Seven Days Before My Wedding

Seven Days Before My Wedding - Chapter 3 — The Man Who Knew

Chapter 3 — The Man Who Knew

You should have stayed dead.

I read the message again.

Then again.

The words didn't change.

They didn't disappear.

They didn't become less terrifying.

My fingers tightened around the phone until they hurt.

Outside the window, the shadow was still there.

A person.

Someone was watching me.

I couldn't see a face.

Only a dark figure standing beneath the old oak tree at the edge of the garden.

The rain had stopped hours ago, but the branches were still dripping.

I didn't move.

Neither did the figure.

My first instinct was to run to the window.

My second was to scream.

But then I remembered Nathan's warning.

Lock your door.

I quietly stepped away from the window.

I didn't turn my back on the shadow.

I reached for the bedroom door and locked it.

Then I checked the balcony.

Locked.

The bathroom window.

Locked.

I pulled the curtains shut.

My breathing was shallow.

Whoever was outside had to know something.

But how?

I had been awake for less than a day.

I hadn't told anyone about my memories.

I had only spoken to Daniel.

And Nathan.

Daniel knew I was suspicious of Adrian.

Nathan knew something was wrong.

But neither of them knew about my second life.

Unless...

I looked at the message again.

You should have stayed dead.

My blood turned cold.

That wasn't a normal threat.

Whoever sent it knew I had died.

Or knew enough to make me believe they did.

I wanted to call the police.

My finger hovered over the emergency number.

Then I stopped.

What would I tell them?

Hello. Someone threatened me because they think I should still be dead.

They would think I was insane.

And if the person watching me was connected to Adrian, involving the police too early could make everything worse.

I needed proof.

I needed allies.

And I needed answers.

Most importantly...

I needed Nathan.

I didn't sleep.

At six in the morning, the shadow was gone.

I waited another thirty minutes before opening the curtains.

The garden was empty.

No footprints.

No broken branches.

Nothing.

Whoever had been there had disappeared without leaving evidence.

I stood by the window for a long time.

Then I opened my notebook.

Under Nathan's name, I wrote:

He knew.

I underlined it.

Then I added:

How much?

I stared at the question.

There was only one way to find out.

I picked up my phone and called him again.

He answered immediately.

"Emma?"

"You knew."

Silence.

"I knew what?"

"Don't do that."

His voice became quieter.

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"Are you safe?"

"I think so."

"That isn't an answer."

"I'm alive."

Another silence.

Then he asked:

"Did someone contact you?"

I froze.

"How did you know?"

Nathan exhaled slowly.

"Because that's what they do."

"Who?"

"Emma, you need to leave the house."

"I need answers."

"You need to stay alive."

"I've already been told that."

His breathing changed.

"What happened?"

I hesitated.

"Someone sent me a message."

"What did it say?"

I looked at the screen.

"You should have stayed dead."

Nathan didn't speak.

Not for several seconds.

"Nathan?"

"I'm coming."

My heart skipped.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if someone is watching me, they'll see you."

"Let them."

"You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly."

His voice was suddenly cold.

"That's why I'm coming."

"Where?"

"Your father's house."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes."

He hung up.

I stared at the phone.

Twenty minutes.

For the first time since waking up, I felt something other than fear.

Relief.

And that scared me even more.

Nathan arrived nineteen minutes later.

I watched his car enter through the gates.

Two security guards checked the vehicle before allowing him through.

He stepped out wearing a dark coat.

He looked exactly as I remembered.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

A face that rarely showed emotion.

But today, there was something different in his eyes.

Concern.

He entered the house without waiting for anyone to announce him.

I was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

He stopped when he saw me.

His eyes moved over my face.

Then my arms.

Then my body.

Checking for injuries.

"You look exhausted."

"I didn't sleep."

"Why?"

"Because someone threatened me."

He walked toward me.

"Show me."

I handed him my phone.

He read the message.

His jaw tightened.

"When did you receive this?"

"Last night."

"Who else knows?"

"Daniel."

"Anyone in your family?"

"No."

"Adrian?"

"No."

"Elena?"

"No."

He looked at me.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

He handed the phone back.

"Did you see the person?"

"Yes."

"Description?"

"A shadow."

"Male or female?"

"I don't know."

"Height?"

