CHAPTER 13: THE MAN UNDER THE CHAPEL
The voice beneath the altar made my blood run cold.
“Welcome home, children.”
The lights flickered back on.
I stared into the underground chamber.
Michael stood at the bottom of the stairs.
But the voice hadn't come from him.
It had come from somewhere behind him.
A second door slowly opened.
An old man stepped into the light.
Margaret screamed.
“Grandfather?”
The man smiled.
He looked impossibly old, but his posture was straight.
His silver hair was perfectly combed.
His suit was immaculate.
And in his hand was a cane with a gold handle.
Margaret stumbled backward.
“You died.”
The old man chuckled.
“That's what I wanted everyone to believe.”
Michael's face hardened.
“You shouldn't have come out.”
The old man smiled.
“I didn't come out for you.”
His eyes moved toward me.
“I came out for her.”
I stepped backward.
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Don't listen to him.”
The old man laughed.
“Still pretending to protect her?”
My mother said nothing.
He looked at me.
“You have your mother's eyes.”
I stared at him.
“Who are you?”
He smiled.
“Your grandfather.”
The words felt unreal.
I had spent my entire life believing my grandparents were dead.
Now another ghost had walked out of the darkness.
“You're Margaret's grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“And my mother's father?”
He nodded.
“Which means…”
I couldn't finish.
Michael did.
“He is your grandfather too.”
I looked at the old man.
“Then why did you destroy our family?”
His smile disappeared.
“Because families are useful until they become inconvenient.”
Victoria stepped down the stairs.
“You murdered Michael.”
“No.”
“You tried.”
“I protected the family.”
“You tried to kill your own grandchildren.”
He looked at her.
“You were never supposed to survive.”
Victoria raised her gun.
“Give me one reason not to shoot you.”
“Because you want answers.”
She hesitated.
He smiled.
“Exactly.”
I looked at Michael.
“You knew he was alive?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Twenty-two years.”
My mother began crying.
I turned toward her.
“You all knew.”
She shook her head.
“I didn't know where he was.”
“But you knew he was alive.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe he was dead.”
“I had to.”
“No.”
My voice cracked.
“You chose to.”
Silence.
The old man laughed softly.
“She finally understands.”
I turned toward him.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“Because Michael's inheritance belongs to you.”
“I don't want your money.”
“You misunderstand.”
He pointed toward the chamber.
“The inheritance isn't money.”
Michael stepped forward.
“Don't tell her.”
The old man smiled.
“Why not?”
Then he looked at me.
“Your father left control of everything he owned to the first daughter who could prove the murders.”
I frowned.
“That's why everyone wanted the evidence.”
“Yes.”
“That's why they wanted the necklace.”
“Yes.”
“And Sophie?”
His expression changed.
“She is the next generation.”
My stomach tightened.
“You want my daughter.”
“I want what she represents.”
I stepped in front of Michael.
“You'll never touch her.”
The old man laughed.
“You still think this is about violence.”
“What else is it?”
“Control.”
He raised his cane.
The chamber doors behind us locked.
Then a screen descended from the ceiling.
A video began playing.
It showed my childhood home.
I was eight years old.
Emily was beside me.
Victoria stood behind us.
And my father was standing across the room.
But there was something wrong.
Another man was beside him.
David.
The recording continued.
My father handed David a folder.
Then David handed him a gun.
My breath caught.
The old man spoke.
“That was the night Michael was supposed to die.”
I watched the recording.
Michael walked into the room.
My father raised the gun.
Then someone entered behind him.
My mother.
She screamed.
The footage froze.
I stared.
“Who fired?”
The old man smiled.
“You did.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“You were holding the gun.”
“No.”
“You were eight.”
“I couldn't have.”
Michael looked at me.
“It's true.”
I stared at him.
“You saw me?”
He nodded.
“You were there.”
“I didn't kill you.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Michael's face became grim.
“Your mother.”
I turned toward her.
She collapsed against the wall.
“I didn't mean to.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You shot Michael?”
She was crying.
“He was going to kill you.”
Michael shook his head.
“I wasn't.”
“You had the gun.”
“Because I was protecting the girls.”
My mother screamed:
“You were threatening David!”
