening all along?
Every late meeting.
Every sudden trip.
Every moment Dominic seemed distant, unreachable.
Her phone buzzed again.
"Trust your instincts, Emma.
They have never been wrong."
Her throat tightened.
"Who is this?"
The typing bubble appeared.
Disappeared.
Then:
"Someone who sees what others ignore."
Emma's gaze hardened.
The pieces aligned too easily.
The flirtation.
The access.
The booking.
The lie about Singapore.
Her chest tightened painfully.
How long had she been blind?
Another message arrived.
"Don't let them know you're watching."
Emma exhaled slowly.
The air felt heavier now, charged with something darker.
Outside, the wind brushed softly against the windows, whispering against the glass.
And for the first time, Emma realized something terrifying:
This wasn't just about betrayal.
It felt like a game already in motion.
And she had only just realized she was a piece on the board
End of Chapter 6
******