"I couldn't tell."

"Where were they standing?"

I pointed toward the window.

Nathan walked to it.

He examined the locks.

Then he opened the curtain slightly.

His eyes moved across the garden.

"How long were they there?"

"I don't know."

"Did you hear anything?"

"No."

He stepped outside onto the balcony.

I followed.

"Don't."

He looked back at me.

"You said you wanted answers."

"I do."

"Then let me investigate."

He crouched near the balcony railing.

There were faint marks on the wet stone.

His fingers touched one.

"Someone was here."

My stomach tightened.

"You can tell?"

"Yes."

He stood.

"They didn't come through the front gate."

"How?"

He looked toward the far wall.

"Over there."

My eyes followed his.

The garden wall was nearly eight feet high.

"You think they climbed it?"

"I know they did."

"How?"

Nathan pointed.

A small branch had been broken.

Then he looked at me.

"Whoever came here knew where your bedroom was."

A chill ran through me.

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Then find out."

He stared at me.

"You've changed."

The words caught me off guard.

"What?"

"Yesterday you were afraid to question Adrian."

"I was never afraid."

He gave me a look.

I almost smiled.

"Fine."

"You were."

I looked away.

"Maybe I was."

Nathan was silent.

Then he said:

"What happened?"

I turned toward him.

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday you called me."

"Yes."

"You asked for my help."

"Yes."

"Then you sounded like someone who already knew the answer."

My heart stopped.

"What answer?"

"Who betrayed you."

I stared at him.

Nathan stepped closer.

"Emma, what happened?"

I couldn't tell him.

Not yet.

If I told him that I had died, he might think I was insane.

Or worse...

He might believe me.

And if he believed me, I would have to explain everything.

I wasn't ready.

"I had a dream."

"A dream?"

"About my wedding."

He waited.

"I saw something."

"What?"

"Blood."

His face tightened.

"And?"

"I saw Adrian."

Nathan's eyes darkened.

"Did he hurt you?"

I didn't answer.

He understood.

"Emma."

His voice became softer.

"What exactly did you see?"

I looked away.

"Enough."

We went to my father's study.

Nathan closed the door behind us.

He sat across from me.

I remained standing.

"I need to know about your family."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Which part?"

"Everything."

"That's a lot."

"I have time."

He almost smiled.

"No, you don't."

My heart skipped.

"What does that mean?"

He leaned back.

"You have six days."

"Until my wedding."

"Yes."

"I won't be getting married."

His expression didn't change.

"You've decided?"

"I decided last night."

"Good."

The word surprised me.

"You don't seem surprised."

"I've been waiting for you to realize it."

I stared at him.

"How long?"

"Three years."

The room became silent.

Three years.

The exact length of my marriage in my first life.

I sat down.

"What do you know about Adrian?"

Nathan's face became hard.

"He's ambitious."

"That's not enough."

"He lies."

"Everyone lies."

"Not like him."

I leaned forward.

"Tell me about the company."

Nathan sighed.

"Black Holdings is complicated."

"I don't care."

"Your father and mine were business partners."

"I know."

"No."

He looked directly at me.

"You don't know the whole story."

My pulse quickened.

"What don't I know?"

"Our fathers weren't just business partners."

"What were they?"

"Friends."

I frowned.

"That's not a secret."

"They were friends before they were businessmen."

He paused.

"They built their companies together."

I stared at him.

"Then why did they become enemies?"

"Money."

"That's what everyone says."

"It's not the truth."

"What is?"

Nathan looked toward the window.

"Your father discovered that my father was moving money through a private company."

My heart stopped.

"How much?"

"Millions."

"Was Adrian involved?"

"Not then."

"Then who was?"

Nathan didn't answer.

"Nathan."

"My father."

I stared at him.

"Richard Black?"

He nodded.

"Your father found out."

"And?"

"They fought."

"What happened?"

"Your father threatened to expose him."

"And my parents?"

Nathan's eyes became colder.

"They died."

I couldn't breathe.

"You think Richard killed them?"

"I think someone did."

"That's not the same thing."

"No."

He leaned forward.

"But I have reason to believe it wasn't an accident."

My fingers curled into my palms.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried."

"You told me Adrian was dangerous."

"Because he was."

"You could have told me about my parents."

