Chapter 3 - The Burner Phone
The concrete walls of the holding cell felt like a freezing tomb.
I sat on the metal bench, shivering in the black dress I had worn to bury my family just hours ago.
The heavy steel door finally clanked open.
A tall, sharp-suited man with silver hair stepped into the room and placed a leather briefcase on the table.
"I am Arthur Vance, Ethan's former corporate attorney," he said quietly.
I frowned, because Ethan was just a high school science teacher.
"Ethan did not have a corporate attorney," I replied, pulling my thin jacket tighter around my shoulders.
Arthur smiled sadly and opened his briefcase.
"Your husband kept many secrets to protect you from the people he left behind," Arthur explained.
He handed me a small, prepaid burner phone that looked completely untraceable.
"Ethan knew your brother was stealing money from a dangerous cartel through his restaurant," Arthur continued.
My blood ran completely cold.
"Julian owes three million dollars to men who do not forgive debts," the lawyer stated.
Arthur explained that the corrupt detective who arrested me was actually on the cartel's payroll.
My parents had struck a deal with the cartel to hand me over as collateral for Julian's debt.
"If you stay in this jail cell tonight, you will not survive until morning," Arthur warned.
He handed me a set of civilian clothes and a guard's keycard.
"I have bribed the night shift supervisor," Arthur whispered.
"You have exactly five minutes to walk out the back door and disappear."
I quickly changed into the oversized hoodie and dark jeans.
I asked Arthur why he was risking his own life and career to help me.
He looked at me with deep sorrow in his eyes.
"Because the car crash was not meant for Ethan," Arthur said.
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My heart stopped beating for a terrifying second.
"The hit was meant for you, Maya, and Julian is the one who ordered it."
