The car remained silent the entire way.

Three years ago, this silence between Ethan and me would have hurt.

I would have searched for a topic.

I would have asked if he was tired.

I would have tried to make him smile.

But now I just looked out the window.

Seattle had changed.

Or maybe it was me who had changed.

Ethan occasionally looked at me through the rearview mirror.

Every time, I pretended not to notice.

Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore.

—Maya.

I didn’t answer.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

—Are you really going to treat me like a stranger forever?

I looked at him calmly.

—You taught me how.

His expression froze.

For a moment, the confident Ethan Crawford disappeared.

The man in front of me looked almost lost.

—It wasn’t like that.

I smiled faintly.

—Then what was it?

He didn’t answer.

Because there was no answer that could change what happened.

Ninety-nine days after Caleb disappeared, he chose Grace.

Not me.

Not the family that was still waiting.

Not the promise he made while holding me when I cried.

He chose the woman who needed him more.

Because according to him, I was strong enough to survive.

The funeral home was quiet.

My mother sat in the corner, holding Caleb’s old watch.

The moment she saw me, she stood up.

—Maya…

I ran toward her.

For the first time in three years, I allowed myself to cry.

Not because of Ethan.

Not because of Grace.

Because my brother was really gone.

Because the last hope that had kept my family waiting had finally disappeared.

Ethan stood behind us silently.

He looked at my mother.

At Caleb’s belongings.

At the photographs.

And for the first time, I saw regret in his eyes.

The funeral director brought out a box.

—These were found near the vehicle.

Inside were some personal items.

A wallet.

A damaged phone.

A necklace.

And a small black notebook.

My breathing stopped.

That notebook belonged to Caleb.

He carried it everywhere.

The director handed it to my mother.

But before she could open it, Ethan suddenly stepped forward.

—Let me see it.

I looked at him.

—Why?

His face changed slightly.

—Because Caleb was my best friend too.

I took the notebook before him.

—No.

His eyes met mine.

—Maya.

I held the notebook tightly.

—Three years ago, you decided who you wanted to protect.

—Today, I decide who gets to see what my brother left behind.

The room became silent.

That night, after my mother fell asleep, I opened Caleb’s notebook alone.

Most pages contained ordinary things.

Work.

Plans.

Small memories.

Until I reached the final pages.

My hands trembled.

Because the last entry was written the day of the accident.

“If something happens to me, Maya must know the truth.”

My heart stopped.

I continued reading.

Caleb had discovered something before the accident.

Something involving Grace.

Something involving Ethan.

He wrote that he didn’t trust the relationship between them.

That Grace had been hiding something.

And the night before the accident, Caleb had planned to confront Ethan.

The final sentence was unfinished.

But the meaning was clear.

“Ethan knows more than he says.”

I closed the notebook.

Three years ago, I thought Ethan abandoned me because he loved Grace.

But maybe the truth was much darker.

The next morning, I found Ethan waiting outside the funeral home.

He looked exhausted.

As if he hadn’t slept all night.

—Maya, we need to talk.

I held the notebook in my hand.

—Yes.

His eyes narrowed.

—You found something.

I looked at him.

For the first time in years, Ethan seemed afraid of me.

Not angry.

Not disappointed.

Afraid.

—Tell me something, Ethan.

—Why did Caleb call you the night before he disappeared?

His face went pale.

And in that second…

I knew.

The man who promised to protect my family for seven years had been hiding something.

And I was finally ready to uncover it.