Chapter 5 - The Secret MarriageThe gunshot echoed through the hospital.
Daniel shoved me aside.
The bullet struck the wall.
Security returned fire.
The traitor fell.
Ethan screamed.
I ran to him.
The bomb was fake.
The wire had been a distraction.
The real plan had been to bring us here.
And someone inside Daniel's security team had helped.
We escaped minutes later.
But on the drive home, Daniel said almost nothing.
Then he handed me a document.
“What's this?”
“Your father's will.”
I read it.
One clause had been highlighted.
If Daniel Hayes marries before his thirty-sixth birthday, all trusts and controlling shares will transfer to his direct spouse.
I looked up.
“So your family doesn't want you married.”
“Correct.”
“Then why does Eleanor want my daughter?”
Daniel stared through the windshield.
“Because the will isn't the entire story.”
“What are you hiding?”
He was silent.
Then:
“Your mother and my father were married.”
I thought I'd misheard him.
“What?”
“Secretly.”
The world seemed to tilt.
“My mother was married to your father?”
“Yes.”
“And I...”
“You were born before my father's public marriage.”
I stared at him.
“So that makes me…”
“His biological daughter.”
I couldn't speak.
Daniel continued.
“Eleanor discovered it.”
“And my children?”
“Your daughter carries something that belonged to your mother.”
“What?”
“A key.”
I frowned.
“She doesn't have a key.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Not a physical one.”
Then he explained.
Before my mother disappeared, she transferred control of a trust into my name.
But she never told me.
The trust contained billions.
And the legal documents were protected by a biometric code.
My DNA.
And Ava's.
I laughed.
“This is insane.”
“I wish it were.”
Suddenly, Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
His face went white.
“What?”
He listened.
Then looked at me.
“The board meeting has been moved.”
“To when?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“You said six days.”
“I know.”
“So?”
“I don't have six days anymore.”
That night, Daniel came to my room.
“Sarah.”
I looked up.
“If we're doing this, we need to do it tonight.”
“What?”
“Get married.”
I stared at him.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if the board removes me tomorrow, Eleanor will have legal access to the trust.”
My heart pounded.
Daniel stepped closer.
“I know what this looks like.”
“It looks like a disaster.”
“Yes.”
He reached into his pocket.
There was a ring.
Simple.
Beautiful.
Not extravagant.
“I don't want to force you.”
“Then don't.”
He placed the ring on the table.
“You decide.”
I stared at it.
A billionaire.
A fake marriage.
A missing mother.
A secret inheritance.
A daughter someone wanted to steal.
Everything in me screamed to run.
But Ethan was sleeping down the hall.
Ava was beside him.
I picked up the ring.
“When?”
“Ten minutes.”
I looked into his eyes.
“Fine.”
Ten minutes later, we stood in a private chapel.
No guests.
No press.
No family.
Only a judge.
Daniel said his vows.
So did I.
When he slipped the ring onto my finger, I felt something strange.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something dangerous.
Hope.
Then the chapel doors exploded open.
Victoria stood there.
Her face was furious.
“You can't do this.”
Daniel turned.
“It's already done.”
Victoria looked at me.
Then smiled.
A cold, terrifying smile.
“No.”
She raised her phone.
“You've made a terrible mistake.”
She pressed play.
I heard my mother's voice.
May you like
And the first sentence was:
“If Sarah ever marries Daniel Hayes, she will destroy everything I died to protect.”
