Seven Days Before My Wedding

Seven Days Before My Wedding -Chapter 12 — The Wedding Countdown

Chapter 12 — The Wedding Countdown

We returned to the safe house before noon.

I sat at the table with the ledger in front of me.

Six days.

Then five.

Then four.

Time was moving.

Too quickly.

My wedding was supposed to happen in six days.

Except I wasn't going to marry Adrian.

But canceling the wedding wouldn't solve everything.

I needed evidence.

I needed the ledger.

I needed to find Elena.

And I needed to know who had killed me.

Nathan entered the room.

He placed a cup of coffee beside me.

"You haven't eaten."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat."

I looked at him.

"You're starting to sound like my father."

He smiled faintly.

"Your father was right about many things."

I looked away.

"Nathan."

"Yes?"

"What are we?"

He went silent.

"I don't know."

"You heard what my grandmother said."

"I did."

"And Richard is your father."

"Biologically."

I looked at him.

"Does that change anything?"

He hesitated.

"I don't know."

I felt my chest tighten.

"I don't want to lose you."

His expression softened.

"You won't."

"How can you promise that?"

"Because blood doesn't decide who I love."

My heart stopped.

He looked away.

"I shouldn't have said that."

"No."

I stood.

"Say it again."

He looked at me.

"I love you."

My eyes filled with tears.

"I loved you before."

His expression changed.

"What?"

"In my first life."

He stared at me.

"I was too late."

"What do you mean?"

"I realized it after I married Adrian."

He stepped closer.

"Emma..."

"I thought you hated me."

"I never hated you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you loved him."

I shook my head.

"I didn't."

"Not at first."

I looked down.

"Maybe I was blind."

He reached for my hand.

This time, I didn't pull away.

"I don't know what happens next," I whispered.

"Neither do I."

"But I know one thing."

"What?"

"I won't lose you again."

His fingers tightened around mine.

Then his phone rang.

He answered.

"Yes?"

His expression changed.

"What?"

He listened.

"Where?"

A pause.

"Are you sure?"

He hung up.

"What happened?"

"Elena."

My heart stopped.

"Where is she?"

"She was seen at the Blackwell headquarters."

"Why?"

"She went looking for something."

"What?"

"The missing ledger."

I stood.

"Then we're going."

Nathan grabbed his coat.

"No."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"You stay here."

"I'm not staying."

"It's dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous."

"Emma."

"I've already died once."

He looked at me.

I stepped closer.

"I won't spend my second life hiding."

He sighed.

"Fine."

We left.

Blackwell headquarters was surrounded by police.

Nathan parked several blocks away.

"Why are there police?"

I looked at the building.

"Maybe Elena was caught."

We entered through the rear entrance.

The building was almost empty.

We reached the executive floor.

A door was open.

Inside...

Elena stood beside a desk.

She was holding a gun.

I froze.

"Elena."

She turned.

Her face changed.

"Emma."

Nathan stepped forward.

"Put the gun down."

She shook her head.

"You don't understand."

I walked closer.

"Then explain."

She looked at me.

Tears filled her eyes.

"I never wanted to hurt you."

I felt anger rise.

"You watched me die."

"I know."

"You helped Adrian."

"I know."

"You lied to me."

"I know."

"Why?"

She lowered the gun.

"Because they had Mom."

I froze.

"What?"

"They took Mom."

My mother.

"No."

"Not your mother."

Elena shook her head.

"Our grandmother."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

"Richard has her."

Nathan looked shocked.

"That's impossible."

"I thought so too."

Elena laughed bitterly.

"Then I saw her."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"Where?"

"At Blackwell."

She pointed toward the floor.

"Below us."

"There is a basement?"

"A private archive."

I looked at Nathan.

"The Secret Archive."

He nodded.

"The one my father mentioned."

Elena wiped her tears.

"Richard keeps everything there."

"Everything?"

"Records."

"Names."

"Confessions."

"And the missing ledger?"

She nodded.

"All three sections."

My heart raced.

"Then let's get them."

Elena looked at me.

"There is one problem."

"What?"

"Richard is already inside."

Nathan reached for his weapon.

"Then we go now."

Elena shook her head.

"You don't understand."

"What?"

She looked directly at me.

"Richard isn't alone."

"Who is with him?"

Her face went pale.

"The man you've been hearing."

My blood froze.

"The man from my memories?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

Elena whispered:

"Your real father."

I stared at her.

"Richard is my real father."

"No."

She shook her head.

"Richard is your biological father."

"Then who is my real father?"

Elena looked at me.

"The man who raised you wasn't the only man who protected you."

She took a breath.

"Your mother had another secret."

"What secret?"

Elena's eyes filled with tears.

"Your biological father isn't Richard."

I froze.

"What?"

"Richard isn't your father."

"But the DNA—"

"We never tested it."

"Then the photograph?"

"Richard believed you were his."

I couldn't breathe.

Elena stepped closer.

"The man in the photograph was not your father."

"Then who?"

She whispered:

"Daniel Harris."

My heart stopped.

Daniel.

The man who had helped us.

The man who had given me information.

The man who had warned me.

The man I had trusted.

My mother's face appeared in my mind.

Her silence.

The old photograph.

The hidden records.

Everything suddenly shifted.

I looked at Nathan.

He looked just as shocked.

Elena continued:

"Richard has spent years believing you were his daughter."

"Why?"

"Because your mother let him believe it."

"Why would she?"

"To protect your real father."

I felt dizzy.

"Who is Daniel?"

Elena whispered:

"He's the man who has been protecting you since you were born."

I couldn't speak.

Then the lights went out.

A voice came from the darkness.

"That was enough."

I froze.

I knew that voice.

The same voice from my childhood.

The same voice from my first death.

The same voice from the memories I had buried.

A match was struck.

A small flame appeared.

Then a man stepped forward.

Daniel Harris.

He looked at me.

And smiled.

"Hello, Emma."

My blood ran cold.

"I think it's time you remembered everything."