Chapter 8: The Wedding That Never Happened
The message stayed on the screen.
Four words.
*Your wedding was never real.*
I read it again.
Then again.
Waiting for the letters to rearrange themselves into something that made sense.
They didn't.
"What does that mean?""
My voice sounded distant.
Marcus took the phone from my hand and stared at the message.
Colleen looked like she had seen a ghost.
"Colleen.""
She didn't answer.
"Tell me.""
Her eyes moved to mine.
"Meredith...""
"No.""
I stepped closer.
"No more warnings. No more protecting me. No more telling me there are things I don't understand.""
My hands shook.
"That message is about my wedding.""
Colleen looked down.
"Yes.""
The word landed like a stone.
I felt my chest tighten.
"What does that mean?""
Marcus moved toward me.
"Meredith, we need to leave.""
"No.""
"The person who sent that photo knows where we are.""
"I don't care.""
"You should.""
"I said no.""
I looked at Colleen.
"You knew something about my wedding.""
Her silence answered before her words did.
I stepped back.
"How long?""
She wiped tears from her face.
"Since before Adrian proposed.""
The room became completely still.
I couldn't hear the rain.
Couldn't hear the wind.
Only my own heartbeat.
"Before he proposed?""
Colleen nodded.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
She looked toward the dark window.
"Because Adrian's proposal wasn't supposed to happen.""
I laughed once.
A broken sound.
"That's impossible.""
"No.""
"Adrian loved me.""
"I know.""
"He chose me.""
"He did.""
"Then explain.""
Colleen closed her eyes.
"Adrian found out someone was trying to use your relationship with him.""
"Use it for what?""
"To get access to information.""
I stared.
"What information?""
"The Parker family trust.""
I frowned.
"What?""
Colleen walked slowly to the kitchen counter.
Even in the darkness, she knew exactly where everything was.
"Adrian's grandfather created a company decades ago. When he died, control was divided among family members.""
"Okay.""
"One part of that control belonged to Adrian.""
"I didn't know that.""
"Nobody was supposed to know.""
"Why?""
"Because Adrian was the only person who refused to cooperate.""
I looked at Marcus.
He nodded.
"Adrian wanted nothing to do with the family business.""
"But someone wanted his access.""
"Yes.""
I felt sick.
"So they targeted me?""
Colleen nodded.
"At first.""
The words made my skin crawl.
"At first?""
She looked at me.
"They thought you were the easiest way to control him.""
I remembered everything.
Every strange question.
Every time Adrian had gotten quiet.
Every time he told me he was handling something.
"Why didn't he tell me?""
"Because he thought he could protect you.""
I swallowed.
"He always did that.""
A painful smile crossed my face.
"He thought love meant carrying everything alone.""
Colleen looked away.
"He was like his father.""
The name hung between us.
Edward Parker.
I turned.
"Tell me about Edward.""
Colleen's expression hardened.
"Edward was charming.""
That surprised me.
"What?""
"People always imagine dangerous people look dangerous.""
She shook her head.
"They don't.""
She sat down.
"Edward could walk into a room and make everyone feel like the most important person there.""
"Then what happened?""
"He wanted control.""
"Of the company?""
"Of everything.""
She looked at Marcus.
"Especially Adrian.""
Marcus leaned against the wall.
"When Adrian was fourteen, Edward disappeared.""
"Because of the business?""
"Because people were after him.""
"Who?""
Colleen hesitated.
"The same people Adrian was investigating.""
I looked at the message again.
"How does my wedding fit into this?""
Colleen took a slow breath.
"Adrian discovered someone had changed the legal documents connected to the family trust.""
"And?""
"And the only way to complete the transfer was through a married heir.""
I stared.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"They needed Adrian married.""
"Yes.""
"To get control?""
She nodded.
"But why me?""
Her face softened.
"Because Adrian wasn't supposed to marry you.""
The sentence hurt more than I expected.
"What?""
She looked down.
"The person they wanted him to marry was someone else.""
"Who?""
She didn't answer.
"Colleen.""
She whispered,
"Victoria.""
The name meant nothing.
Then Marcus said,
"Edward's business partner's daughter.""
I felt a strange emptiness.
"So Adrian proposed to me because...""
Colleen interrupted.
"Because he loved you.""
I looked at her.
"Then why say the wedding was never real?""
She swallowed.
"Because the engagement was.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Your love was real.""
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"But the wedding documents weren't.""
I stared.
"I don't understand.""
"Adrian discovered someone had altered the marriage paperwork before the ceremony.""
My heart raced.
"Before?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
"I don't know.""
"Who knew?""
Nobody answered.