“I was exposing him.”
I looked between them.
“Who was David?”
The old man answered.
“My son.”
I froze.
“Your son?”
“Yes.”
“Then Michael was…”
“My other son.”
I felt dizzy.
Two brothers.
Michael.
David.
One family.
One inheritance.
And a murder that had been buried for decades.
The old man continued.
“David wanted Michael's company.”
“And you helped him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Michael refused to obey me.”
Michael laughed bitterly.
“You wanted everything.”
“I built everything.”
“You destroyed everything.”
The old man looked at me.
“And now you will restore it.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
He smiled.
“You don't have a choice.”
He pressed a button.
Another screen appeared.
This time, it showed Sophie.
My blood turned to ice.
She was sitting in a room.
Alone.
Her hands were tied.
I screamed.
“SOPHIE!”
Michael grabbed my shoulder.
“Don't.”
“Where is she?”
The old man smiled.
“Safe.”
“You kidnapped her.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Your daughter came willingly.”
“That's impossible.”
“Not exactly.”
The video changed.
Sophie was talking to someone.
A woman.
I couldn't see her face.
Then Sophie said:
“I want my mommy.”
The woman replied:
“You'll see her soon.”
The screen went black.
I turned toward Margaret.
“You.”
She was crying.
“I didn't know.”
“You knew.”
“I swear I didn't.”
Then Victoria stepped toward her.
“Where is she?”
Margaret shook her head.
“I don't know.”
The old man smiled.
“I do.”
He looked at me.
“She's at the wedding.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“The ballroom.”
“That can't be.”
“The person holding her is someone you trusted.”
I thought of Preston.
My uncle.
Ethan.
Daniel.
Then the old man smiled.
“Someone who never left the ballroom.”
I suddenly remembered.
There was one person who had disappeared from the story.
Someone who had been there from the beginning.
The security manager.
Daniel.
My heart dropped.
“Daniel.”
The old man nodded.
“He works for me.”
I turned toward the staircase.
“We're going back.”
Michael blocked me.
“Wait.”
“Move.”
“You can't go alone.”
“I don't care.”
Michael looked at Victoria.
Then at my mother.
“There's something you need to know.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“The girl in the photograph isn't Victoria.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The third daughter isn't Victoria.”
Victoria's face changed.
Michael continued:
“She is the fourth.”
I stared at him.
“There are four daughters?”
He nodded.
“Five children in total.”
My mother whispered:
“No…”
Michael looked at her.
“You knew.”
She shook her head.
“I knew about four.”
“There's another.”
My entire body went numb.
“Who?”
Michael looked directly at me.
“Your daughter.”
I stared.
“Sophie?”
“Yes.”
“She isn't just my daughter.”
“No.”
Michael's voice became quiet.
“She is the final heir.”
The old man smiled.
“And that's why they took her.”
Suddenly, a phone rang.
Everyone looked at me.
It was my phone.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A terrified voice whispered:
“Mommy…”
Sophie.
“Mommy, please come get me.”
I nearly collapsed.
“Where are you?”
“I don't know.”
“Look around.”
“I see tables.”
My heart stopped.
“The ballroom?”
“Yes.”
Then another voice came onto the line.
Daniel.
“Your daughter is safe.”
I gripped the phone.
“If you touch her…”
“You'll never see her again.”
“What do you want?”
“The memory card.”
“I'll give it to you.”
“No.”
A pause.
“I want something else.”
“What?”
“Bring Michael.”
I looked at my father.
Daniel continued:
“And bring the woman who killed him.”
My eyes moved toward my mother.
Then Daniel said:
“You have thirty minutes.”
The call ended.
The old man smiled.
“Now you understand.”
I looked at Michael.
Then my mother.
Then Victoria.
“We're going back.”
Michael nodded.
But as we climbed the stairs, he grabbed my arm.
“There's one thing you don't know.”
“What?”
He leaned closer.
“The woman who took Sophie isn't Daniel.”
I froze.
“Then who?”
Michael looked toward Margaret.
“Her.”
I turned.
Margaret was gone.
May you like
The chapel door stood open.
And on the floor was a single bloodstained wedding veil.
