Chapter 8: The Second House

The room went completely silent.

I looked at Luke, then at Ethan. Neither of them spoke.

My voice came out quieter than I expected. “What second house?”

Luke's face changed. Just for a second, the confidence disappeared from his eyes.

Then he reached for his phone.

“It's nothing,” he said.

“Then why is Maya asking whether I found out about it?”

He didn't answer.

Ethan stared at his brother. “Luke.”

Luke finally looked at him. “Stay out of this.”

That was when I understood this was bigger than a secret marriage.

I opened my laptop and turned it toward them. “Six years of my savings. A twelve-thousand-dollar deposit. Your credit cards. Your bills. Your expenses. And now I'm hearing about a second house.”

Luke rubbed his forehead. “Elena, you don't understand the situation.”

“Then explain it.”

He remained silent.

Ethan slowly sat down. “Where is this house?”

Luke's jaw tightened.

“Outside Charlotte,” he finally said.

My stomach dropped. “You bought another house?”

“Not yet.”

“Then what did you do?”

Luke looked at me, and I saw the answer before he said it.

“We made an offer.”

I stared at him.

“We?”

He didn't correct himself.

Maya and Luke hadn't just married behind my back. They had already started building a life together—and somehow, they had planned for my money to help pay for it.

I closed my laptop.

“Give me the address.”

Luke shook his head. “Elena, please.”

“Give me the address.”

Ethan looked at his brother. “Luke, you need to tell her everything.”

For the first time that night, Luke looked afraid.

And I knew whatever was waiting at that second house was going to change everything.