Chapter 7: The Woman Behind the First Wedding
The words echoed through the abandoned station.
"She is the woman who killed the first bride."
Nobody moved.
Not even Daniel.
He simply stood there, watching the confusion spread across their faces.
Because that was what he wanted.
Confusion.
Doubt.
Suspicion.
The perfect weapons.
Emily slowly turned toward Sara.
The woman who had been lying on the morgue table.
The woman who had warned her.
The woman who had begged for help.
Could she really be the killer?
"No."
Adam's voice cut through the silence.
"You are lying."
Daniel smiled.
"Am I?"
He looked at Sara.
"Tell them."
Sara's face was pale.
Her eyes avoided everyone.
Emily felt her stomach tighten.
"Tell us what?"
Sara said nothing.
"Who are you?"
Still nothing.
Emily stepped closer.
"Sara."
The woman's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't want this."
Adam clenched his fists.
"Didn't want what?"
Sara finally looked up.
"I didn't want to be part of it."
Daniel laughed softly.
"But you were."
The Circle members behind him moved closer.
Emily noticed something.
They weren't threatening Daniel.
They were protecting him.
That meant he was not just involved.
He was in control.
"Explain."
Emily's voice was cold.
Daniel looked at her.
"You really are like Amina."
Emily frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Always looking for the truth, even when the truth destroys you."
He took one step forward.
"The woman you call Sara Malik was not a random person."
He pointed at her.
"She was there the night Amina's mother died."
Emily looked at Sara.
Sara closed her eyes.
"I was seventeen."
The confession came quietly.
"I was young."
Adam stared.
"What are you talking about?"
Sara looked at him.
"I was there."
A pause.
"When your mother died."
Adam's face changed.
Emily saw the pain immediately.
A wound reopening after years.
"You knew?"
Sara nodded.
"I knew."
Adam stepped backward.
"No."
"I knew what happened."
"No."
His voice became louder.
"You don't get to say that."
Sara started crying.
"I tried to tell someone."
Adam laughed bitterly.
"When?"
"Years later."
"After my sister was already broken?"
Sara looked down.
"I was afraid."
Daniel interrupted.
"And fear makes people useful."
Emily looked at him.
"You manipulated her."
Daniel smiled.
"Everyone is manipulated by something."
He looked around.
"Money. Love. Guilt. Fear."
Then he looked at Sara.
"She was the easiest."
Sara's expression changed.
Anger replaced fear.
"You promised you would let my brother go."
Daniel's smile disappeared.
A dangerous silence followed.
Emily noticed.
Daniel hated losing control.
Sara continued:
"You said if I helped you expose the Rahman family secrets, you would leave him alone."
Daniel stepped toward her.
"And you believed me?"
The sentence crushed her.
Sara looked devastated.
"You lied."
Daniel smiled.
"I never promised anything."
Adam suddenly moved.
Fast.
He grabbed one of the Circle members and threw him against the car.
Chaos exploded.
Emily pulled Sara behind her.
Marcus fired a warning shot into the air.
"Enough!"
Everyone froze.
For a moment.
Then Daniel laughed.
"Marcus."
He looked amused.
"Still pretending you are a doctor."
Marcus's face hardened.
Daniel continued:
"You were never a medical examiner."
Emily looked at Marcus.
"What?"
Daniel smiled.
"Tell her."
Marcus didn't speak.
Emily felt betrayed again.
Another secret.
Another lie.
Everyone around her was carrying hidden stories.
"Who are you?"
Marcus looked exhausted.
Finally, he answered.
"My real name is Marcus Vale."
Emily waited.
"Former investigator."
"For who?"
He looked at Daniel.
"The Circle."
The words hit harder than anything before.
Emily stepped away from him.
"You worked for them?"
"Years ago."
"How many people did you hurt?"
Marcus didn't answer.
Because the silence was enough.
Daniel watched Emily carefully.
He was enjoying this.
"You see?"
He said softly.
"Everyone around you has blood on their hands."
Emily looked at him.
"And you?"
For the first time, Daniel's smile disappeared.
"I have something worse."
Nobody expected the answer.
"What?"
Daniel looked toward the city lights in the distance.
"Purpose."
A cold wind moved through the station.
Emily hated that word.
Because people like Daniel never believed they were monsters.
They believed they were necessary.
Daniel pulled a small remote from his pocket.
He pressed one button.
Every phone in the area received a notification.
Emily's phone vibrated.
She looked down.
A live video.
Amina.
Alive.
Sitting in a room.
Wearing the same wedding dress.
Her face bruised.
Her hands tied.
Emily's heart dropped.
"Amina..."
Adam moved toward the screen.
"Amina!"
Daniel watched them.
"Now you know where she is."
Emily looked at him.
"Why show us?"
Daniel smiled.
"Because I want you to come."
A pause.
"The second wedding is about to begin."
Emily stared.
"What wedding?"
Daniel looked directly at her.
"Mine."
The screen changed.
Amina was no longer alone.
A man entered the room.
Someone Emily recognized.
Someone who should not have been there.
Because the man walking toward Amina...
was wearing a groom's suit.
And he looked exactly like Adam.
Emily's blood ran cold.
There were two Adams.
One standing beside her.
One inside the video.
Daniel whispered:
"Now you understand the secret."
He smiled.
May you like
"The Rahman family had another son."
End of Chapter 7
