When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 356

Joseph stared at the metal box for a long time after Emily finished speaking. Neither of them rushed to open it.

The room was too quiet and too heavy with the weight of decades. For years, that box had remained hidden from the world. For years, whatever secrets it carried had remained buried alongside Ethan Rhodes. Now it sat between them on the table, waiting like a silent witness to everything that had been lost.

Emily rested both hands on her lap and looked toward the large window overlooking the garden. The flowers outside were in full bloom, vibrant and alive under the afternoon sun. The sight reminded her of a different time, a happier time, before accusations, before her grief, and before her husband's death.

“Ethan was never good at hiding things from me,” she said softly.

Joseph looked up. Emily smiled faintly, a small, bittersweet curve of her lips. “He thought he was.” The sadness in her eyes deepened. “But after so many years of marriage, I always knew when something was bothering him.”

Joseph remained silent. This was no longer his story to tell. He had come seeking answers, but now he understood he was about to receive far more than he had bargained for.

Emily took a slow, steadying breath. “At first, I thought it was stress.” Her gaze remained fixed on the garden. “The project was important. It was taking most of his time. And he carried a lot of responsibility.”

Joseph nodded. That much he remembered clearly. The project had been revolutionary. The entire company had been excited about it. And Auralink had been on the verge of changing everything.

“But eventually I realized it wasn’t work that was troubling him.”

Joseph frowned slightly. “What was it?”

Emily turned toward him. “James Freshman.”

The name settled heavily between them. Joseph immediately sat straighter.

Emily noticed. “You weren’t expecting that.”

“No.” Joseph answered honestly. “I wasn’t.”

Emily nodded. “Neither was I.” For a few moments, she remained quiet, gathering her thoughts. Then she continued. “Ethan and James were close. At least, they trusted each other. And they spent years building that project we worked on.”

Joseph listened carefully. Every word mattered now. Emily lowered her eyes. “Then Ethan began noticing strange things.”

“What kind of things?” Joseph asked.

“He would leave meetings unexpectedly. He would disappear during lunch breaks. He started receiving calls and hiding them.”

Joseph frowned. “James?”

Emily nodded. “At first Ethan ignored it. Then he started paying attention.” Her fingers tightened slightly together. “And once Ethan started paying attention, he couldn’t stop.”

The room fell silent. Emily slowly looked toward the metal box. Then back at Joseph. “He followed him.”

Joseph blinked. “Ethan followed James?”

“Several times.” The answer surprised him. Because Ethan Rhodes had never been a suspicious man. Not by nature. Not by personality. Yet something must have worried him deeply enough to make him investigate his own friend.

“What did he find?”

Emily gave a small, humorless laugh. “A lot more than he expected.”

Joseph felt his chest tighten. Emily continued. “James wasn’t meeting clients, or suppliers. He wasn’t meeting investors.” She paused. Then said the name. “He was meeting Mike Richardson.”

Joseph froze. For several seconds, he genuinely thought he had heard wrong. “Mike Richardson?”

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