Chapter 6: The Secret Naomi Never Told Anyone
Marcus didn’t speak.
He couldn’t.
The sentence kept replaying in his head.
“He wasn’t hiding from Adrian.””
Naomi’s voice had become a whisper.
“He was hiding from me.””
The woman who had stood in front of him with confidence.
The woman who had looked Adrian in the eyes without fear.
The woman who told him the truth about Ethan’s disappearance.
Now she looked like someone watching her entire world collapse.
Marcus slowly lowered his phone.
“Naomi.””
She didn’t look at him.
“I know what you’re thinking.””
“Do you?””
“Yes.””
Her voice cracked slightly.
“You think I lied.””
Marcus stayed quiet.
Because he didn’t know what he thought.
Three days ago, he didn’t even know her name.
Now he was standing in the middle of a mystery involving a missing man, stolen money, secret messages, and a video that made no sense.
“I don’t know what to think,” he finally said.
Naomi nodded.
“That’s fair.””
“No, it’s not.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“Because every time I think I understand something, another piece appears.””
She looked down.
“I know.””
“You told me Ethan disappeared.””
“He did.””
“You told me he was afraid of Adrian.””
“He was.””
“You told me you helped him hide.””
“I did.””
“But now there’s a video of him saying he was hiding from you.””
Naomi closed her eyes.
“I knew this would happen.””
“What would happen?””
“That eventually, the truth would sound worse than the lie.””
Marcus studied her.
“What truth?””
For several seconds, Naomi said nothing.
Then she walked toward a nearby bench and sat down.
Marcus followed.
She looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like she had been carrying a heavy box for years and finally didn’t have the strength to hold it anymore.
“I didn’t tell you everything about Ethan.””
Marcus sat across from her.
“I figured.””
Naomi gave a small, sad smile.
“Can you blame me?””
“I don’t know yet.””
That answer hurt.
He saw it.
But she nodded.
Because it was honest.
“Before Ethan disappeared, things weren’t good between us.””
Marcus waited.
“Everyone thought we were perfect.””
She laughed quietly.
“We weren’t.””
“What happened?””
Naomi looked at her hands.
“I found out Ethan had been lying to me.””
Marcus frowned.
“About Adrian?””
“No.””
The answer surprised him.
“Then what?””
“About money.””
Marcus listened carefully.
“He told me his company was struggling.””
“Was it?””
“No.””
She looked up.
“It was doing better than ever.””
“Then why lie?””
“I don’t know.””
“Did you ask him?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“He said he was protecting me.””
Marcus shook his head.
“Protecting you from what?””
“From the truth.””
“What truth?””
Naomi looked away.
“That he wasn’t as successful as everyone thought.””
Marcus waited.
“That doesn’t explain hiding money.””
“No.””
She looked uncomfortable.
“There was another account.””
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind of account?””
“An account with money I didn’t know existed.””
“How much?””
“Enough to change everything.””
“Did you accuse him of stealing?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because I didn’t know.””
She took a breath.
“I thought maybe he had a business reason. Maybe there was something I didn’t understand.””
“That sounds reasonable.””
“But then I found something else.””
“What?””
“A storage unit.””
Marcus frowned.
“A storage unit?””
“Yes.””
“What was inside?””
Naomi looked at him.
“Documents.””
“About Adrian?””
“No.””
The pause bothered him.
“About who?””
She whispered:
“Me.””
Marcus felt a chill.
“What do you mean?””
“I found files with my name on them.””
“Files?””
“Yes.””
“What kind of files?””
Naomi’s face tightened.
“Information.””
“Like what?””
“Old addresses. Family details. Personal things.””
Marcus stared.
“Why would Ethan have that?””
“I didn’t know.””
“And you confronted him?””
“Yes.””
“What did he say?””
Naomi looked away.
“He said he was trying to protect me.””
Marcus frowned.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“I know.””
“But nobody explains anything.””
“I know.””
She looked frustrated.
