{"id":19296,"date":"2026-09-24T19:40:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=19296"},"modified":"2026-09-24T19:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:40:58","slug":"part-6-a-request-for-elises-medical-records-exposed-a-second-strategy-and-felix-began-searching-for-the-leak-inside-his-own-family-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=19296","title":{"rendered":"PART 6 \u2013 A Request for Elise\u2019s Medical Records Exposed a Second Strategy, and Felix Began Searching for the Leak Inside His Own Family"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Felix did not come inside immediately.<\/p>\n<p>He stood on the patio looking toward the darkening yard, his phone still in his hand.<\/p>\n<p>I moved to the sink and rinsed a glass that was already clean.<\/p>\n<p>The old version of me would have asked if something was wrong.<\/p>\n<p>I had spent years filling silences for him.<\/p>\n<p>If his day was difficult, I invited him to talk.<\/p>\n<p>If he was distant, I searched for reasons.<\/p>\n<p>If he was irritated, I checked myself first.<\/p>\n<p>Had I forgotten something?<\/p>\n<p>Said something?<\/p>\n<p>Needed too much?<\/p>\n<p>That evening, I let the silence remain his problem.<\/p>\n<p>When he finally entered, his expression had been rearranged into something neutral.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything okay?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>He opened a cabinet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was the call?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWork.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost admired the simplicity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn Sunday?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled without looking at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClients don\u2019t care what day it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took another beer from the refrigerator.<\/p>\n<p>Two beers in less than fifteen minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Felix rarely drank quickly unless he was anxious.<\/p>\n<p>I went upstairs.<\/p>\n<p>He did not follow.<\/p>\n<p>In the bedroom, I locked the bathroom door and texted Elise.<\/p>\n<p>Did doctor provide anything?<\/p>\n<p>Her response came quickly.<\/p>\n<p>No. Office says request lacked valid authorization. They called me because it seemed strange.<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>Not good enough.<\/p>\n<p>Who sent request?<\/p>\n<p>Krieger\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Then another message.<\/p>\n<p>My attorney says don\u2019t panic. They may be fishing for evidence. He\u2019s contacting clinic directly tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>I sat on the closed toilet lid.<\/p>\n<p>Fishing for evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Medical concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Custody.<\/p>\n<p>Those words now formed an ugly pattern.<\/p>\n<p>If Felix\u2019s family could not persuade Elise to surrender the baby, perhaps they intended to portray her as unfit.<\/p>\n<p>I thought about Ingrid\u2019s warning at the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>People might question whether she was emotionally prepared to be a mother.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, it had sounded like intimidation.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe it had also been preparation.<\/p>\n<p>I called Evelyn the next morning from my car.<\/p>\n<p>She had already spoken with Elise\u2019s attorney.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan they do this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can request almost anything. That doesn\u2019t mean anyone is obligated to provide it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy medical records?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not going to guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe told Ingrid she had anxiety in college.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn was silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElise told me yesterday,\u201d I continued. \u201cShe took medication for about a year after her father died. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat may be relevant to why they\u2019re looking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re going to call her unstable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey may attempt to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not a legal argument, Nora.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I gripped the steering wheel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. It\u2019s reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReality still has to be documented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The calm in Evelyn\u2019s voice irritated me because I wanted someone to sound as angry as I felt.<\/p>\n<p>Instead she said, \u201cThis is why Elise has counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat should I do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cContinue gathering your own financial information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSend it over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy does that matter right now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you are still married to Felix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>She was right.<\/p>\n<p>Every time Elise\u2019s situation became more frightening, I forgot that my own danger did not depend on the baby.<\/p>\n<p>Felix and I shared assets.<\/p>\n<p>Accounts.<\/p>\n<p>Debt.<\/p>\n<p>Property.<\/p>\n<p>Ten years of financial decisions.<\/p>\n<p>A man comfortable constructing one deception might have constructed others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll send everything today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Nora?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFelix may realize someone is sharing information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe already looks nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen expect him to start testing people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The warning proved accurate sooner than I expected.<\/p>\n<p>That evening, Felix came home with takeout from my favorite Thai restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>He set the bags on the counter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the occasion?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought we could have a nice night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had also bought wine.<\/p>\n<p>A bottle we usually saved for anniversaries.<\/p>\n<p>I watched him open it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened to your client emergency?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Nothing. Resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Quick answer.<\/p>\n<p>Too quick.<\/p>\n<p>We ate at the small kitchen table.<\/p>\n<p>Felix talked more than usual.<\/p>\n<p>About work.<\/p>\n<p>Traffic.<\/p>\n<p>A television series.<\/p>\n<p>Then, casually, he mentioned Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMom felt bad about how tense things got.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe likes Elise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost choked on my wine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey go way back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInteresting way of showing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElise can be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I set down my fork.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s dramatic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout her baby?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes lifted.<\/p>\n<p>I had pushed too far.