Chapter 6 - The Wedding ContractThe wedding was canceled.
At least publicly.
Privately, I let everyone believe it was still happening.
The guest list became a trap.
The invitations remained.
The venue remained.
The security increased.
And I made one change.
I moved the ceremony from the ballroom to the old chapel.
Exactly where Victor expected it.
Mara hated the plan.
“You're using yourself as bait.”
“I've done worse.”
“This is different.”
“I know.”
Emma sat on the floor nearby.
She was drawing with crayons.
“What are you drawing?”
She held it up.
A house.
A wedding.
A little girl.
And a big black door.
“What is that?”
“The bad door.”
I smiled.
“Which door?”
She pointed toward the drawing.
“The one Aunt Vivien doesn't like.”
I looked at Vivien.
She went pale.
“What?”
Vivien stared at the drawing.
Then whispered:
“That's the basement.”
“What basement?”
She walked toward Emma.
“Where did you see this?”
Emma shrugged.
“Daddy showed me.”
Everyone froze.
“Elena said your father was dead,” I said.
Emma nodded.
“He comes when Mommy cries.”
My heart stopped.
We found Elena.
She finally told us the truth.
Her husband, Daniel Carter, was alive.
He had been hiding because he had been one of my father's witnesses.
He had seen Victor kill my mother.
And he had spent years hiding his identity to keep Emma safe.
Daniel arrived that night.
He looked exhausted.
But when he saw me, he lowered his head.
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“For letting you believe the wrong people.”
“Why didn't you come to me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of Victor?”
“Of what would happen if I failed.”
He handed me a key.
“Your father gave me this.”
The key opened the basement beneath the chapel.
Inside was a safe.
My mother's handwriting covered the wall.
THE TRUTH CANNOT BE BURIED FOREVER.
Inside the safe was a complete ledger.
Names.
Payments.
Recordings.
Photographs.
Everything.
And one final document.
A transfer agreement.
My signature line was already marked.
Victor planned to force me to sign it at the wedding.
But the document had one weakness.
It required the signature of my legal witness.
Vivien.
I looked at her.
She understood.
“They planned to use me.”
“Yes.”
“But I was never supposed to sign.”
“Why?”
May you like
She smiled sadly.
“Because I was supposed to die.”
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