Forty-three hours before the wedding ceremony…
Piper set out early in the morning, the cold air nipping at her skin, though she barely noticed it. Her heart was pounding with a restless urgency.
She had to check on Regina make sure the girl wasn’t dead. But as she stepped into the hidden room, her breath caught in her throat.
The rope lay slack on the ground. No Regina.
A wave of panic surged through her chest like a punch.
“No… no, no, no…” she muttered, her voice trembling as she scanned the room again and again, as if Regina might magically reappear.
She spun on her heel and bolted out of the house, forgetting to cover her head with the sweater she usually used to avoid attention. The chill air hit her face, but she didn’t care. Her mind was racing, thoughts spiraling into chaos.
