Innocent until proven guilty

Chapter 121: Innocent until proven guilty

ETHAN

I barely had time to process the evidence I had gathered when my office door slammed open.

A man strode in, wearing an expensive suit, his face red with fury. I didn’t bother standing. I simply leaned back in my chair and watched him.

"You really think you’re untouchable, don’t you, Ethan?" He hissed, slamming his hands on my desk.

I remained calm. "And who the hell are you? Barging into my office like you own the place."

"Don’t play games with me," he snapped. "I know you had my late wife’s case reopened."

I tilted my head. "Ah, so words travel fast. That’s interesting."

His eyes darkened. "You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into."

I let out a small chuckle. "That’s where you’re wrong. I know exactly what I’m getting into. The question is…do you?"

Smith clenched his jaw. "Drop it, Ethan. I’m warning you."

I stood slowly, placing my hands on my desk as I met his gaze. "You don’t get to warn me. You think I don’t know what you and your company have been covering up? Your hands aren’t just dirty, Smith. They’re drenched in blood.”

Smith narrowed his eyes. "You think you’re some hero? That you’re going to expose me and walk away unscathed?" He leaned in closer. "You have no idea how deep this goes. You’re playing a dangerous game, Ethan."

I smirked. "And yet, you came all the way here just to tell me to drop it. That tells me one thing…you’re scared."

Smith's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Fear is for the weak. I don’t fear you, Ethan. But I pity you. You’re digging into something that will only bring you pain."

I arched my brow. "Pain?"

He nodded. "You care about that girl, don’t you? What's her name again? Mia?"

I kept my expression blank, moving close to him.

"Stay away from her," I said coldly.

Smith chuckled. "Or what? You’ll expose me? Good luck with that." He straightened his tie, his expression smug. "If I were you, I’d think twice before making any more moves. I’d hate to see something unfortunate happen."

I clenched my fists under the desk. "Are you threatening me?"

Smith shrugged. "I’m simply giving you a warning. Walk away from this case, Ethan. Before it’s too late."

“This only proves that you're guilty.” I smirked.

He threw his head back and let out a wild, crazed laugh. “What's that saying again? Yeah I got it. Innocent until proven guilty by the law.”

“We’ll see about that. See you soon, Smith.” I exclaimed as I watched as he turned and walked out of my office.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. He was shaken—I could see it in his eyes. He knew I was getting closer to the truth and now, he was trying to scare me into stopping. But if anything, his little visit had just made me more determined.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number I wasn’t sure would even be answered.

John picked up after the third ring. "I told you to stay the hell away from me and my family. Wasn't the beating enough?"

I took a deep breath. "John, listen to me. This isn’t about Mia. This is about Martha."

Silence.

I continued, "There’s something you don’t know about her death. And I think it’s connected to Smith."

There was more silence, then John exhaled sharply. "I don’t have time for your bullshit, Ethan."

"This isn’t bullshit. If you want to know the truth about what really happened to your wife, you need to come to my office."

There was a long pause. Then, finally he responded.

"I’ll think about it," John muttered before hanging up.

I set my phone down, my mind racing.

If John showed up, he’d have to face the truth. And if he didn’t… Well, then I’d bring the truth to him.

After our call, I sat in my office, waiting. The minutes dragged and part of me thought he wouldn’t show, that he’d let his anger win and ignore the possibility that his wife’s death wasn’t what it seemed.

But then, my office door swung open.

John walked in and shut the door behind him, then crossed his arms. "Say what you have to say. Quickly. Before I lose my calm and start tearing you apart."

I leaned forward, keeping my voice steady. "I think Smith Corporation had something to do with Martha’s death."

His eyes narrowed. “You think?"

I nodded. "There’s something I found in the documents Mia gave me. A word that kept appearing—‘Erevos.’ Does that mean anything to you?"

John’s brows furrowed. "Erevos?" He repeated the word as if testing it on his tongue, then shook his head. "Never heard of it."

I studied his face. He wasn’t lying—at least, not intentionally. But that didn’t mean the word wasn’t important.

John’s expression darkened. "Wait, Mia gave you Martha’s documents?" His voice was dangerously low.

I sighed, already seeing where this was going. "I asked her to look through Martha’s old things to see if there was anything related to Smith Corporation. She found those documents and handed them to me."

John’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "So you dragged my daughter into this mess? After everything I told you?"

"John, listen…"

"Don’t John me!" he snapped, his voice booming. He took a step closer, his rage simmering beneath the surface. "You have no damn right to involve my family in this. You already crossed the line by going after Mia. Now you’re digging up my wife’s past and dragging her into it too?"

"This isn’t about Mia," I said firmly. "This is about the truth. About Martha. About what really happened to her and what she wanted."

John let out a bitter laugh. "Oh you think you’re some noble investigator? That you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" He shook his head. "You’re doing this because you need something to justify what you’ve done. You need a reason for me to look at you and not want to rip you apart."

“That's not true, I've been investigating this case for a while now. I didn't even know that it had anything to do with Martha until a few days ago.” I responded, shaking my head.

He took a deep breath, his eyes burning with anger. "Stay away from my daughter, Ethan. And stay the hell away from my wife’s past. If you know what’s good for you."

Without another word, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

I sat there, my hands balled into fists on my desk.

John may not have wanted to hear it, but I knew I was onto something. Erevos. It had to mean something and no matter how much John wanted to shut me out…

I wasn’t going to stop.