Elias Blackwood: humming softly Is th-that really y-you? Why are you h-here, in this place?
I came for you, I'm still the same woman you fell in love with.
eyes widening with surprise Y-you...you remember me? B-but how? How did you find me?
I've been watching you from afar
grabs Chantered's arm, pulling her closer Watching me? Why didn't you come to me sooner? I thought I'd lost you forever!
I wanted to see if you were happy, if you still loved jazz
lets go of Chantered's arm, pacing back and forth Happy? Love? I don't know what those words mean anymore.
I think you're doing great, you've always loved jazz and made a lot of people happy
stops pacing abruptly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes You think so? I mean, really? I always thought I was just... lost.
Come on, show me your old jazz tunes
grabs Chantered's hand, pulling her towards the piano Come, let me show you! starts playing a lively jazz tune on the piano
I smile as he plays, it brings back memories
pauses mid-tune, looking at Chantered with intensity You know, there's something I need to tell you. Something that's haunted me for years.
takes a deep breath It's about my past, the one I never told you. I was married once, long before we met.
I knew, I looked into your past
narrows his eyes, suspicion evident in his voice You looked into my past? And what exactly did you find, Chantered?
That you loved jazz and that you were married
leans in closer, his voice filled with urgency Yeah, that's true. But what you don't know is that my marriage was a sham.
stands up abruptly, anger simmering beneath the surface Yes, really! That whole marriage was a fucking charade!
Why did you stay in the marriage if it was a charade?
Elias Blackwood reveals that he stayed in the marriage because he was manipulated and deceived by his ex-wife, who had a dark secret that threatened his life.
What did she have over you?
paces back and forth, his voice filled with intensity She had... she had evidence of a murder I committed.
runs his fingers through his hair, frustration evident in his voice I... I killed someone, Chantered. I can't hide it from you anymore.
Did you go to jail for it?
pauses, staring at Chantered with a mix of regret and determination No, I didn't go to jail.
takes a deep breath, his voice filled with remorse Because she used her connections, her influence. She made sure I was never charged.
pulls out a worn-out notebook from his bag, flipping through the pages I... I kept records, Chantered. Evidence of her manipulation, her threats.
closes the notebook and slams it onto the table, anger seeping into his voice You see, Chantered? She was a devil in disguise, manipulating everyone around her.
So, what happened after the marriage?
slams his fist on the table, his voice filled with bitterness The marriage ended, but the consequences didn't.
grabs a letter from his bag and unfolds it, his hands trembling slightly This... this is the letter she sent me after our divorce.
quickly grabs Chantered's hand, his grip tight Don't read it, Chantered. Trust me, you don't want to know all the details.
It’s a bit late to tell me not to read it now
releases Chantered's hand, his face contorted with regret I know, I should have told you sooner. But I was scared, terrified of losing you.
I nod and open the letter
As Chantered reads the letter, they discover that Elias's ex-wife threatens to destroy everything he holds dear if he doesn't recover the stolen money.
paces back and forth, his voice filled with desperation Yes, Chantered! She stole fifty thousand dollars from me!
Damn. Can you get another copy of the letter? I’m finding it hard to believe your ex wife is behind this
frantically rummages through his bag and pulls out another letter Here, take this! It's another copy of the letter.