CHAPTER 120: TESTIFY AGAINST HIS WIFE

~LAYLA~

I stared at Daniel’s text, my pulse spiking. Urgent? About Cassandra? He’d been out of town for days, missing the preliminary hearing entirely, and out of the blue, he’s sending this?

I glanced at Axel, who was laughing with a tech CEO just a few steps away, his charm dialled to maximum. The mixer’s warmth, soft jazz, clinking glasses, and couples mingling suddenly felt suffocating.

I slipped out to the porch, the cool night air hitting my skin like a slap. My hands trembled slightly as I dialled Daniel’s number.

"Layla," he answered on the first ring in a low and ragged voice. "Thank God. I’ve been trying to reach you for hours."

"What’s going on? Your message said it was urgent."

"I found something. Pills, hidden in Cassandra’s room. Mifepristone. Abortion pills." His words tumbled out fast and desperate. "She faked the pregnancy, Layla. The miscarriage, all of it was staged."

My breath caught in my throat. "You’re sure?"

"I found the receipt. It’s dated before the crash. I confronted her on the phone. She didn’t deny it, Layla. Just tried to spin it, make excuses." He paused, and I heard traffic noise in the background. "I’m done with her. I’m coming to you. I need to tell you everything."

"Where are you right now?" I gripped the porch railing, my mind racing through the implications.

"Driving back from upstate. But Layla, listen, something’s wrong. There’s a black sedan that’s been following me for the last twenty miles. There’s no plates, and I got a text before I called you from an unknown number. It said if I talk to you, I’m dead."

Ice flooded my veins. "Daniel..."

"Just watch your back, okay? If they’re following me, they might..."

The line went dead.

"Daniel? Daniel!" I pulled the phone away, staring at the screen. Call ended. I tried calling back immediately, but it went straight to voicemail.

My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. Was this tied to the threatening texts I’d been receiving? The ones about Eclipse Beauty, about backing off?

I needed Axel. Now.

I rushed back inside, scanning the room until I found him still by the bar, deep in conversation with the same CEO. When he saw my face, his smile faded instantly.

"Excuse me," he said smoothly to the CEO, moving toward me. "What’s wrong?"

I pulled him into a quiet corner. "Daniel just called. He knows Cassandra faked the pregnancy. He found abortion pills in her room with receipts from before the crash."

Axel’s jaw tightened. "He’s certain?"

"He confronted her. She didn’t deny it." I grabbed his arm. "But Axel, someone’s following him. A black sedan with no plates. He got a death threat telling him not to talk to me. Then the line just cut off."

"Did he say where he was?"

"Driving from upstate, probably heading to the house. We need to help him."

He nodded, his mind clearly working through options. "We can’t leave right now; it’s too suspicious. Vance is watching us, and so are the other investors. But I’ll call Tye, have him track Daniel’s phone location."

"Okay. Yes. Do that."

As Axel stepped away to make the call, Ellen Vance appeared at my elbow with a wide smile.

"Layla! You and Axel are absolute naturals at this. Everyone’s been saying how genuine you two seem together." She beamed. "Tomorrow’s trust hike is going to be perfect for you lovebirds. Blindfolds, guiding each other through the woods... really builds intimacy."

I forced a laugh that sounded hollow even to my own ears. "Can’t wait. Sounds... interesting."

"Oh, it is! One of my favourite parts of the whole retreat." She squeezed my arm. "Get some rest tonight. Early start tomorrow."

She moved on to another couple, and Axel returned moments later with a grim expression.

"Tye’s on it. Daniel’s phone pinged near a rest stop about forty miles from the house, but the signal was spotty. He’ll keep trying to track it and let us know the moment he gets a solid location."

"Forty miles? That’s close."

"Too close for comfort." His hand found the small of my back, guiding me toward the exit as couples began drifting away. "Come on. We need to talk privately."

Back in our cabin, I kicked off my heels with more force than necessary, watching them skitter across the hardwood floor. The single bed dominated the space, mocking our situation.

Axel loosened his tie, deliberately avoiding my eyes. "We’ll handle Daniel’s situation. But you need to try to rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day."

"Rest?" I snapped, whirling to face him. "Someone’s after Daniel, possibly trying to kill him, and you’re telling me to rest?"

"I’m not calm, Layla." His voice dropped low, controlled. "But we’re stuck here for the night. Leaving now raises questions we can’t afford. Tye is the best at what he does. If anyone can find Daniel, it’s him. And you and I need to stay focused, stay together on this."

"Together." The word tasted bitter. "Like that night when you pulled away?"

His expression tightened. "That’s not fair."

"None of this is fair!"

I moved to the bed, climbed onto it, and sat cross-legged, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Axel stood by the window, staring out at the moonlit lake.

The silence stretched between us.

"Layla," he said finally, turning to face me. "About that night..."

"Don’t." I held up my hand. "Just don’t."

"I need to explain. And also apologise. I’m sorry, okay? I know I said I was trying to protect you, but in truth... I don’t really know. I just..." he trailed off.

Another round of silence stalled between us, and I couldn’t help but replay his words in my head. I had every right to be angry, but at the same time, I understood our situation.

Just then, another thought occurred to me. "Wait. Do you think Daniel could be lying about all this? What if it’s another trap?"

Axel considered this, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "It’s possible. The timing is convenient, considering it’s right when we’re away from home, when we’re vulnerable."

"He sounded genuine, though. Scared, even."

"Cassandra’s taught him to be a good actor."

"But if he’s telling the truth about the pills, about Cassandra faking everything..." I wrapped my arms around myself. "That changes everything about the case. That’s proof of fraud, of conspiracy."

"Which is exactly why someone might want to silence him before he can testify."

Axel’s phone buzzed. He grabbed it immediately. "It’s Tye."

He answered, putting it on speaker. "Talk to me."

"I couldn’t find him." Tye’s voice was frustrated. "Phone’s either off or destroyed. Last ping was at that rest stop, but by the time I got someone there, nothing. There’s no car, no Daniel, no witnesses."

My stomach sank. "If what Daniel said is true about the pills, we’ll need him to testify against Cassandra. His testimony could be the evidence we need."

Axel’s eyes narrowed. "Do you think he would actually testify? Go against his wife?"

"That’s not the issue right now," I said, my voice shaking despite my attempt to sound steady. "The issue is... where the fvck is he now?"