Chapter 4: The Call
I reached for Nia's phone.
She pulled it against her chest.
“No.””
My hand stopped.
“What?””
Her breathing was shallow.
“You don't want to answer that.””
“It's my mother's number.””
“I know.””
“Then give me the phone.””
She shook her head.
Behind us, the guests murmured among themselves. The wedding planner had quietly gathered the younger children near the reception hall, but no one else had left. Nobody seemed willing to miss whatever happened next.
My mother stepped toward Nia.
“Why is my number saved in your phone?””
Nia looked at her.
“I told you. I had no choice.””
“That doesn't answer my question.””
The phone rang again.
My mother's name—her own name—glowed across the screen.
*EVELYN.*
Mom stared at it.
“I don't understand.””
Neither did I.
I looked at Nia.
“Why do you have a number that belongs to my mother?””
“I said I had no choice.””
“Who made you save it?””
She didn't answer.
I took another step.
“Nia.””
The phone stopped ringing.
For a second, the patio was silent.
Then a message appeared.
*ANSWER ME. NOW.*
No number.
Just a message from a blocked sender.
Nia's hand began trembling.
I saw it.
So did my mother.
“Who's that?”” Mom asked.
Nia whispered, “I don't know.””
My father gave a humorless laugh.
“That's a terrible lie.””
Nia snapped toward him.
“You don't know anything about me.””
“I know enough.””
“You abandoned this family.””
“And you walked into it looking for money.””
Her face hardened.
“You have no idea what I was trying to do.””
“Then explain it,” I said.
Nia looked at me.
“I was trying to save you.””
“From what?””
She swallowed.
“Your mother.””
I looked at Evelyn.
She didn't react.
Not at first.
Then she quietly said, “Marcus, take the phone.””
I held out my hand.
“Nia.””
She stared at it.
For several seconds, I thought she might refuse.
Then she slowly placed the phone in my palm.
The screen was still open.
I saw the message.
*ANSWER ME. NOW.*
Underneath it was another one.
*YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.*
I looked at the clock on the phone.
Four minutes had already disappeared.
“What happens in five minutes?””
Nia's eyes filled with tears.
“Please don't ask me that here.””
“Then tell me somewhere else.””
“There isn't somewhere else.””
“What does that mean?””
She looked around at the crowd.
At the white chairs.
At the flowers scattered around the altar.
At the wedding cake waiting untouched beside the champagne table.
Then she whispered, “Your wedding was never supposed to happen.””
My chest tightened.
“What?””
“You weren't supposed to marry me today.””
I stared at her.
“What were you planning?””
“I was planning to leave.””
“After the ceremony?””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“Before it.””
Andre suddenly stepped forward.
“She was going to disappear before you got to the altar.””
I turned toward him.
“Then why did you stay?””
Andre looked at Nia.
“Because she changed the plan.””
Nia shouted, “Shut up!””
“You changed it,” he said.
“You decided you wanted the account transferred first.””
I looked at Nia.
“The money.””
She shook her head.
“It wasn't about the money.””
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“Because it's true!””
“Then what was it about?””
She looked at my mother.
Her expression changed.
“I was trying to find out who killed your father.””
No one moved.
My father went completely still.
My mother stared at Nia.
“What did you just say?””
Nia's lips trembled.
“I know what you were told.””
My father stepped forward.
“Marcus was told I left voluntarily.””
Nia shook her head.
“That isn't what happened.””
I looked at my father.
“What is she talking about?””
He didn't answer.
My mother suddenly grabbed the edge of the table.
“Graham…”
He stared at her.
“Tell him.””
She lowered her eyes.
“You've had twelve years.””
He looked at me.
“I wasn't the man they told you I was.””
My head was spinning.
“What does that mean?””
He took a slow breath.
“I did leave.””
“You said you disappeared.””
“I disappeared from you.””
“Why?””
“Because I was scared.””
My mother's face tightened.
“You were not scared for yourself.””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“I was scared for you.””
I couldn't take my eyes off him.
“Who were you afraid of?””
He didn't answer.
Nia did.
“The person who controls the account.””
I frowned.
“My money?””
“Your father's money,” she said.
“It wasn't just savings.””
“What was it?””
Graham finally spoke.
“Protection.””
“For what?””
“For evidence.””
The words landed hard.
He reached into his jacket again.
