Chapter 2 - The Video
The police separated everyone.
The wedding guests were moved into another ballroom while detectives secured the reception area.
Daniel sat alone at the head table.
His untouched champagne bottle sat inside an evidence bag.
His wedding ring was still on his finger.
He stared at it as if he had never seen it before.
Detective Marcus Reed placed the smartphone on the table.
“Your flower girl recorded this?”
Daniel nodded.
“She said her mother told her to show it to me.”
Reed watched the video again.
“Did you notice anything strange before the ceremony?”
Daniel thought about it.
Victoria had been nervous.
He had assumed it was wedding-day anxiety.
“She kept asking me whether I trusted her.”
Reed raised an eyebrow.
“What did you say?”
“That I trusted her completely.”
The detective leaned back.
“That may have been exactly what she wanted to hear.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Across the room, Victoria sat with an attorney.
Her father had arrived.
So had three of the family's lawyers.
Daniel's father was furious.
“Do you understand what this will do to our family?”
Daniel stared at him.
“I nearly died.”
His father lowered his voice.
“And now you have to think carefully.”
“About what?”
“About what you say.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“My fiancée tried to poison me.”
“Allegedly.”
“The video shows it.”
“It shows her pouring something into a glass.”
Daniel stood.
“Dad.”
His father didn't move.
“We don't know what was in that vial.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You're defending her?”
“I am protecting you.”
“From my own bride?”
His father sighed.
“You have no idea how complicated this is.”
That sentence stayed with Daniel.
Later, Detective Reed approached Emma Carter.
Lily sat beside her.
The little girl was exhausted.
Daniel watched from across the room.
Reed asked Emma where she got the video.
Emma explained.
“Lily found Victoria's phone in the bridal suite.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Why didn't you bring it to police?”
Emma hesitated.
“Because Victoria threatened me.”
Daniel stood.
“What did she threaten?”
Emma looked at him.
“She said Lily would disappear.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Who is Victoria working with?”
“I don't know.”
“But you suspected something.”
Emma nodded.
“She started acting strangely after she met Daniel's father.”
Daniel froze.
“My father?”
Emma lowered her voice.
“Three weeks ago.”
Daniel turned toward his father.
The older man was speaking with Victoria's attorney.
He looked completely calm.
Too calm.
Daniel suddenly remembered something.
His father had insisted on paying for the wedding.
He had selected the champagne.
He had hired the security team.
He had even chosen the florist.
And he had introduced Victoria to the family doctor.
Why?
Daniel walked toward him.
“Dad.”
His father looked up.
“What?”
“Did you know Victoria was going to poison me?”
The man's face remained expressionless.
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Look me in the eyes.”
His father did.
“No.”
Daniel studied him.
For one second, he believed him.
Then his father's phone vibrated.
He checked it.
The screen showed one message.
Daniel caught only four words.
THE GIRL KNOWS TOO MUCH.
His father's face changed.
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“What is this?”
His father snatched it back.
“Nothing.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Who sent that?”
“No one.”
“Dad.”
His father walked away.
Daniel followed.
Then a scream came from the other side of the building.
Everyone turned.
A security guard was running toward them.
“Detective!”
Reed rushed over.
“What happened?”
“The evidence room.”
“What about it?”
“The champagne bottle is gone.”
Daniel's stomach dropped.
“And the phone?”
The guard swallowed.
“Gone too.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
She was staring at the hallway.
Her tiny face had gone white.
“What is it?” Emma asked.
Lily pointed toward the service doors.
“That man.”
“What man?”
“The one who told Aunt Victoria what to do.”
Daniel followed her gaze.
May you like
A tall man in a black suit was disappearing through the doors.
Daniel ran.
