Seven Days Before My Wedding

Seven Days Before My Wedding - Chapter 13 — The Man Behind the Voice

Chapter 13 — The Man Behind the Voice

"Daniel."

My voice came out as a whisper.

He stood beneath the emergency light, completely calm.

Almost too calm.

For years, I had trusted him.

In my first life, he had been the person I called when I needed legal advice.

He had helped me investigate my parents' deaths.

He had even attended my funeral.

And now he was standing in front of me.

The man whose voice had haunted my memories.

The man who had been there when I was eight.

The man who had been there the night I died.

Daniel smiled.

"You finally remembered."

Nathan stepped in front of me.

"Stay away from her."

Daniel's smile disappeared.

"You don't understand what you're protecting."

"I understand enough."

Elena lowered her gun.

"Daniel..."

He looked at her.

"You were never supposed to tell her."

"I couldn't keep lying."

"You've been lying for years."

"Because you threatened me!"

Daniel's eyes hardened.

"You should be grateful."

Elena laughed bitterly.

"Grateful?"

She raised the gun again.

"You destroyed our family."

Daniel looked at me.

"No."

He pointed at my mother.

"She did."

My mother went pale.

I stepped forward.

"Tell me the truth."

Daniel studied me.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to understand why your mother hid you from Richard."

I shook my head.

"Richard isn't my father."

"No."

Daniel's voice became quiet.

"He isn't."

"Then who is?"

He looked directly into my eyes.

"I am."

Silence.

Nathan stared at him.

Elena lowered the gun.

My mother closed her eyes.

I felt the room disappear around me.

"You?"

Daniel nodded.

"I am your biological father."

I couldn't speak.

"You were born from a secret your mother spent her entire life protecting."

"Why?"

"Because Richard wanted your mother."

My mother shook her head.

"He didn't want me."

Daniel looked at her.

"He wanted control."

Then he looked at me.

"And when he discovered you existed, he believed you were his."

"Because of the photograph."

"Exactly."

"The photograph was staged."

"Yes."

I looked at my mother.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because telling you would have put you in danger."

"Instead, you let me believe my father was someone else."

"The man who raised you was your father in every way that mattered."

I wiped my tears.

"Then why did Daniel protect me?"

Daniel answered.

"Because you are my daughter."

I shook my head.

"You protected me?"

"Yes."

"You killed me."

His expression changed.

"I never wanted you dead."

"Then who did?"

Daniel looked toward Elena.

"Adrian."

My heart stopped.

"Adrian?"

"He thought you had discovered the ledger."

"But you were there."

"I was trying to stop him."

"Why didn't you?"

Daniel looked away.

"Because I arrived too late."

I remembered the knife.

The blood.

Adrian's voice.

Elena crying.

Then Daniel standing in the doorway.

My memory suddenly became clearer.

Adrian had attacked me.

Elena had tried to stop him.

Daniel had entered.

But someone else had been behind him.

Richard.

And Richard had ordered Adrian to finish it.

Daniel had not killed me.

He had watched me die because he had been trying to protect evidence.

And that was the mistake that had haunted him ever since.

"You could have saved me."

Daniel closed his eyes.

"Yes."

My voice trembled.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because Richard had a gun pointed at Elena."

I looked at my sister.

She began crying.

"He told me if Daniel moved, he would kill me."

Daniel's voice broke.

"I had one second to choose."

"And you chose Elena."

"Yes."

I stared at him.

"I died because of that."

"I know."

He looked at me.

"And I've regretted it every day."