Chapter 4: The Person Nobody Suspected
The person on the screen stood frozen in the corner of the hall.
Even though it was only a recording, it felt like the entire room was holding its breath.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Because sometimes the truth doesn’t arrive like a storm.
Sometimes it arrives quietly.
Sometimes it appears on a screen and takes away every excuse people have been holding onto.
Daniel enlarged the image.
The figure became clearer.
A person wearing a gray jacket.
A person with a familiar walk.
A person carrying a small tool bag.
My mother covered her mouth.
“No…”
I looked at her.
“What?””
She didn’t answer.
Her eyes were locked on the screen.
Then Maya, who was still sitting beside her, whispered:
“Grandma?””
The word cut through the room.
Everyone turned.
My mother looked down at Maya, then back at the screen.
She looked like she had just seen a ghost.
“Your grandfather’s assistant.””
The room became even quieter.
Claire frowned.
“What?””
My mother slowly stood.
“That’s Thomas.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
Thomas.
Our father’s former assistant.
He had worked for my father for almost twenty years.
He had been there when Claire and I were children.
He had attended family birthdays.
He had helped my father build his company from nothing.
After my father died, Thomas stayed close to our family.
At least, we thought he did.
Claire stared at the screen.
“Why would Thomas do that?””
Nobody had an answer.
Not yet.
Daniel continued playing the footage.
The video showed Thomas entering the hall earlier that morning.
He looked around carefully.
Not like a guest.
Like someone checking a plan.
He walked toward the decorations.
He touched the support beam.
Then he removed something from his pocket.
A small metal device.
The same device that had caused the decorations to collapse.
A shocked murmur moved through the guests.
Marcus looked relieved for half a second.
Then Elena spoke.
“Don’t pretend you’re innocent.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
“You knew Thomas was involved.””
“I did not.””
Elena laughed.
“You knew more than you admitted.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You’re just trying to distract everyone.””
Daniel stopped the video.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at him.
“There’s something strange.””
He pointed at the screen.
“Thomas damaged the support system.””
He paused.
“But he didn’t activate it.””
Claire looked confused.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel replayed the moment.
Thomas touched the structure.
Then he walked away.
The decorations remained standing.
Daniel continued.
“The collapse happened later.””
He moved the footage forward.
A few minutes passed.
Maya entered the hall.
Then the decorations fell.
Daniel looked serious.
“Someone else triggered it.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
Someone else.
That meant Thomas wasn’t the only person involved.
Claire looked around the room.
“How many people knew about this?””
Nobody answered.
The wedding guests looked at one another.
Suspicion spread through the hall like smoke.
Every person who had been smiling earlier suddenly looked different.
I looked at Maya.
She was staring at the floor.
I knelt beside her.
“Are you okay?””
She nodded.
But children don’t always tell the truth when they’re scared.
I touched her shoulder.
“You can tell me anything.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I knew something was wrong.””
My heart stopped.
“What do you mean?””
Maya looked nervous.
“Before the ceremony.””
I lowered my voice.
“What happened?””
She looked around.
Then whispered:
“Someone told me not to stand near the flowers.””
Everyone nearby heard.
Claire turned immediately.
“What?””
Maya looked afraid.
I held her hand.
“Who told you that?””
She looked toward the doorway.
“I don’t know his name.””
A terrible feeling formed in my chest.
“What did he look like?””
Maya squeezed her fingers together.
“He was wearing a black suit.””
Marcus and Elena both looked at each other.
Claire noticed.
“Why did you both react?””
Neither answered.
That was enough.
I stood.
“What do you know?””
Marcus shook his head.
“Nothing.””
Elena looked uncomfortable.
“Ask Thomas.””
Claire turned toward her.
“You knew.””
Elena looked away.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
Claire’s voice became sharper.
“I understand one thing. Everyone keeps saying they’re protecting me while they destroy everything around me.””
Nobody spoke.
Because she was right.
Her wedding had become a battlefield of secrets.
