Franklin gestured for me to sit, his face a blend of urgency and reassurance. But my focus was on the figure by the window, partially concealed by the curtains. As they turned, the light revealed a woman I recognized instantly—Margaret, Edward’s colleague. The one I had presumed was just a work acquaintance. Her presence here was like a rogue wave crashing into my consciousness, a harbinger of secrets lurking beneath the surface.

“Marilyn, I need you to stay calm,” Franklin began, his eyes darting between me and Margaret. “What we’re about to discuss is confidential and could potentially put you in danger if mishandled.”

I nodded, my throat tight with anticipation and fear. Margaret stepped forward, her expression one of compassion mixed with a touch of regret. “I’m sorry to meet you under these circumstances, Marilyn, but there’s something you need to know about Edward’s work.”

Franklin leaned in, elbows on the desk, his face a mask of grim determination. “Edward was involved in a project—a project that was, let’s say, less than legal. He discovered a financial discrepancy, a massive one. He and Margaret were trying to expose it. But when certain people found out, things got… dangerous.”

My head spun. Edward? My Edward? The man who never even crossed the street without looking both ways twice was involved in illegal activities? My heart ached with disbelief, but the urgency on their faces pushed me past my doubts.

“What kind of danger are we talking about?” My voice was a whisper, a mere shadow of my normal self.

Franklin sighed deeply. “The kind that might have led to Edward’s ‘accident’ being something more sinister.”

The word ‘accident’ ricocheted around my mind, each impact chipping away at the foundation of what I thought I knew. Edward’s car crash—ruled an accident by the police—suddenly took on a new, chilling light.

“We don’t have all the pieces yet,” Margaret added, her voice steady. “But we do know that those involved won’t hesitate to silence anyone they consider a threat, including Edward’s family.”

My thoughts raced back to my son Jason, his peculiar behavior since Edward’s death, the hushed conversations with Tessa. Could they somehow be involved, or worse, know more than they were letting on? The knot of dread in my stomach tightened.

“Is my son in danger too?” I asked, fear twisting my words.

“It’s possible,” Franklin admitted. “Until we know more, we need to be careful. That’s why it’s crucial to keep this between us for now.”

A conspiratorial silence followed, broken only by the distant hum of city traffic below. I nodded slowly, the weight of the revelations sinking in. My life, already fractured by grief, now felt like a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces I wasn’t sure how to fit together.

Franklin handed me a small envelope. “Inside, you’ll find the contact of a security specialist. Trust no one except Margaret and myself. We’ll keep digging into Edward’s files.”

As I left the office, the envelope clutched in my hand like a lifeline, I realized that the path ahead was fraught with shadows and uncertainty. But there was one certainty I held onto: I would uncover the truth about my husband, no matter how deep I had to dig or how dangerous the journey became.