I sat up.
My pulse quickened.
Another message appeared.
What Daniel told you about Thomas is true. But it’s not the reason he bought this house.
I stared at the screen.
Then a third message came through.
And before you ask, no, Daniel and I are not having an affair.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I typed:
Then what is he hiding?
The three dots appeared almost instantly.
Stopped.
Appeared again.
Then vanished.
Nearly a full minute passed.
Finally, her reply arrived.
Ask Daniel why Noah’s school records list him as Noah Reed.
I frowned.
Then another message appeared.
And ask Eleanor why she has been paying his tuition since the year he was born.
I read the sentence twice.
Downstairs, somewhere in the dark house, a floorboard creaked.
I looked toward the closed bedroom door.
And suddenly I understood that the secret Daniel had kept from me might not have begun with him at all.