"I didn't have proof."

"And now?"

"I have pieces."

"What pieces?"

He looked at me.

"Enough to know you're in danger."

I swallowed.

"What happened the night they died?"

Nathan was silent.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer.

Then he said:

"I was there."

My heart stopped.

"You were there?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"At the accident."

I stared at him.

"You saw them?"

"I arrived minutes after the crash."

My throat tightened.

"What did you see?"

"A car off the road."

"That was all?"

"No."

His voice became quieter.

"There was another car."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

"A black sedan."

"Whose?"

"I don't know."

"Did you see the driver?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it was connected?"

"Because it disappeared before the police arrived."

I stood.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did."

"When?"

"Three years ago."

I shook my head.

"No."

"Emma..."

"You never told me."

"I came to your house."

"When?"

"The week after the funeral."

I froze.

I remembered.

A man had come.

I had refused to see him.

Adrian had told me it was Nathan.

He had said Nathan was trying to use my grief against me.

I had never opened the door.

I had never spoken to him.

Nathan watched my face.

"You remember."

I nodded slowly.

"You were outside."

"Yes."

"I thought..."

"What did Adrian tell you?"

I looked at him.

"He said you wanted to take advantage of my father's death."

Nathan closed his eyes.

For a moment, pain crossed his face.

"Of course he did."

I felt sick.

"I believed him."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't."

His voice was gentle.

"You didn't know."

I sat down.

My hands were shaking.

"Why didn't you try again?"

"I did."

"When?"

"Many times."

"Why don't I remember?"

"Because Adrian made sure you didn't."

I looked up.

"What does that mean?"

"He changed your phone number."

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

"He blocked my calls."

"How do you know?"

"Because I tried."

"How many times?"

"Enough."

I stared at him.

"Why?"

He looked away.

"Because I was trying to save you."

The room became silent.

I didn't know what to say.

For years, I had believed Nathan hated me.

Now I was beginning to understand that he had been trying to reach me.

And I had been pushing him away.

Because Adrian had made sure I believed Nathan was the enemy.

My eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry."

Nathan looked at me.

"I told you not to apologize."

"I should have listened."

"Yes."

The answer surprised me.

He wasn't trying to comfort me.

He was telling me the truth.

"You should have."

I laughed through my tears.

"You're terrible at comforting people."

"I know."

"At least you're honest."

"Always."

I looked at him.

"Even when the truth hurts?"

"Especially then."

For some reason, that made me trust him more.

A knock sounded at the door.

We both turned.

My father entered.

He stopped when he saw Nathan.

"Nathan?"

Nathan stood.

"Mr. Carter."

My father looked between us.

"Why are you here?"

I answered.

"I called him."

My father frowned.

"Why?"

"I needed his help."

"With what?"

I looked at Nathan.

Then at my father.

"The company."

My father's expression changed.

"What happened?"

"I think someone is stealing from us."

He became serious.

"I told you about the irregularities."

"I know."

"How did you find out?"

"I've been investigating."

He looked at Nathan.

"And you?"

Nathan nodded.

"I've been investigating too."

My father walked toward the desk.

He opened a drawer.

Then he pulled out the same file I had seen the previous night.

He placed it on the desk.

"I wanted to show this to you."

I opened it.

There were bank statements.

Transfer records.

Company names.

Dates.

My heart began pounding.

One company appeared repeatedly.

Aurelia Holdings.

I had never heard of it.

"Who owns this?"

My father shook his head.

"We don't know."

I looked at Nathan.

He was staring at the company name.

"You know it."

It wasn't a question.

Nathan nodded.

"Yes."

My father looked at him.

"How?"

"Because the same company appeared in our investigation."

My father's face became pale.

"What investigation?"

Nathan opened his briefcase.

He removed a document.

He placed it beside my father's file.

The company name was the same.

Aurelia Holdings.

My heart raced.

"What's the connection?"

Nathan looked at my father.

"We believe someone has been using Aurelia to move money between Carter Enterprises and Black Holdings."

My father stared at the papers.

"Impossible."

"That's what I thought."

"Who authorized the transfers?"

Nathan pointed to a signature.

My blood ran cold.

I knew that signature.

It belonged to Adrian.

My father looked at me.

"Emma..."

