Chapter 64: The Secrets of My Enemy

Miranda

I woke up to the dim light of morning filtering through the curtains. Beside me, Magnus was still deeply asleep. But the peace that the morning brought us was abruptly interrupted by the insistent sound of the phone.

Patrick was calling, and from the urgency in his voice, I knew it wasn’t an ordinary call. I just hope it’s nothing bad.

“Patrick?” I answered with a mix of worry and sleepiness.

“Miranda, I need you to be ready in an hour. Someone has tried to buy my loyalty and wants to meet me at a place he proposed. I think it’s time to find out who’s behind all these threats.”

The news hit like a jolt of electricity, instantly clearing my sleep. I woke Magnus, sharing the urgency of the situation.

“What’s going on?” he asked, still dazed from sleep.

I quickly explained the situation as Patrick provided more details, from how he was contacted to the secrets this person was giving him about us. Sometimes I worried that my past would catch up with me, that some mistake I had made before could ruin everything I was building now.

“Alright, Patrick. We’ll be there. We’re going to find out who’s behind all this once and for all.”

After hanging up, I looked at Magnus, whose eyes expressed determination.

“We have to go, Magnus. We need to know who’s behind these threats and put an end to it once and for all, whoever it is will not ruin our wedding.”

He got out of bed, ready to face whatever was necessary.

“No one will ruin that, rest assured.”

We quickly got ready and headed to the agreed place. The tension in the air was palpable as we approached the meeting that would change the course of events. With each step, I clung to the hope that this time we would be able to end the mystery that had threatened our peace for so long. Uncertainty hung over us, but we were determined to put an end to all this.

We arrived at the meeting place following Patrick’s instructions. The atmosphere was tense as we advanced towards the designated point. Suddenly, a familiar figure emerged from the gloom: Hannah.

The surprise was reflected in our faces, but she greeted us with a cynical smile.

“Hannah? Are you the one who’s been behind all these threats?” I asked, incredulous.

She nodded, not losing that defiant smile, which only confused me more. She was supposed to be on our side, worry began to invade me, I thought my daughter could be safe with her, how wrong I was.

Now she has made it clear to me that an apple that begins to rot can never get better. What’s spoiled must remain that way, I will never let her get close to my daughter again.

“I regret the spectacle, but I needed your attention, Magnus. I needed to make sure you were going to fulfill your part of the deal.” Magnus frowned, demanding a clear explanation.

“What deal? What are you talking about?”

Hannah proceeded to reveal a prior agreement between her and Magnus, an agreement that involved a large sum of money in exchange for putting an end to the threats.

I was surprised and bewildered to discover that Magnus had been negotiating with the person who had kept us in doubt for so long.

“Magnus, how could you…?” Before I could finish my sentence, Magnus interrupted me.

“Miranda, let me explain. I didn’t want to put your safety or Melany’s at risk. I thought that if we could resolve this once and for all, it would be best for everyone.”

Although it was hard for me to accept, I understood the logic behind his decision. However, I felt that something fundamental had broken between us.

“Hannah, what else do you need to leave my family alone?”

Magnus asked, ready to fulfill his part of the deal. Hannah smiled satisfied, as if she had won a personal victory.

“This will be the last payment, Magnus. After this, I’ll disappear from your lives. You won’t have to worry about me.”

Magnus nodded, accepting the conditions to protect our family. Although the immediate threat seemed to dissipate, I couldn’t help but feel that something important had changed in our relationship.

We stood there, in that dark place, contemplating the consequences of our decisions as Hannah faded into the darkness, taking with her the secret of our lives and, evidently a large sum of money.

“I’m sorry” was all he could say.

“We promised there would be no more secrets.”

“It was about our daughter’s safety,” he reminded me, “and I also needed to keep you safe.”

“No more secrets,” I looked at him as if it were a plea.

“It was the last one, now that she’s gone from our lives there’s nothing else we should worry about.”

The tension of the night still hung in the air as we returned home. Silently, we walked down the hallway until we reached the living room, where we sat on the couch. The weight of recent events became evident, and I felt the need to share my thoughts with Magnus.

“Do you think we’ve been through too much, Magnus?” I asked, feeling the need to express the doubts that were on my mind.

Magnus took my hand and looked at me affectionately.

“Yes, it’s been a tough road, Miranda. But we’ve overcome each obstacle together, and that has made us stronger.” His words comforted me, but I was still worried about the impact of all these complications on our relationship.

“Sometimes I feel like the world is against us, that they don’t want to see us together, happy, as if it were fate or something.”

Magnus stroked my cheek tenderly.

“Nothing and no one can separate us, Miranda. Tomorrow, I’ll do everything I can to give you a relaxed and worry-free day. We need a break.”

I smiled at his gesture of affection and nodded.

“Thank you, Magnus. We need a day like that.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to a special place, and we’ll forget about everything for a while. I promise you.”

Although worries still weighed on my heart, I clung to Magnus’s promise and let his words ease my concern, although I admit it was hard to trust in it.

“I hope everything goes well tomorrow,” I said with a mix of hope and doubt in my voice.

“It will be a memorable day, rest assured.”

I wish I could believe him.