Next day,
When Ethan returned home, he found Mia sitting on the edge of the couch, the photograph in her hand. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Mia?" Ethan asked, his voice filled with caution. He could see the shock in her expression, and for a moment, his stomach sank. "What's wrong?"
Mia held up the photo, her hand trembling as she pointed to it. "Why didn't you tell me about this, Ethan?
About Veronica?"
Ethan's face went ashen, and for a split second, Mia could see a flash of fear in his eyes. He closed the door behind him slowly, then crossed the room to sit beside her.
"Mia, I was going to tell you, "He said quietly, his voice tight with emotion. "But the time never felt right. I thought... I thought it was behind us."
Mia blinked, her mind reeling with a thousand questions. "What do you mean behind us? You and Veronica—what is all this?"
Ethan sighed deeply, his gaze shifting downward. "Before I met you, I was involved with Veronica. We were... close. Closer than I probably should have been. But it was complicated. It was a different time in my life, and it ended badly."
"How badly?" Mia asked, her voice sharp, feeling a sudden edge of panic rising in her chest. Ethan looked at her, his face full of regret. "When Veronica and I were together, there were things we got involved in—things that... weren't just about love. There were choices I made that I regret deeply. Choices that led to things I'd rather leave in the past. And when I met you, I knew I had to bury all of that. I couldn't bring it into our lives. I thought if I didn't speak about it, it would stay buried."
Mia's heart raced as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. "What happened to her? And why didn't you tell me about this? About the past that's clearly still haunting you?"
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his eyes filled with shame. "Veronica... disappeared. No one really knows what happened to her, but I do. She was mixed up with some dangerous people, people who weren't exactly friendly, and things spiraled out of control. She left everything behind and vanished one night without a trace. I thought I had lost her forever, and I promised myself I wouldn't get involved in that world again."
Mia swallowed hard, the weight of his words heavy in the air. "You're telling me Veronica... she disappeared? And you were involved in some dangerous stuff? Ethan, why didn't you trust me enough to tell me?"
"I didn't want to drag you into it," Ethan replied, his voice full of regret. "I thought I had put that life behind me. But I know now that keeping secrets from you was wrong. I'm sorry, Mia. I should've been honest from the beginning."
Mia's thoughts were a whirlwind. The man she had fallen in love with, the man she had chosen to spend her life with, had been hiding this entire past. A past that not only involved Veronica but was entwined with danger, deceit, and mystery. How deep did this go?
"Is that why you've been distant lately?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling. "Is this why you've been so secretive, because Veronica is still a part of your life in some way?"
Ethan's face tightened. "No. Mia, I haven't spoken to her in years. I didn't want anything to do with her—or that world. But... there's something I've been avoiding telling you. Something I never thought would resurface."
Mia's heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"I think she's alive," Ethan said in a low voice. "I think she's come back. And if she has, we're all in danger."