This time, he pulled out a small flash drive.
“I put copies of certain records into that account's legal file.””
“What records?””
“Payments.””
“To whom?””
“People who were supposed to keep their mouths shut.””
My mother closed her eyes.
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
“I knew some of it.””
“Some?””
She shook her head.
“I wanted to keep you out of it.””
“You did a great job.””
My voice broke.
“Everyone lied to me.””
Mom looked like she had been slapped.
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
I froze.
“Alive?””
Graham stepped closer.
“Marcus, listen to me carefully.””
His voice had changed.
There was no anger in it now.
Only fear.
“The money isn't valuable because of the amount.””
I waited.
“It's valuable because whoever controls it can unlock the records.””
“What records?””
“The records of every payment made through a shell company called Bellweather Holdings.””
My stomach dropped.
I knew that name.
I'd seen it once.
In a folder Mom kept locked in her study.
I had asked her about it when I was nineteen.
She told me it was an old business matter.
I looked at her.
“Bellweather.””
She went pale.
“You remember?””
“I remember the name.””
Nia whispered, “That's why they wanted you married before you knew.””
I turned toward her.
“Who is they?””
She didn't answer.
“Who?””
Her eyes moved toward the parking lot.
I followed them.
A silver sedan was parked beyond the gate.
Engine running.
Someone sat behind the wheel.
My father noticed it too.
“We need to go inside.””
“Why?””
“That car wasn't here before.””
Andre walked toward the edge of the patio.
“I've seen it.””
“When?””
“This morning.””
My stomach tightened.
“You knew?””
“I didn't know who was in it.””
Graham looked at the clock on my phone.
“Three minutes.””
“What happens in three minutes?””
He didn't answer.
Nia did.
“They release the file.””
“What file?””
“The one they took from your mother.””
Mom looked at her sharply.
“What did you do?””
“I didn't take it.””
“Then who did?””
Nia's voice dropped.
“Caleb.””
Every head turned toward my brother.
He looked horrified.
“Don't look at me.””
I stared at him.
“You took something from Mom?””
“No.””
Nia shook her head.
“You did.””
“I didn't!””
“You had it Tuesday night.””
“I had a copy.””
“A copy of what?”” I demanded.
Caleb looked at my father.
Graham said nothing.
“Tell me.””
Caleb's voice cracked.
“The original ledger.””
My mother's knees nearly buckled.
I caught her arm.
“What ledger?””
“The Bellweather ledger.””
Mom closed her eyes.
“Where is it?””
Caleb swallowed.
“I gave it to someone.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then he looked at Nia.
“She knows.””
Nia stared back at him.
“You were supposed to destroy it.””
“I couldn't.””
“Why?””
“Because I read it.””
My father stepped closer.
“What did you see?””
Caleb looked at me.
His eyes were wet.
“Our name.””
My throat tightened.
“What about our name?””
“It wasn't just Bellweather payments.””
He took a breath.
“It was every person who received money from the company.””
“And?””
Caleb's voice dropped to a whisper.
“Your name was on the list.””
The world seemed to go silent.
I looked at my father.
Then Mom.
Then Nia.
“What?””
Caleb shook his head.
“Not as a recipient.””
“Then why?””
“Your name was listed under another category.””
“What category?””
He couldn't say it.
I stepped closer.
“Tell me.””
He finally whispered:
“Target.””
My mother's hand flew over her mouth.
A crash came from the reception hall.
Everyone turned.
One of the glass doors had shattered.
A man in a black jacket had forced his way inside.
Guests screamed.
Daniel grabbed the nearest table and pushed it toward the entrance.
Graham shoved me backward.
“Get your mother out.””
“Who is that?””
“Someone who knows we have the ledger.””
The intruder reached into his jacket.
Nia screamed.
“Marcus, run!””
The sound of a gunshot cracked through the reception hall.
Glass exploded.
People dropped to the ground.
I pulled Mom behind the stone bar.
My father pushed Caleb down.
Andre grabbed Nia.
For two seconds, all I could hear was screaming.
Then the gunman turned toward us.
And he wasn't looking at my father.
He wasn't looking at Mom.
He wasn't even looking at Nia.
He was looking directly at me.
He raised the gun.
Then his eyes shifted to the wedding envelope still clutched in my hand.
His face changed.
May you like
He smiled.
“That's the one.””