Then Marcus said quietly,
"Julian.""
I turned.
"What?""
"He handled some of the family paperwork.""
My stomach tightened.
"You're saying Julian knew?""
"Yes.""
"But you said Julian wasn't involved.""
Marcus looked away.
"I said I didn't think he was.""
"You don't know.""
"No.""
The honesty hurt.
A loud crash came from downstairs.
All three of us froze.
Someone had entered the apartment.
Marcus immediately moved toward the hallway.
"Stay here.""
I grabbed his arm.
"No.""
"Meredith.""
"No.""
I looked at Colleen.
"We finish this.""
Marcus stared at me.
Then nodded.
The footsteps moved closer.
Slow.
Careful.
Whoever was outside wasn't searching.
They knew where they were going.
A shadow crossed the doorway.
Then a voice spoke.
"Meredith.""
I knew that voice.
My heart dropped.
"Julian?""
He stepped into the room.
His face was pale.
His clothes were soaked from the rain.
Marcus immediately moved in front of me.
Julian looked at him.
"Move.""
"No.""
"Marcus, you don't understand.""
"Neither do you.""
Julian looked at Colleen.
"You're alive.""
Colleen stared at him.
"Disappointed?""
"No.""
Something flashed in his eyes.
Relief.
Then anger.
"I thought they killed you.""
"They tried.""
Julian looked at me.
"Meredith.""
I stepped away.
"Don't.""
His expression changed.
"I know what you're thinking.""
"You have no idea.""
"I do.""
"No, Julian.""
My voice shook.
"You told me to come to your mother.""
"Yes.""
"You knew she would tell me.""
"Yes.""
"You knew about the files.""
"Yes.""
"And you still let me walk into this.""
"I was trying to keep you alive.""
I laughed.
"By sending me toward danger?""
"By giving you the only person who could explain.""
I stared at him.
"Then explain.""
Julian looked at Colleen.
She nodded.
Slowly.
He took a breath.
"Adrian knew someone inside the family was helping Edward.""
"Who?""
Julian looked at me.
"I don't know.""
I almost laughed.
"Everyone's favorite answer.""
"I'm serious.""
"Then why did you warn me about Marcus?""
Julian looked at Marcus.
"Because Marcus lied.""
Marcus's expression darkened.
"I lied to protect Adrian.""
"No.""
Julian stepped closer.
"You lied because Adrian asked you to.""
The room went quiet.
I looked at Marcus.
"What does that mean?""
Marcus didn't answer.
Julian continued.
"The night Adrian died, he called Marcus.""
I looked at Marcus.
"You said that.""
"Yes.""
"What did he say?""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
Julian answered for him.
"He told Marcus not to let Meredith see the truth.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Why?""
"Because Adrian knew if you found out, you'd destroy the person responsible.""
"Who?""
Julian looked at me.
Then at Colleen.
Then at the folder.
"He left a final message.""
My breath caught.
"Where?""
Julian reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small envelope.
My name was written across the front.
*Meredith.*
My knees almost gave out.
"No.""
Julian held it out.
"He asked me to keep this until you knew the difference between the people protecting you and the people controlling you.""
I stared at the envelope.
"Why didn't you give it to me before?""
His eyes filled with regret.
"Because Adrian was wrong.""
"About what?""
Julian looked at me.
"He thought he knew who was dangerous.""
A pause.
"But he was wrong.""
The room went silent.
"Who was dangerous?""
Julian's hand trembled as he gave me the envelope.
Then he whispered,
"The person Adrian trusted most.""
I opened my mouth.
"Who?""
Julian looked at Marcus.
And said,
"The person who planned your wedding.""
I froze.
Because there was only one person who had organized every detail.
The venue.
The paperwork.
The guest list.
The schedule.
The person who had insisted on handling everything after Adrian's accident.
The person who knew every detail of my life with Adrian.
My blood went cold.
"Who planned my wedding?""
Nobody answered.
Then Julian said the name.
And everything I believed about Adrian's death shattered.
"Your wedding planner.""
I stared at him.
"Her name was Emily.""
The room went silent.
Because Emily wasn't a stranger.
Emily was my best friend.
The woman who had hugged me after Adrian died.
The woman who cried with me.
The woman who told me she'd help me survive losing him.
The woman who knew exactly how broken I was.
My phone buzzed.
Another unknown message.
I looked down.
One sentence.
*Now you know why Adrian never married you.*
I felt the world disappear beneath my feet.
Because beneath that message was a photograph.
A photograph taken the morning of my wedding rehearsal.
Adrian standing beside Emily.
Holding a document.
May you like
And on his face was an expression I had never seen before.
Fear.
