CHAPTER 27: THE ARREST

Police raided the location written on the paper.

It was empty.

They found medical equipment, burned photographs, and a chair fitted with restraints.

No Evelyn.

No William.

No Noah.

Then forensic results arrived from the hotel elevator.

Ethan’s fingerprints had been found on the manual brake.

Detective Grant came to the hospital with two officers.

“Ethan Carter, you are under arrest for sabotage, reckless endangerment, and attempted homicide.”

Amelia stared at her.

“He was with the rescue team.”

“The prints were beneath the control cover. They could have been left earlier.”

Ethan did not resist.

“They were planted.”

Detective Grant handcuffed him.

“We will investigate that claim.”

Mara stepped forward.

“You cannot prove when those prints were placed.”

“We also recovered deleted messages from his phone.”

She showed them a printout.

One message had been sent to William the night of the gala.

IT HAS TO HAPPEN TONIGHT.

Ethan read it twice.

“I never sent that.”

Another message followed.

SHE WILL BE IN THE ELEVATOR AT MIDNIGHT.

Amelia’s face went cold.

“I didn’t send those,” Ethan repeated.

“Your phone did.”

“My phone disappeared for twenty minutes after I met Claire.”

“You never reported it missing.”

“I thought I left it in the hotel room.”

Detective Grant led him toward the elevator.

Ethan stopped in front of Amelia.

“I made unforgivable choices.”

She said nothing.

“But I did not try to kill you.”

Amelia looked into his eyes.

For the first time, she could not tell whether she was seeing truth or another version of guilt.

The elevator doors opened.

As Ethan entered, the lights flickered.

He froze.

Amelia saw the fear on his face.

Then his phone, sealed inside an evidence bag, began ringing.

Detective Grant answered on speaker.

Claire’s voice whispered:

“Ethan didn’t stop the elevator.”

“Where are you?” the detective asked.

Claire ignored her.

“Morales planned the delay.”

“Why?”

“To force William into the open.”

A crash sounded.

Claire gasped.

Then she said:

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“But Morales is not Julian Whitmore.”

The call ended.