the art of being decived

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: The Wedding Day

Vero Reyes Point of View

I don't sleep at all. I sit by Papa's hospital bed all night. The nurse brings me coffee and a pillow, but I can't rest. Every time I close my eyes, I see those two men in suits.

At seven in the morning, Papa wakes up.

"Vero? Why are you still here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, vero. Today is your wedding day. You should be getting ready."

I look at my watch. Five more hours until I have to marry Daniel. Five more hours to decide what to do.

"Papa, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

I almost told him everything. About the letter. About Victor. About Daniel's plan. But Papa looks so happy. So proud.

"I love you," I say instead.

"I love you too. Now go get ready. I want you to look beautiful."

I kiss his forehead and leave. Dr. Martinez is waiting outside.

"Miss Reyes? We moved your father to a different room. The one with more security."

"Thank you."

"Those men from yesterday? They came back this morning. But security made them leave."

My heart pounds. "Are they gone now?"

"Yes. But maybe you should call the police."

"I can't. Not yet."

I drive home. My wedding dress hangs on my door. White and pretty. I put it on and look in the mirror. I look like a bride. But I feel like I'm getting ready for a funeral.

My phone rings. It's Daniel.

"Are you ready?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Good. I'm sending a car to pick you up at eleven thirty."

"Daniel, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why did you really want to marry me?"

Long pause. "Because I wanted to hurt your father."

"And now?"

"Now I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'll see you at the church."

He hangs up. I stare at my phone. Daniel sounds different. Confused. Maybe even sad.

I put the letter and the recorder in my purse. I'm going to tell him the truth. Even if he doesn't believe me. Even if it makes him angry.

Someone knocks on my door. I open it and see Mrs. Hartwell.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came to help you."

"How?"

"Victor knows about our meeting yesterday."

"How do you know?"

"Because he called me this morning."

My heart stops. "He called you? I thought he didn't know you were alive."

"He didn't. Until yesterday. Someone saw us at the coffee shop."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But Victor is very angry. He told me to stay away from you."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him it was too late. I told him you already know the truth."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because now he's scared. Scared people make mistakes."

I don't understand. "What kind of mistakes?"

"He's going to try to stop the wedding. He doesn't want you to tell Daniel the truth."

"How is he going to stop it?"

"I don't know. But be careful. Victor is a dangerous man."

Mrs. Hartwell leaves. I lock the door and look out the window. The black car is back. Parked across the street.

At eleven thirty, a white car comes to pick me up. The driver is a young man with kind eyes.

"Miss Reyes? I'm here to take you to church."

"Are you one of Daniel's men?"

"Yes ma'am. Mr. Blackwood told me to take good care of you."

We drive through the city. I watch out the window and see the black car following us. My hands shake.

"Are we being followed?" I asked the driver.

He looks in the mirror. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Never mind."

We get to the church. It's small and pretty. White flowers everywhere. Only a few people are there. Daniel's friends from work. The nurse from the hospital. Papa's doctor.

I don't see Papa.

"Where is my father?" I asked the driver.

"He's coming in a different car. Mr. Blackwood wanted to make sure he got here safely."

I wait outside the church. My heart beats so fast I can barely breathe. Then I see another white car. Papa gets out. He's wearing a black suit and he looks handsome. But he needs help walking.

"Papa, you should be in the hospital."

"I'm fine, Vero. I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Dr. Martinez gets out of the car too. "Don't worry, Miss Reyes. I came to watch him."

"Thank you."

We walk into the church together. The music starts. Everyone stands up. I see Daniel at the front of the church. He's wearing a black suit and he looks very handsome. But his face is serious. Almost sad.

Papa takes my arm. "Ready, Vero?"

"Yes."

We walk down the aisle slowly. Papa squeezes my hand. When we get to the front, Daniel takes my hand from Papa.

"Thank you," Daniel says to Papa.

"Take care of her," Papa says.

"I will."

The priest starts talking. I don't hear the words. I'm thinking about the letter in my purse. About the recording. About what I'm going to do.

Then I see him. Victor Grant. He's sitting in the back of the church. He's an older man with gray hair and cold eyes. He's watching me.

Our eyes meet. He shakes his head slowly. A warning.

"Do you, Daniel Blackwood, take Vero Reyes to be your wife?" the priest asks.

"I do," Daniel says. But his voice is quiet.

"Do you, Vero Reyes, take Daniel Blackwood to be your husband?"

I look at Daniel. Then Victor. Then at Papa, who's smiling.

Everyone waits. Daniel squeezes my hand.

"I need to say something first," I say.

"Vero," Daniel whispers. "Not here."

"Yes, here. Everyone needs to hear this."

I turn to face the people in the church. "Fifteen years ago, something bad happened. Daniel's parents lost their money. Everyone thought my father stole it. But that's not true."

