THE WEDDING PHOTOS
728 Words
CHAPTER 4:
8am. Cole Tower. 47th floor.
I sat in a glass conference room wearing a dress the stylist dropped off at 7am. White. Simple. Not a wedding dress, but still too expensive.
Damien was at the head of the table. Black suit. No tie. Talking to 6 men in suits who all looked terrified of him.
"...and the Lagos port deal closes today," he was saying. "Anyone who screws this up answers to me."
They nodded and left. Fast.
Then it was just us.
He looked at me. Really looked.
"You look tired," he said.
"I didn’t sleep."
"Because of the drawer?"
"Because of the second note." I pulled it from my pocket and slid it across the table.
Damien picked it up. His expression didn’t change.
"Traffic cam," he read. "March 14. 11:43pm."
"Was she running from you?" I asked.
He set the note down. "Lila, I—"
The door burst open.
A woman. Late 20s. Red dress. Red lips. Furious.
"There you are!" she snapped. "You missed our meeting, Damien. Again."
Damien stood. "Victoria. What are you doing here?"
"I live here," she said. Then she saw me. "Oh. The new wife."
The word "new" hit like a slap.
Victoria walked to me. Looked me up and down.
"So this is her. The waitress." She laughed. "Cute. Desperate too, I bet. How much did he pay you? 5 million? 10?"
"Victoria," Damien warned.
"What?" She turned to him. "I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking. You marry a nobody 3 months after Amara’s death and expect us to clap?"
My hands clenched under the table.
Damien’s jaw ticked. "Apologize."
"Or what?" Victoria crossed her arms. "You’ll fire me? Like you fired Lila’s dad?"
The room went silent.
Damien walked around the table. He stopped in front of Victoria.
"Last chance," he said softly. "Apologize. To her."
Victoria looked at me. Then at him. Then she smiled.
"No."
Damien nodded once. "Security."
Two guards appeared. "Miss Reyes, you’re no longer employed by Cole Group. Please collect your things."
Victoria’s face fell. "You can’t— I’m your cousin!"
"I can," Damien said. "And I did. Get out."
They dragged her out. She was still screaming.
When the door closed, Damien turned to me.
"I’m sorry," he said.
"For what? Firing her or for the fact that everyone thinks I’m a gold digger?"
"For both." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Lila. This is messy. My life is messy. But I’m trying to keep you out of it."
"By lying?"
"By protecting you."
I stood up. "I need air."
I walked out. Down the hall. Into an elevator.
Floor 12. Archive room.
I didn’t know why I came here. Maybe because the note said traffic cam.
The room was full of boxes. Old files. And in the corner... a wall.
Covered in photos.
Wedding photos.
Damien and Amara.
Smiling. Dancing. Kissing.
And in every photo, Damien looked... happy. Like a different person.
In the middle, one photo was different.
Amara, alone. Holding a sonogram. 8 weeks. Smiling at the camera.
Written on the back in red pen:
"If anything happens to me, it’s him."
- A.
My hands started shaking.
The door opened.
Damien.
He saw the wall. Saw the photo in my hand.
"Lila..."
"Did you kill her?" I whispered.
His face went blank. "No."
"Then who did?"
"I don’t know." He stepped closer. "But I will find out. And I will burn this city down to do it."
He took the photo from me gently.
"I loved her," he said. "God help me, I did. And I failed her."
For the first time, Damien Cole looked broken.
I should’ve hated him.
I should’ve run.
Instead, I reached out and took his hand.
"Then let’s find out who did," I said.
His eyes met mine. Surprised.
"You’re not afraid of me?"
"I’m terrified," I admitted. "But I’m more afraid of the person who’s texting me."
Damien squeezed my hand.
"Okay," he said. "Partners."
His phone buzzed. He looked at it.
His face went dark.
"What?" I asked.
He turned the screen to me.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
"Nice try, Mrs. Cole. But you picked the wrong side. Your mom’s room at St. Mary’s? Room 304. Empty."
My heart stopped.
"Mom," I whispered.
Damien was already moving. "Car. Now."
We ran.
TO BE CONTINUED.
- Writer