“Because sometimes the people who say they’re protecting you are actually the ones keeping you trapped.””
Marcus stayed quiet.
That sentence sounded like it came from experience.
“Did Ethan hurt you?””
Naomi looked at him.
The question surprised her.
“No.””
“Did he threaten you?””
“No.””
“Then why did you say he was hiding from you?””
Her expression changed.
“Because of what happened after I found the files.””
“What happened?””
Naomi took a deep breath.
“I confronted him.””
“When?””
“The night before he disappeared.””
Marcus leaned forward.
“What did he say?””
“He said he knew I would find out eventually.””
“Find out what?””
She swallowed.
“That he had been watching me.””
Marcus froze.
“What?””
“Not like a stranger.””
“What do you mean?””
“He knew things about me that I never told him.””
“Such as?””
“My schedule.””
“My passwords.””
“Places I had been.””
Marcus stared.
“Naomi…”
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds like you were with someone dangerous.””
She looked down.
“That’s what I thought.””
“What happened next?””
“He apologized.””
“For what?””
“For everything.””
“Did you believe him?””
“No.””
“Then why help him?””
Naomi looked at the ground.
“Because the next morning, he sent me a message.””
“What did it say?””
She took out her phone.
Her fingers shook slightly.
She opened an old conversation.
The last message from Ethan.
Marcus read it.
“Naomi, if you still believe there’s good in me, meet me alone. If not, I understand.””
Marcus looked up.
“You met him?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“A parking garage.””
“And?””
“He looked terrified.””
“Of Adrian?””
Naomi hesitated.
“Yes.””
“But you just said he was hiding from you.””
She closed her eyes.
“Because I think he was afraid of what I knew.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What did you know?””
Naomi didn’t answer.
“Naomi.””
She looked at him.
Then quietly said:
“I knew Ethan wasn’t the victim everyone thought he was.””
The words hung between them.
Marcus felt the weight of them.
“What does that mean?””
“It means Ethan did something.””
“What?””
“I don’t know.””
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“Then why say it?””
“Because I saw his face.””
“What about it?””
“Guilt.””
Marcus watched her.
“You think he did something wrong?””
“Yes.””
“And you still protected him?””
Naomi looked at him.
“He was still someone I loved.””
The honesty surprised Marcus.
Not because it was romantic.
Because it was human.
People weren’t simple.
Sometimes they loved people who hurt them.
Sometimes they protected people who didn’t deserve it.
Before Marcus could respond, his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Both of them looked at it.
Naomi’s expression changed.
“Don’t answer.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because whoever is calling wants you to answer.””
“That’s usually how calls work.””
She didn’t smile.
“Marcus.””
He answered.
Silence.
For five seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a voice came through.
A voice Marcus recognized.
Ethan.
“Marcus?””
Marcus stood.
“Ethan?””
Naomi looked shocked.
The voice continued.
“I need you to listen carefully.””
“Where are you?””
“Don’t tell Naomi I called.””
Marcus looked at her.
She could hear his side of the conversation.
“What?””
Ethan’s voice became urgent.
“You think you know her.””
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
“Ethan, where are you?””
“I don’t have much time.””
“Tell me where you are.””
“I need you to understand something.””
“What?””
A pause.
Then Ethan said:
“Naomi isn’t the person you think she is.””
Marcus looked at Naomi.
Her face went pale.
Then Ethan said something that changed everything.
“The night I disappeared…”
His voice shook.
“I wasn’t running away from her.””
Marcus waited.
“I was running because I found out what she did.””
The call suddenly cut off.
Marcus stood frozen.
And across from him, Naomi whispered:
“He found out.””
“What?””
She looked at Marcus with tears in her eyes.
“The truth about me.””
A second later, Marcus’s phone received a final message.
This time, it wasn’t from Adrian.
It wasn’t from Ethan.
It was from Naomi’s number.
A message sent three years ago.
One she had never shown anyone.
May you like
And the words on the screen were only:
“I’m sorry, Ethan. You left me no choice.””
