“What will he do?” I asked.
Mrs. Alvarez stood. “Something careful, I hope.”
“That doesn’t sound reassuring.”
“It’s the only thing that matters. Powerful men acting on anger can make a terrible mess, even when they mean well.”
Before I could answer, voices sounded outside.
Two men.
One was Ethan.
The other was unfamiliar, older, firm, controlled.
The kitchen door opened after a brief knock. Ethan entered first, his expression unreadable. Behind him stood a broad-shouldered man in a charcoal coat with silver at his temples and a leather folder tucked beneath one arm.
Ethan looked at Mrs. Alvarez. “Thank you, Maria.”
She inclined her head and left, but not before squeezing my shoulder once.
The stranger stayed near the door.
“Ivy,” Ethan said, “this is Daniel Cho, head of Caldwell Group security. He is not here to question you like a suspect. He is here because evidence matters.”
The word evidence made my stomach twist.
Daniel’s voice was calm. “Ms. Carter, I’m sorry this happened. I need to ask only what is necessary right now. Nothing more.”
I nodded.
Ethan remained across the island, giving me space. That mattered more than I expected.
Daniel opened the folder. “Mr. Caldwell located Ryan Mercer in the east garage. He is off the property now.”
My breath caught. “You let him leave?”
“We escorted him out,” Ethan said. “Without warning him why.”
I stared at him.
His jaw tightened, barely. “If I confronted him the way I wanted to, he would have known what to hide.”
Daniel added, “The loading dock cameras cover part of the dumpster area. We’re pulling footage now. We’re also preserving access logs and vehicle records from tonight.”
Footage.
The brick wall. Ryan’s hand around my throat. My face turning away.
For one dizzy second, I thought I might be sick.