I couldn't speak.

Nathan looked at the signature.

"That's not the worst part."

My father lifted his eyes.

"What is?"

Nathan placed another document on the table.

"This transfer was made two weeks before your parents died."

The room became completely silent.

I stared at the page.

Two weeks.

Before their deaths.

My father slowly sat down.

"What are you saying?"

Nathan's voice was low.

"I'm saying the financial fraud started before the accident."

I felt dizzy.

"Then my parents knew."

"Probably."

"And that's why they died."

Nathan didn't answer.

But he didn't need to.

I looked at the document again.

The signature.

The company.

The date.

Everything connected.

My parents' deaths.

The money.

Adrian.

The Black family.

My stomach turned.

Then I noticed something.

A second signature.

I leaned closer.

"Nathan."

"What?"

"Who signed this?"

He looked.

His face changed.

I pointed.

"This isn't Adrian."

Nathan stared at the signature.

"No."

My father stood.

"Whose is it?"

Nathan didn't answer.

He looked at me.

Then at my father.

Finally, he said:

"It's Elena's."

My blood froze.

"No."

Nathan nodded.

"Your sister signed the transfer."

I shook my head.

"That's impossible."

"We can verify it."

"No."

I stood abruptly.

"Elena wouldn't."

Nathan looked at me.

"Emma."

"You don't understand."

"I understand."

"She wouldn't."

I couldn't accept it.

Not yet.

Even after everything I had seen.

Even after watching her stand beside Adrian while I died.

A part of me still wanted to believe there was something else.

A mistake.

A forgery.

Anything.

My father looked at me.

"We'll verify the signature."

I nodded.

But deep inside, I already knew.

The nightmare wasn't changing.

It was getting clearer.

That afternoon, Daniel called.

I answered immediately.

"Daniel?"

"I have something."

My heart raced.

"What?"

"Can you talk privately?"

I looked at Nathan.

He was standing across the room.

"Yes."

Daniel lowered his voice.

"I traced several transfers from Carter Enterprises."

"To Aurelia Holdings?"

There was silence.

"How did you know?"

"Just tell me."

"You're right."

My stomach tightened.

"How much?"

"Enough."

"What did you find?"

"The company is registered under a different name."

"Whose?"

Daniel hesitated.

Then said:

"Adrian Black's."

My blood went cold.

"I knew it."

"But there's something else."

"What?"

"The company has another director."

"Who?"

Daniel paused.

"Elena Carter."

I closed my eyes.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The money.

The signatures.

The secrets.

The wedding.

My sister.

My fiancé.

They weren't just planning to steal from my family.

They had been doing it for years.

"Daniel."

"Yes?"

"Can you prove it?"

"Not yet."

"Find the proof."

"I will."

"Anything else?"

His voice became serious.

"Yes."

"What?"

"I checked the records from the night your parents died."

My heart stopped.

"What did you find?"

"The police report was altered."

I couldn't breathe.

"By whom?"

"I don't know yet."

"Daniel..."

"There is one original copy."

"Where?"

"In the Black family archives."

My eyes moved toward Nathan.

He was watching me.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How do I get it?"

Daniel was silent.

Then:

"You don't."

"Why?"

"Because someone has already killed to keep that report hidden."

The call ended.

I lowered the phone.

Nathan walked toward me.

"What happened?"

I looked at him.

"The original police report about my parents' deaths is hidden in your family's archives."

His face became expressionless.

"Then we're going there."

"When?"

"Tonight."

I stared at him.

"You're not afraid?"

"No."

"Why?"

He looked directly into my eyes.

"Because I've already lost too much."

Something in his voice made my heart ache.

"What did you lose?"

His expression softened.

"You."

I stopped breathing.

He looked away before I could respond.

"Get ready."

"For what?"

"To find out who killed your parents."

He walked toward the door.

I followed.

"Nathan."

He stopped.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

He didn't turn around.

"You'll thank me when we're alive tomorrow."

Then he opened the door.

I watched him leave.

For the first time since I returned to the past, I felt something I hadn't expected.

Hope.

But I didn't know yet that the truth waiting inside the Black family archives would change everything I believed about my parents...

And about Nathan.

Because the man I thought had failed to save me once...

Had been trying to save me long before I ever knew I needed him.