Daniel's face goes white. "Vero, stop."

"My father tried to help. He found out who the real thief was. He tried to warn your parents. But they were too scared to listen."

"You're lying," Daniel says.

I pull out the letter. "This is from your mother. She wrote it before she died."

Daniel takes the letter. His hands shake as he reads it.

"Where did you get this?" he asks.

"From Mrs. Hartwell. She worked for your family."

Daniel looks around the church. "Mrs. Hartwell is dead."

"No, she's not. She's been watching you. Waiting for the right time to tell you the truth."

Victor stands up. "This is enough. Daniel, don't listen to her."

Daniel looks at Victor. Then at me. Then at the letter.

"The real thief is Victor Grant," I say loudly. "He's been lying to you for fifteen years."

"That's not true," Victor says. He starts walking toward us.

"I have proof," I say. I pull out the recorder.

Victor stops. His face goes red. "You have nothing."

I push play. Victor's voice fills the church.

"The girl has no idea what she's walking into. Daniel thinks he's getting revenge, but he's really just cleaning up my mess."

Daniel stares at the recorder. Then at Victor.

"What is this?" Daniel asks.

"It's Victor talking to his assistant. About you. About me. About what he's been doing."

"Daniel, she's lying," Victor says. "She made this up."

"Then why do you look so scared?" I ask.

Victor's face is very red now. "Because this is crazy. Daniel, you know me. I've been like a father to you."

"Yes," Daniel says slowly. "You have."

He looks at me. "How do I know this is real?"

"Because your mother wrote that letter. And because Victor just proved it's true."

"How?"

"He's scared. If he was innocent, he wouldn't be scared."

Daniel looks at Victor again. "Is it true?"

Victor doesn't answer. He's looking at the door.

"Victor," Daniel says. "Is it true?"

"I did what I had to do," Victor says quietly.

"What?"

"Your parents were weak. They were going to lose everything anyway. I just... helped it happen faster."

Daniel's face goes white. "You stole from my family?"

"I saved what I could. For you."

"You let me think Samuel Reyes was a thief for fifteen years?"

"I protected you!"

"You used me!" Daniel shouts. "You made me want to hurt innocent people!"

Victor backs toward the door. "Daniel, listen to me."

"No. I'm done listening to you."

Victor runs toward the door. But two police officers are standing there.

"Victor Grant?" one of them says. "You're under arrest."

I look around, confused. "How did they know to come here?"

Mrs. Hartwell steps out from behind a pillar. "I called them this morning. I told them everything."

Victor looks at her. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint you," she says.

The police take Victor away. Everyone in the church is quiet.

Daniel turns to me. His eyes are full of tears.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I'm so sorry."

"I know."

"I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to hurt your father. All because of a lie."

"You didn't know."

"I should have known. I should have seen it."

Papa walks up to us. "Daniel, what's important is that you know now."

Daniel looks at Papa. "Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. You were just a boy who lost his parents."

Daniel starts crying. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Reyes."

Papa hugs him. "It's okay, son. It's okay."

I watch them hug and I feel so happy. But then I remember something.

"Daniel," I say. "What about the wedding?"

He looks at me. "Do you still want to marry me?"

"I don't know. Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes," he says. "But not like this. Not because of revenge or money or lies."

"Then why?"

"Because I love you."

I stare at him. "What?"

"I love you, Vero. I think I've loved you since the day I met you. Even when I was trying to hate you."

"But you said."

"I said a lot of things. I was angry and hurt and wrong about everything."

The priest clears his throat. "So... are we having a wedding or not?"

I look at Daniel. "Are we?"

"Only if you want to."

"I want to. But I want to do it right. I want to marry you because I love you too."

Daniel smiles. "You love me?"

"Yes. Even when I was scared of you."

"So what do we do now?"

"We start over. We do this right."

Daniel takes my hands. "Vero Reyes, would you like to go on a date with me?"

I laugh. "Yes, Daniel Blackwood. I would like that very much."

"Good. Because I have a lot to make up for."

Papa starts clapping. Soon everyone is clapping and laughing.

But then I hear something that makes my heart stop.

A gunshot.

From outside the church.

Everyone screams. Daniel pulls me behind a pillar.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"I don't know."

Another gunshot. Then another.

"Stay down," Daniel says.

Through the window, I see a man with a gun. He's not Victor. He's someone else. Someone I don't recognize.

"Who is that?" I whisper.

Daniel looks. His face goes white.

"Victor's brother," he says.

"His brother?"

"Marcus. He's worse than Victor. Much worse."

The church door opens. Marcus walks in. He has a gun in his hand.

"Where is she?" he asks.

"Who?" Daniel asks.

"The girl who ruined everything. The girl who sent my brother to jail."

He looks right at me.

"There you are.”