<\/p>\n<p>I softened my expression.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe looked upset.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that all?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat else would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I lowered my gaze to my plate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A few seconds passed.<\/p>\n<p>Then Felix said, \u201cDid she ever talk to you before Sunday?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>The test.<\/p>\n<p>I took a sip of wine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNever?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI barely know her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t message you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFacebook?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He leaned back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s been saying weird things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer came too fast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat kind of things?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFamily stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again.<\/p>\n<p>That phrase had become his shield.<\/p>\n<p>I smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have a lot of family stuff lately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He studied me.<\/p>\n<p>For one dangerous second, I wondered whether my tone had betrayed too much.<\/p>\n<p>Then he laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost said, Actually, I do.<\/p>\n<p>Instead I picked up my fork.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably better that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His whole body relaxed.<\/p>\n<p>That was what Evelyn meant by testing.<\/p>\n<p>He needed reassurance that I remained where he had placed me.<\/p>\n<p>Outside the story.<\/p>\n<p>Ignorant.<\/p>\n<p>Dependent.<\/p>\n<p>Safe.<\/p>\n<p>Later that night, he made another move.<\/p>\n<p>We were in bed when he rolled toward me.<\/p>\n<p>His hand rested on my hip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNora?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHmm?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you ever thought about adoption again?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Every muscle in my body locked.<\/p>\n<p>The room was dark.<\/p>\n<p>He could not see my face clearly.<\/p>\n<p>That saved me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou never say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNeither do you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was quiet.<\/p>\n<p>Then he traced his fingers along my arm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if an opportunity came up?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the ceiling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know. Someone young. Maybe someone who wasn\u2019t prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I could hear my heart.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou mean private adoption?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy are you asking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSunday got me thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course it did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>He continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust seeing someone pregnant, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I forced a tired sigh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know, Felix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His hand stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought you wanted children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was genuine alarm in his voice.<\/p>\n<p>That interested me.<\/p>\n<p>My desire for a child had not simply mattered to him emotionally.<\/p>\n<p>It was structural.<\/p>\n<p>His plan depended on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m tired,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He propped himself on one elbow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have to try.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He watched me.<\/p>\n<p>I turned onto my side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan we talk another time?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He lay back slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But he did not sleep for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Neither did I.<\/p>\n<p>The next afternoon, I received the first financial surprise.<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn called while I was at work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you recognize a company named Fernbrook Holdings?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThink carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never heard of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou and Felix made a payment to Fernbrook eighteen months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cForty thousand dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stood up from my desk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have the statement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur joint checking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJoint investment account.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my office door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would remember forty thousand dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe transaction memo says property investment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t buy property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you sign investment documents jointly?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsually?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFelix handles more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn let the answer hang.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen was this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarch of last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I searched my memory.<\/p>\n<p>March.<\/p>\n<p>Felix had told me he was restructuring part of our portfolio.<\/p>\n<p>He had brought papers home.<\/p>\n<p>I signed several at the kitchen counter while cooking dinner.<\/p>\n<p>A sick feeling spread through me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI signed something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNora.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI trusted my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sentence came out sharper than I intended.<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn did not react.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFind out what Fernbrook is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe already started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I sat down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s more?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s another transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty-five thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSix months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The likely conception period.<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo Fernbrook?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. A legal trust account.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelmut\u2019s firm?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the wall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat for?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould it be Elise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do not assume.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I nearly laughed at the phrase.