I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 09

I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 09

“Did you permanently delete the backup from the pool cameras?”

The housekeeper began crying.

“Something terrible happened, Ms. Lane.”

“The safe in Mr. Caldwell’s study was opened.”

“Everything inside is gone.”

Tessa jumped to her feet.

An empty pain twisted through her abdomen, and she braced herself against the bed.

“What was taken?”

“The transfers you made to the treatment center and the medical reports.”

Tessa’s vision darkened.

She had assumed Adrian kept those records in the safe so he could protect her.

Now they were all gone.

She clenched her teeth.

“Who took them?”

The housekeeper choked out her answer.

“Someone delivered an urn a few minutes ago.”

Tessa stared.

“What?”

“It was the urn Ms. Hale carried before.”

“There was a hidden compartment in the base.”

“Mr. Caldwell’s men found a key and a micro storage card inside.”

Tessa’s knees weakened, and she sank onto the bed.

The urn.

From the beginning, Maren had hidden evidence inside the urn that supposedly held Adrian’s ashes.

She had carried it onto the engagement yacht.

She had held it while they humiliated her.

She had taken it with her when she left the Moonwake.

Everyone thought it represented her pathetic refusal to let go.

But the urn held a grave.

It was not Adrian’s grave.

It was a grave for the entire Caldwell family.

At three in the morning.

Adrian reached the ruins of the treatment center.

The emergency lights painted the rainy night red.

A police officer stopped him.

“You cannot enter, Mr. Caldwell.”

Adrian answered coldly,

“I’m responsible for this facility.”

The officer’s expression sharpened.

“That is exactly why you need to cooperate with our investigation.”

A black SUV stopped beside the road.

The rear door opened.

A man in a gray suit stepped out beneath an umbrella.

He was Caleb Shaw, general counsel for Hale Group.

Caleb approached Adrian and handed him a legal complaint.

“Hale Group has filed suit against Caldwell Maritime.”

“The claims include misappropriation, fraudulent debt records, the unlawful confinement of Wesley, and

coercing Maren into making a false public statement.”

Adrian stared at him.

“Where is Maren?”

Caleb remained calm.

“You already received the report, Mr. Caldwell.”

“Ms. Hale died at sea.”

Adrian grabbed his lapels.

“Don’t play games with me.”

“Did she arrange all of this?”

Caleb let Adrian hold him without reacting.

“Before leaving Port Sterling, Ms. Hale executed every necessary authorization.”

“If anything happened to her, Hale Group was instructed to begin legal action automatically.”

“She also left a message for you.”

Adrian’s fingers stiffened.

Caleb said,

“She said, ‘Adrian, you’re finally free.”

The words opened Adrian’s chest like a slow, blunt blade.

He had claimed that she suffocated him.

So she had removed herself completely from his world.

She had taken Hale docks, money, routes, and connections with her.

She had left him nothing.

Adrian released Caleb.

Rain ran from his jaw.

He spoke quietly.

“I want to see Wesley.”

Caleb looked at him.

“Wesley belongs to the Hale family.”

“You have no legal or personal right to see him.”

Adrian jerked up his head.

“Where is he?”

Caleb did not answer.

Police officers approached from behind.

“Mr. Caldwell, come with us for questioning.”

Reid watched from a short distance as Adrian was taken to a police vehicle.

He did not move.

His phone suddenly vibrated.

It was a scheduled email.