My Deceased Wife Wants a Divorce (Hannah) novel Chapter 128

“What?” Lionel shot up from his chair. “Are there any casualties? What caused it?”

Owen stood across the street, watching the flames engulf the building. “No casualties. They had an impromptu team-building day today. The initial report says an employee might have tossed a lit cigarette onto a pile of documents, but they haven’t identified who yet.”

Lionel sat back down, drumming his fingers on the desk. The timing was too perfect, too convenient. It felt intentional.

He thought back. The first time he’d tried to get the surveillance footage, Xenia had immediately stepped forward to confess. If she hadn’t, the investigation would have been much more difficult. Now, the second he asked for the footage again, the place goes up in flames. It was as if someone was actively trying to stop him.

“Besides Mr. Jones, did anyone else know you were going to the firm?” Lionel finally asked.

Owen thought for a moment. He was about to mention that he had called Sandra, but in Mr. Rosenberg’s eyes, Ms. Woods wasn’t just “anyone else.”

“No one,” he said.

After a long silence, Lionel spoke. “Alright, I understand. You stay there and keep an eye on things. Let me know the second you find out who started the fire.”

“Yes, sir!”

Owen hung up and stared at his dark phone screen. “Should I call Ms. Woods?” he muttered to himself. “Yeah, I probably should.”

He called Sandra and filled her in. On the other end of the line, she feigned panic, peppering him with questions before saying she needed to call her colleagues and abruptly ending the call.

Then, she dialed Mr. Jones.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she kicked the wall in frustration.

—

That evening, Hannah returned from her appointment, but when she entered her hotel room, she found it empty. All of her luggage was gone.

She stood frozen for a moment, then called the front desk. She ran through the possibilities—wrong room, a burglary, a cleaning mistake—but nothing could have prepared her for the truth.

Lionel had come and taken all of her belongings.