THE BRIDES DIARY

The Bullet Meant for Him

Claire collapsed into Adrian's arms.

For one terrible second, he thought she was dead.

"Claire!"

Her eyes fluttered, but she couldn't answer.

Blood was spreading across the front of her shirt.

Adrian lowered her carefully onto the concrete floor while Elena immediately knelt beside her.

"Move your hand."

Adrian pressed his palm against the wound.

"Here?"

"Harder."

He obeyed.

Claire gasped in pain.

"I'm sorry."

Elena looked at her.

"Stay with me."

Claire managed a weak smile.

"I've had worse days."

Daniel crouched beside them.

"We need to get her out of here."

Elena shook her head.

"Not yet."

"What do you mean, not yet?"

"The bullet is still inside."

Daniel looked around the chamber.

"And the person who fired it is still somewhere here."

Adrian looked toward the darkness.

The emergency lights had returned, but only a few were working. Large sections of the chamber remained hidden beneath shadows.

He slowly stood.

"Who fired the shot?"

Nobody answered.

Elena looked at the bullet casing in her palm.

"The ammunition."

She turned it toward the light.

"This isn't ordinary ammunition."

Daniel frowned.

"How can you tell?"

"I have seen it before."

"Where?"

"At my father's house."

Adrian stared at her.

"You said your father died years ago."

"He did."

"Then how?"

Elena looked at him.

"Because the same ammunition was used to kill him."

The words silenced everyone.

Adrian looked down at Claire.

"Can she survive?"

"If we stop the bleeding, yes."

"Then let's get her out."

Elena nodded.

Daniel lifted Claire carefully.

"Where?"

"There is a medical room two corridors east."

"How do you know?"

"I built it."

Daniel stared at her.

"You built an underground medical room?"

Elena gave him a tired look.

"I told you I had been preparing for this."

They moved quickly through the chamber.

Adrian stayed beside Claire, keeping pressure on the wound.

Her eyes opened slightly.

"Adrian."

"I'm here."

She swallowed.

"You shouldn't have come."

"I've heard that too many times today."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"You always were stubborn."

He smiled despite himself.

"Elena said the same thing."

Claire glanced toward her sister.

"She missed you."

Adrian's smile disappeared.

"She could have come back."

Claire looked away.

"She wanted to."

"Then why didn't she?"

"Because she was afraid."

"Of what?"

Claire hesitated.

"Of becoming the reason you died."

Adrian looked at Elena.

She heard the conversation but said nothing.

They reached the medical room.

It was surprisingly well equipped.

There was a narrow bed, medical supplies, bottled water, bandages, and a small emergency light.

Elena directed Daniel to place Claire on the bed.

Then she washed her hands and examined the wound.

"She needs surgery."

Daniel looked alarmed.

"Can you do it?"

Elena nodded.

"I have done this before."

Adrian looked at her.

"You are a doctor now?"

"No."

"Then what are you?"

Elena paused.

"Someone who learned how to survive."

She opened a medical kit.

Inside were surgical instruments.

Adrian stared at them.

He had never imagined this version of Elena.

The woman he remembered had loved expensive restaurants, old movies, and dancing barefoot in the living room.

This woman was different.

Harder.

More careful.

But beneath all of it, he could still see the woman he loved.

Elena looked at him.

"You should leave."

"No."

"Adrian."

"I'm staying."

"This will be difficult to watch."

"I don't care."

She studied him for a moment.

Then nodded.

"Fine."

She began working.

Claire cried out when the instrument touched the wound.

Adrian held her hand.

"Look at me."

Claire squeezed his fingers.

"Tell me something."

"What?"

"Did Elena really love you?"

Adrian glanced at Elena.

The question caught him off guard.

"Yes."

Claire smiled weakly.

"Good."

"Why?"

"Because she nearly destroyed herself trying to keep you alive."

Elena looked away.

Adrian's eyes softened.

For the next several minutes, the room was filled with tense silence.

Then Elena finally removed the bullet.

She placed it inside a metal tray.

"She's going to live."

Adrian released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Claire closed her eyes.

"Thank God."

Daniel walked toward the doorway.