And somehow, Maya had been standing in the middle of it.
The person who had been hurt the most was the only person who knew the least.
Daniel walked toward the screen again.
“I need to check another angle.””
He opened another file.
The footage showed a hallway near the preparation rooms.
Everyone watched.
Thomas appeared again.
But this time, he wasn’t alone.
A few minutes later, another person entered.
A person carrying a folder.
A person who stopped beside Thomas.
A person who handed him instructions.
Claire leaned forward.
“No…”
Her voice was barely audible.
I looked at the screen.
Then at Claire.
“Who is it?””
She didn’t answer.
She couldn’t.
Because the person standing beside Thomas was someone she had personally invited.
Someone she trusted.
Someone who had been sitting in the front row during the ceremony.
The camera zoomed closer.
The face became visible.
And everyone gasped.
It was Claire’s best friend, Olivia.
The woman who had spent the entire morning helping Claire get ready.
The woman who had fixed her veil.
The woman who had whispered:
“You’re going to have the perfect day.””
Claire stepped backward.
“Olivia?””
No response.
Olivia was standing near the back of the room.
She looked down.
She didn’t deny it.
That was the worst part.
Claire turned toward her.
“Why?””
Olivia slowly raised her eyes.
For a moment, she looked sad.
Then angry.
“You really want to know why?””
Claire stared at her.
“Yes.””
Olivia walked forward.
Every step echoed.
“Because you never noticed.””
Claire frowned.
“Noticed what?””
Olivia laughed quietly.
“That I was always there.””
The guests looked confused.
Olivia continued.
“You called me when you needed help. You called me when you needed someone to listen. You called me when you needed someone to fix your problems.””
Claire shook her head.
“That doesn’t explain this.””
“No?””
Olivia looked around the room.
“You had everything.””
Claire’s expression changed.
“Olivia…”
“You had the perfect family. The perfect house. The perfect company. The perfect fiancé.””
She looked at Marcus.
Then back at Claire.
“And you never asked who was standing behind you.””
I felt anger rising.
“So you decided to ruin her wedding?””
Olivia looked at me.
“I decided to expose the truth.””
I almost laughed.
“By making a child take the blame?””
Her face changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“I didn’t expect that.””
“No?””
I stepped forward.
“You watched her cry.””
Olivia looked away.
For the first time, she seemed uncomfortable.
But she quickly recovered.
“The plan was supposed to reveal Marcus.””
Claire stared at her.
“What plan?””
Olivia took a deep breath.
“Marcus was going to betray you.””
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“And you knew.””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Olivia didn’t answer.
That silence was louder than any confession.
Because there was another truth hiding beneath everything.
Claire whispered:
“You wanted something.””
Olivia looked at her.
And I saw it.
The smallest flash of guilt.
Claire’s voice shook.
“What did you want?””
Olivia said nothing.
Then Marcus suddenly spoke.
“Tell her.””
Everyone turned.
Marcus looked exhausted.
“Tell her why you really did this.””
Olivia glared at him.
“Be quiet.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You’re still pretending?””
Claire looked between them.
“What is he talking about?””
Marcus looked at Claire.
“The reason Olivia helped me wasn’t because she wanted to save you.””
Olivia’s face turned pale.
“She wanted what you had.””
Claire froze.
“What?””
Marcus continued.
“She wanted your father’s company.””
The room erupted again.
But before anyone could ask another question, Daniel’s phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What?””
He answered.
“Hello?””
Everyone waited.
Daniel listened for a few seconds.
Then his expression became serious.
He looked directly at Claire.
“It’s the police.””
The room went silent.
Claire swallowed.
“Why are they calling?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then he said:
“They found the person who paid Thomas.””
Nobody moved.
“Who?””
Daniel looked at the screen of his phone.
And his voice dropped.
“They said the payment came from an account belonging to…”
He stopped.
Everyone waited.
May you like
Then Daniel finished:
“Claire’s own father.””
