The morning light cut sharp angles through her office blinds. Papers fluttered under the small desk fan. Grace sat motionless, staring at her screen.
The document she'd started last night glowed in front of her:
> WHO ELSE DID THEY LIE TO?
Below it, the list had begun to grow.
1. Ethan Warren — colleague, loyal. But how much did he really know?
2. Mia's best friend, Sienna Torres — vanished from Mia's social media six months ago.
3. Mark's business partner, Daniel Cole — the man who had introduced Mark to Mia at the firm dinner that started everything.
4. Mother — heart patient, fragile, living in denial.
5. Myself.
She stared at the last name until her vision blurred.
A soft knock on the door made her jump. Ethan stood there, holding two coffees. "Peace offering," he said with a small grin.
She accepted the cup, forcing a smile. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Doesn't mean I can't be nice."
He leaned against her desk, scanning her face. "You're deep in thought. Work?"
"Something like that," she said carefully.
He nodded toward the open document. "Looks serious."
Grace minimized it quickly. "Just… personal notes."
Ethan hesitated, then nodded. "You know, whatever you're digging into — just be careful. Curiosity's good. Obsession isn't."
"I'm fine," she lied again. "Promise."
He lingered another moment, eyes thoughtful, before heading out.
As soon as he was gone, Grace reopened the file. Her cursor hovered over Sienna Torres. She hadn't thought of Mia's best friend in years — not since that awkward night when Sienna had pulled her aside at a family party, eyes wide, mouth tight, whispering, "You should keep an eye on your husband."
Grace had laughed it off then. She couldn't even remember why.
She typed Sienna's name into a search bar.
Her heart skipped when a social media profile appeared — Inactive Account. The last post was from months ago: a beach photo with the caption, Some truths destroy. Some save.
Grace's fingers hovered over the mouse. She clicked the tag list — one other name appeared: Mark Warren.
The page refreshed — then glitched. The account disappeared.
A knock at her office door startled her again, this time harder. She slammed the laptop shut instinctively.
It wasn't Ethan this time. It was Daniel Cole.
Mark's partner.
He looked sharp as always — charcoal suit, faint cologne, eyes too careful. "Grace," he said smoothly, as if they'd met yesterday and not after her marriage imploded. "You've been hard to reach."
"What do you want, Daniel?"
He smiled faintly. "Just checking in. Heard you're back in the office. Thought maybe we could talk… privately."
She folded her arms. "About?"
"Mark," he said. "And Mia."
The air thickened. "What about them?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Let's just say, whatever you think you know… there's more. And it isn't as simple as an affair."
Her heart pounded. "Then what is it?"
Daniel looked at her for a long moment — weighing her reaction, maybe even her strength. Then he leaned in just enough to whisper:
> "You're not supposed to be alive."
Grace froze. "What did you just say?"
He straightened, buttoning his jacket. "I'll be in touch."
And before she could move, he was gone.
The door shut softly behind him, leaving her in the hum of the fluorescent lights, heart crashing in her chest.
She sat back down, staring at her dark screen. The cursor blinked like a pulse.
Slowly, she added a new line to her list.
6. Daniel Cole — knows something.
Then another message buzzed on her phone.
Unknown Number: You're getting close.
Her breath caught.
Outside, the city hummed like nothing had changed. But Grace knew — the ground beneath her life was no longer solid. Every word, every memory, every kiss had become a question.
And for the first time since that night, she wasn't just a heartbroken woman.
She was a threat.