"I'm going to check outside."

Elena stopped him.

"Don't."

"Why?"

"Because whoever fired that shot wanted us to think they were gone."

Daniel frowned.

"Then what do we do?"

Elena looked toward the ventilation grate above them.

"We wait."

"For what?"

"For them to make another mistake."

Adrian looked at her.

"You knew this would happen."

"No."

"But you knew someone would try to kill me."

"I suspected."

"Why?"

Elena sat beside Claire.

"Because your father left instructions."

Adrian stiffened.

"My father?"

She nodded.

"Before he died, he gave me a message."

"What message?"

Elena looked at him.

"He told me that if you ever discovered the truth about your childhood, someone would try to kill you."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"Why didn't he tell me himself?"

"Because he was already dying."

"He asked me to protect you."

Adrian looked away.

For years he had believed his father was cold.

Strict.

Obsessed with the family business.

He had never imagined the man had been secretly protecting him.

Or had he?

Adrian suddenly remembered something from the old recording.

His father's voice.

You were supposed to protect the girl.

He looked at Elena.

"Who was my father talking to?"

"Arthur."

"What did he mean by protecting the girl?"

Elena remained silent.

"Elena."

She finally answered.

"He was talking about me."

Adrian's eyes widened.

"Why would my father care about you?"

"Because he knew what your mother had discovered."

"What did she discover?"

Elena looked toward the door.

"She discovered that the fire wasn't meant to kill her."

Adrian waited.

"It was meant to kill you."

The room seemed to shrink around him.

"Me?"

Elena nodded.

"You were eight years old."

"Your father had discovered that someone inside Black Circle wanted you removed."

"Why?"

"Because you were the heir."

"That makes no sense."

"It does if you understand what your father owned."

Adrian frowned.

"What did he own?"

Elena leaned closer.

"Not just a company."

"He controlled something far more valuable."

"What?"

"Information."

"Names."

"Accounts."

"Evidence."

"Secrets about every powerful person connected to Black Circle."

Adrian stared at her.

"Where is it?"

Elena's eyes moved toward the diary.

"Your father hid it."

"Where?"

"Inside the Wolfe estate."

Adrian's heartbeat quickened.

"My childhood home?"

"Yes."

"But the house was destroyed."

"Not everything."

Elena reached into her pocket and removed a small photograph.

She placed it in his hand.

It showed the old Wolfe mansion after the fire.

Adrian studied it carefully.

Then he noticed something strange.

The photograph had been taken from inside the house.

Near the staircase.

"Who took this?"

"Your mother."

Adrian looked at the photograph again.

At the bottom of the staircase was a small wooden door.

He remembered that door.

As a child, he had always been forbidden from opening it.

His father had called it a storage room.

Adrian looked up.

"There was something behind that door."

Elena nodded.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Your father's archive."

Adrian stood.

"We need to go there."

Elena shook her head.

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"Because someone has already gone."

Daniel returned to the room.

His expression was grim.

"You were right."

Elena looked at him.

"What happened?"

"Someone left through the western passage."

"Did you see them?"

"No."

"But I found this."

He held out a small object.

A silver pendant.

Elena's face immediately changed.

Adrian recognized it.

It was identical to the necklace Elena had worn the night she disappeared.

Except this one had a tiny engraving on the back.

A W

Adrian stared at it.

"That's my father's initial."

Elena nodded.

Then Claire suddenly opened her eyes.

She looked at the pendant.

Her face went pale.

"I know that symbol."

Everyone turned toward her.

"Where?"

Claire swallowed.

"Mr. Gray had one."

Elena stepped closer.

"Are you certain?"

Claire nodded.

"He wore it the night he took me from the fire."

Adrian felt a cold sensation move through his body.

The man who had kidnapped Claire.

The man connected to the fire.

The man who had been hunting Elena.

He had been carrying the Wolfe symbol.

Elena stared at the pendant.

Then she whispered,

"Adrian..."

"What?"

"I think we have been looking for the wrong man."

"Who are we supposed to be looking for?"

Elena lifted her eyes toward him.

"The man who raised Claire wasn't working for your father."

She paused.

"He was your father's brother."