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone keeps telling me not to assume while every assumption gets worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The simple answer quieted me.<\/p>\n<p>Evelyn continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re requesting copies of anything you legally have access to. Do not confront Felix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not move large sums of money without advice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not sign anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That one landed differently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat would he ask me to sign?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again.<\/p>\n<p>The only honest answer.<\/p>\n<p>That evening Felix was already home when I arrived.<\/p>\n<p>He sat at the kitchen island with his laptop open.<\/p>\n<p>When I entered, he closed it.<\/p>\n<p>Too quickly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow was work?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNormal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought we could go out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTonight?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I set down my bag.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Italian place you like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was watching me too carefully.<\/p>\n<p>Something had changed.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe he had heard from Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe he suspected Elise\u2019s attorney.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe he simply sensed my distance.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, Felix was trying to pull me close again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At dinner, he ordered champagne.<\/p>\n<p>Not wine.<\/p>\n<p>Champagne.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are we celebrating?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUs?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen\u2019s the last time we celebrated us without a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Our tenth anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>While his former girlfriend was already pregnant.<\/p>\n<p>I picked up my water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a while.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The meal was almost painful in its familiarity.<\/p>\n<p>He asked about my design projects.<\/p>\n<p>Complimented my dress.<\/p>\n<p>Told a story about a coworker.<\/p>\n<p>If I had not known the truth, I would have gone home believing my husband had remembered how to be attentive.<\/p>\n<p>Halfway through dessert, his phone buzzed.<\/p>\n<p>He looked at it.<\/p>\n<p>His smile vanished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He typed quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Then another message arrived.<\/p>\n<p>And another.<\/p>\n<p>He excused himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I watched him walk toward the restrooms.<\/p>\n<p>His phone remained in his hand.<\/p>\n<p>I did not follow.<\/p>\n<p>Two minutes later, my own phone buzzed.<\/p>\n<p>Elise.<\/p>\n<p>Someone broke into my apartment.<\/p>\n<p>My breath stopped.<\/p>\n<p>I opened the message.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m okay. Door damaged. Nothing obvious missing.<\/p>\n<p>I stood so quickly the table shook.<\/p>\n<p>A waiter looked over.<\/p>\n<p>Another message.<\/p>\n<p>Police are here.<\/p>\n<p>Then a third.<\/p>\n<p>Nora, the folder with Felix\u2019s letters is gone.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<p>The letters.<\/p>\n<p>Elise had told me about them but had not yet sent copies.<\/p>\n<p>Old handwritten notes Felix had given her early in the affair.<\/p>\n<p>Messages where he talked about leaving me.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps more.<\/p>\n<p>I typed.<\/p>\n<p>Tell police everything.<\/p>\n<p>Three dots appeared.<\/p>\n<p>Then vanished.<\/p>\n<p>Felix returned to the table.<\/p>\n<p>His face looked composed.<\/p>\n<p>Too composed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything okay?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>I looked up at him.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, suspicion crossed into a place I had resisted entering.<\/p>\n<p>Felix was a liar.<\/p>\n<p>A manipulator.<\/p>\n<p>An adulterer.<\/p>\n<p>But was he capable of arranging a break-in?<\/p>\n<p>I did not know.<\/p>\n<p>That uncertainty frightened me more than an answer would have.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeah texted,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<p>He sat down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWork again?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPoor Leah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He reached for his champagne.<\/p>\n<p>His hand was steady.<\/p>\n<p>I watched him drink.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFelix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHmm?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you think people ever become strangers without realizing it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>The question had slipped out before I could stop it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing. Just something Leah said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He studied me for another second.<\/p>\n<p>Then laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour office is depressing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He returned to his dessert.<\/p>\n<p>Under the table, I opened Evelyn\u2019s contact.<\/p>\n<p>I did not call.<\/p>\n<p>Not yet.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, I sent five words.<\/p>\n<p>Elise\u2019s apartment was broken into.<\/p>\n<p>The response came immediately.<\/p>\n<p>WHERE ARE YOU?<\/p>\n<p>Restaurant with Felix.<\/p>\n<p>LEAVE NORMALLY. CALL FROM CAR.<\/p>\n<p>I looked across the table at my husband.<\/p>\n<p>He was eating tiramisu.<\/p>\n<p>There was powdered cocoa near the corner of his mouth.<\/p>\n<p>The domestic detail felt obscene.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReady to go?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo soon?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m tired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paid.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, the night air was cold.<\/p>\n<p>Felix placed one hand on my back as we crossed the parking lot.<\/p>\n<p>A gesture any stranger would have read as loving.<\/p>\n<p>At the car, his phone buzzed again.<\/p>\n<p>He checked it.<\/p>\n<p>This time I saw the name before he turned the screen away.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n<p>Felix rejected the call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot answering?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWork can wait.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled and opened my door.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time in thirteen years, I looked at the man holding the door for me and wondered whether getting into a car alone with him was a mistake.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=19297\">Click here to continue reading: PART 7: Elise\u2019s Missing Letters Forced Me to Question How Far Felix Would Go, Until One Surviving Photograph Revealed What His Family Feared Most<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Felix did not come inside immediately. He stood on the patio looking toward the darkening yard, his phone still in his hand. I moved to the sink and rinsed a &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19296"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19331,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19296\/revisions\/19331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}