Chapter 5: The Person Behind The Crash
I stared at Weston, waiting for him to tell me I misunderstood.
That was the cruelest part.
Even after everything, some part of me still wanted him to take the words back.
To laugh nervously.
To say he had been protecting me from something else.
To say this was all a terrible misunderstanding.
But Weston didn’t.
He just stood there in his wedding suit, looking like a stranger wearing the face of the man I had loved.
“Who?”” I whispered.
His eyes moved past me.
Across the reception hall.
Across the guests laughing and talking.
Across the decorations I had spent hours arranging.
I followed his gaze.
Nothing.
Everyone looked normal.
A family taking pictures.
A waiter carrying drinks.
A couple dancing near the windows.
A room full of people pretending life was simple.
“Weston.””
He looked back at me.
“I don’t know for certain.””
My anger returned instantly.
“You just said someone arranged your death.””
“I know.””
“And now you’re saying you don’t know who?””
His expression tightened.
“There are things I can’t prove.””
I laughed quietly.
“Of course.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means everyone has a reason for keeping me in the dark.””
His face fell.
“Juniper—”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You don’t get to say my name like that.””
The words hurt him.
Good.
I wanted him to understand.
“I spent three months thinking I would never hear your voice again.””
His eyes softened.
I hated that.
I hated that he could still make my heart react.
“I know.””
“You don’t know.””
My voice cracked.
“You were alive.””
Silence.
“You woke up every morning knowing I was somewhere grieving you.””
Weston looked down.
“I thought about you every day.””
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you come back?””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
I stepped closer.
“Why didn’t you call me once?””
His eyes filled.
“Because every time I wanted to, I remembered the picture.””
“What picture?””
“The one I sent my mother.””
I looked toward the greenhouse.
The photo.
My apartment.
The stranger watching me.
“I thought it was a threat.””
“It was.””
“But you still left me.””
His shoulders dropped.
“I thought leaving was the only way to keep you alive.””
I looked at him.
“And marrying Claire?””
His face changed.
Pain.
Guilt.
Something I couldn’t understand.
“Claire was never supposed to happen.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Before he could answer, someone called his name.
“Weston?””
We both turned.
Claire stood a few feet away.
Her face was pale.
She had clearly been looking for him.
For a second, I saw something heartbreaking in her expression.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Fear.
Because she was realizing the same thing I had.
That the man beside her was built on secrets.
Weston immediately stepped away from me.
“Claire.””
She looked between us.
“How long have you known her?””
Weston froze.
“What?””
“How long have you known her?””
The question was quiet.
But dangerous.
He didn’t answer quickly enough.
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“That long?””
“Claire, listen—”
“No.””
She shook her head.
“You told me your family was gone.””
Weston looked away.
“My mother wasn’t part of my new life.””
“Your mother?””
Claire laughed sadly.
“You mean the woman who is here today?””
Weston said nothing.
Claire looked at me.
“And you.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Because somehow, she was another victim.
Not my enemy.
“I didn’t know,” I said.
Her expression softened slightly.
“I believe you.””
That surprised me.
She looked back at Weston.
“But you knew.””
Weston swallowed.
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked all of us.
Claire took a step back.
“Why?””
He looked destroyed.
“Because I thought if you knew everything, you would be in danger too.””
Claire shook her head.
“You keep saying that.””
Her voice trembled.
“But you never explain why.””
Before Weston could answer, a sharp sound cut through the room.
A glass breaking.
Everyone turned.
Near the entrance, a man had dropped a champagne glass.
He immediately apologized.
People laughed awkwardly.
But Weston didn’t look at the broken glass.
He looked at the man.
And all the color disappeared from his face.
I followed his eyes.
The man was older.
Gray suit.
Dark hair.
A calm smile.
I recognized him.
Not because I knew him well.
Because I had seen him before.
At the funeral.
He had stood behind Marlene.
He had hugged Weston’s mother.
He had told me:
“Weston was lucky to have someone who loved him so much.””
My skin turned cold.
“Who is that?””
Weston’s voice was barely audible.
“Richard Vale.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But Weston looked terrified.
“Who is he?””
He didn’t answer.
Claire looked at him.
“Weston?””
Finally, he whispered:
“He was the last person I saw before the accident.””
Everything around me went quiet.
“What?””
Weston kept staring.
“I met Richard the night before the crash.””
“Why?””
“He said he wanted to talk.””
“About what?””
Weston’s hands curled into fists.
“The investigation.””
I looked at Richard.
He was smiling.
Watching us.
“He knew you were investigating his company?””
“Yes.””
“And he was at your funeral?””
Weston nodded slowly.
“I didn’t know that until I came back.””
My heart pounded.
“He stood beside me.””
Weston looked at me.
“I know.””
“He comforted me.””
“I know.””
“He watched me cry.””
Weston looked devastated.
“I know.””
I turned away.
The pattern was becoming impossible to ignore.
Everyone knew.
Everyone saw me breaking.
And nobody stopped it.
Richard started walking toward us.
Slowly.
Confidently.
Like he had all the time in the world.
Weston immediately stepped in front of me.
“Go.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“Leave.””
“No.””
“Juniper, please.””
There it was again.
Please.
The word everyone used when they wanted me to obey.
“I’m done leaving.””
Richard reached us.
His smile was polite.
“Weston.””
Weston’s entire body stiffened.
“Richard.””
Richard looked at me.
Then Claire.
Then back at Weston.
“I see the past has finally caught up with you.””
The way he said it made my stomach drop.
Weston’s voice turned cold.
“Stay away from her.””
Richard smiled.
“Still protecting people who don’t know the truth.””
I stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
Richard looked at me.
For a moment, I thought he might pretend.
Instead, he smiled.
“I’m the man who tried to save your fiancé.””
Weston’s expression hardened.
“You’re lying.””
Richard tilted his head.
“Am I?””
The room suddenly felt colder.
Richard looked at me.
“Did he tell you why he disappeared?””
I didn’t answer.
“He told you about the threats?””
Still nothing.
Richard smiled wider.
“He didn’t tell you everything.””
Weston stepped forward.
“Don’t.””
Richard ignored him.
“Ask him what happened the night of the crash.””
My heart started pounding.
I looked at Weston.
“What happened?””
Weston didn’t answer.
That terrified me more than anything.
Because I had learned something today.
Silence was never empty.
Silence was where people hid the truth.
Richard adjusted his jacket.
“Ask him who was in the car with him.””
I looked at Weston.
His face had gone completely pale.
“What is he talking about?””
Weston looked at me.
And for the first time since I found him alive…
I saw fear.
Real fear.
“Juniper…”
His voice broke.
“The person who died in that car…”
He stopped.
I waited.
“The person you buried…”
A horrible silence filled the room.
Weston whispered:
“It wasn’t a stranger.””
My blood ran cold.
“Then who was it?””
He looked at Richard.
Then back at me.
And said:
“It was someone who knew me.””
The music stopped.
The entire reception hall fell silent.
And somewhere behind us, a phone began ringing.
Weston looked toward the sound.
His face changed.
Because he recognized the ringtone.
“It’s impossible,” he whispered.
“What?””
He stared at the phone lying on the gift table.
A phone nobody had touched.
A phone that should not have existed.
May you like
Because the name glowing on the screen was:
*Weston Hale.*
