At that moment, Sara suddenly froze in disbelief. The name Marcus Hale hung in the air like a curse. Ethan studied her face carefully, trying to get her reaction."Sara," he said softly and stepped closer. "Who is Marcus Hale?"Her knees felt weak, and she sank onto the couch. Her hands trembled. "Marcus was someone I used to know," she replied finally. "Before Noah. Before my life fell apart."Ethan's sharp gaze stayed steady. "Was he dangerous?"Sara's laugh was harsh and hollow. "Dangerous? He was toxic, manipulative, and cruel. But when I finally managed to get away, I thought I was free. But now—" her voice cracked. "Now you tell me someone is using his name? That he's back?"Ethan crouched in front of her and took her hands in his. "Sara, if he's tied to this, we need to know everything. What happened between you and Marcus?"She hesitated, the weight of her buried past threatening to crush her, but Ethan's steady gaze gave her strength."I met Marcus when I was almost twenty," she began. "He was charming and very wealthy: persuasive, the whole boy-girl-thing. It started like a fairy tale. But it didn't take long to see who he really was. Controlling. Violent."Ethan's jaw tightened. His hands instinctively gripped hers a little tighter."I tried to get away from him so many times," Sara continued, her voice shaking. "But every time he found some way to pull me back. He just had this... power over me. I thought I could never escape.""But you did," Ethan said, his voice low and reassuring.She nodded. "One night, I just left everything and vanished. Changed my name, moved to another town, started from scratch. Never looked back."Ethan's expression turned to a frown. "How did he die?"After a pause, Sara explained, "There was an accident...a fire at his estate. They said he didn't make it. I never confirmed, but I had to believe that he was gone."Ethan stood and paced the room. "If Marcus is alive-or if someone connected with him is using his name-then this is not just a random threat. They are targeting you for a reason."Sara felt nausea wash over her. "What do they want with me?"Ethan turned to her, his expression dark. "That we need to find out."---That evening came when Sara sat by the window looking out on the thick forest surrounding this isolated place. The silence felt oppressive, and her mind was racing with more questions than she could find answers to.Entering the room, holding a phone, Ethan said as he sat beside her, "I had my team do some in-depth digging into the past of Marcus. They found something... disturbing."Sara turned to him, her heart throbbing. "What is it?".The look on Ethan's face was sombre. "The fire that supposedly killed Marcus? It wasn't accidental. It was arson."Her breath caught. "What?"."And here's the kicker," Ethan continued. "The investigation into his death is closed because the prime suspect disappeared. A woman. Her name was Sara Walker."Sara froze, her blood turning into ice. That was the name she'd had before she changed it.Ethan's gaze visited his soft expression with a tinge of suspicion. "Sara..." He breathed. "Is there anything you haven't told me?"The words refused to form in her throat as she battled some heavy emotion that bottled up the thoughts in her head. "I didn't...I didn't," she said at last. "But I was there that night; tried to leave him for good. We fought, and I ran. When I heard about the fire later, I thought..." trailing the last phrase just above a whisper."You thought it was all over," Ethan finished.That made her eyes fill with tears as she nodded in confirmation. "I was so scared, Ethan. I just didn't know what to do. So I ran. I left without looking back."Ethan leaned in with a firm voice that was certainly not kind. "Sara, if someone knows about that night, then they can use it against you; we have to find out who."Before her lips could form words, the buzzing sound continued-invading their conversation. Ethan squinted at the light flashing on his phone's screen, and deepened his frown."What now?" came Sara's nervous inquiry."They traced the source of the notes," Ethan said and his voice became uncharacteristic tightness. "It's a property owned by Marcus. An estate just outside the city."The edifice in her heart crumbled. "The estate? But… it's been burnt down."Ethan shook his head. "It's a new reconstruction, under another name. It has been turned into a base by someone."Sara was trembling on her feet." They must be kidding." What do you mean? Marcus is alive? He has been watching me all this time?Ethan cupped her shoulders gently and steadied her. "I don't know. But we're going to find out."---By the time the sun started setting, Ethan had managed to arrange for a small investigation around the estate. He made her promise that she would stay with Noah, but she wouldn't accept."This is my past, Ethan," said she, "and I must meet it."He reluctantly acquiesced but not without precautions. He left Noah in the charge of trusted security personnel, making sure the boy would be safe.As they drove through the darkened woods toward the estate, Sara was unable to erase the nagging thought that they were heading straight into danger.The grand, creepy property stood still as the car stopped in front of it; the reawakening mansion loomed over the darkizing night sky, windows dark and inclined as if drawing in dirt and enough dust.Ethan's team moved silently, scouting the area. Ethan and Sara stayed back, hidden near the tree line."This place..." Sara whispered, her voice trembling. "It feels wrong.""That's why I'm here," Ethan said, reassuringly putting a hand on the back of her shoulder. "We're just here to gather information. Stay close to me."They crept toward the mansion with a crunch of leaves underfoot but soon picked out the low creak emerging from inside.Ethan motioned for Sara to stay put as he advanced forward with his flashlight cutting through darkness.The door swung open.And standing in the shadows was a figure they couldn't quite see."Who's there?" Ethan demanded, in a sharp voice.The figure stepped into the light, and the gasp of Sara cut through the silence.It was Marcus.His face was older, lined with scars, but his eyes held the same cold, cruel gleam she remembered."Hello, Sara," he said, voice dripping with malice. "Have you missed me?"---To Be Continued...