Chapter 1
“Miss Ward, we’ve found a body. The features matches your mother. We need you to come in anc identify it.”
My smile, reflected in the bridal shop mirror, shattered with a single phone call.
When they pulled back the sheet, her body was barely recognizable. Her eyes-gone. Her organ: -ripped out.
I collapsed, screaming and the world turned black.
When I came to, my fiancé, Colin Marks, was sitting by my side. He gently wiped away my tears and kissed my forehead.
‘They caught the bastard who did it,” he whispered. “I made sure… he paid for what he did tc your mom.”
He swore that, for the rest of his life, he’d love and protect me the way she used to.
But that night, jolted awake by another nightmare, I caught something outside the bedroom. Through the crack in the door, I saw Colin holding my half-sister, Piper Ward, in his arms.
She was sobbing into his chest, her whole body trembling.
‘If she ever finds out the truth… she’ll kill me.”
Colin cupped her face, gentle as ever.
‘Hey, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know those guys were scammers. You’re a victim too.”
The chill in my bones cut deeper than any winter wind. I could hardly breathe.
So this was it. My mother died… because of Piper. And the man who swore to protect me was shielding her.
Colin finally sent Piper home and turned around-only to see me, collapsed on the floor.
His expression flickered-guilt, frustration-then hardened.
‘So
you heard everything?”
His tone turned cold, like I was the problem.
‘Don’t blame Piper. Your mom got greedy, okay? She kept pestering Piper to help her ‘invest’- she brought this on herself.”
He tossed a blank check on the table like it meant nothing.
“Write whatever number you want. But forget what you’ve heard. Let’s pretend nothing happened for the meantime. The wedding’s in five days. We’ll go through with it-peacefully.”
I stared at the man who once swore he’d love me for the rest of his life. Now, he felt like a stranger.
I wiped the tears from my face.
If my wedding was doomed to become my mother’s funeral, then five days from now… I’d return the favor-with interest.
7:28 pm
I said nothing. He grew impatient, yanking off his tie and tossing it on the nightstand. “If you get it, then go to sleep.”
But something snapped in me. The grief, the rage-it all poured out, raw and shaking.
“Pretend? Are you fucking serious?!”
“You knew. You knew my mother was the only family I had. And you knew how much it meant to her to see me walk down the aisle in white. And Piper fucking destroyed it!”
Did he really not understand why my mother was desperate to make money?
Colin’s family had looked down on us from the start. His parents barely tolerated me. And my mother-God, she tried so hard to make me worthy in their eyes. That’s why she went to Piper thinking maybe this time, things would be different.
I could still hear the officer’s voice in my head: “Your mother tracked those people down to try and get her money back. She didn’t know they were part of an organ trafficking ring. They butchered her and took everything they could use.”
I couldn’t stop crying. Each word came out like a blade. “If it weren’t for Piper and her mother none of this would’ve happened. All I want is justice for my mom and you want to keep me from that?”
“Enough, Anneliese!” Colin barked, his face suddenly dark. “Piper was scammed too. She lost everything. And you? Instead of showing any compassion, you’ve been running around spreading that she’s your dad’s bastard child. Do you even have a heart?”
“Compassion?” I let out a hollow, bitter laugh. “What about my mom? She died in the most horrific way!”
“She died because she got greedy and made stupid choices,” he scoffed. “Piper had nothing to do with it. Don’t even think about laying a finger on her.”
His voice was frost-edged now. I shook from the inside out.
I gripped the front of my shirt like it would hold my chest together. The floor blurred under the torrent of my tears.
“Colin,” I whispered. “Have you forgotten? When you were kidnapped-who risked everything to save you? Who fought off those men with her bare hands?”
“And what about the day she was in that hospital bed and you knelt at her side and promised you’d never hurt me? That you’d take care of me for the rest of your life?”
His jaw clenched, his expression hardening. “Don’t throw ancient history in my face. I’ve given you and your mom everything for years-food, clothes, status. Whatever debt I had, I paid it off a long time ago.”
Then, as if to twist the knife deeper, he let out a bitter laugh.
“This is about money, isn’t it?”
He flicked the check at me again. It sliced across my cheek, drawing blood.
I bit down hard, fists clenched. “I don’t want your money. I want Piper to be held accountable for what she’s done.”
He chuckled, a smug little breath through his nose. “Go ahead. Let’s see which law firm dumb
enough to take that case and face me in court.
“Know your place.” Then his eyes narrowed. I won’t have a hysterical lunatic as my wife. This ends now.”
His phone rang. He glanced at the screen-and just like that, his face lit up.
“A gift? From you? That’s so thoughtful. Honestly, those clients only signed because of you.” “What? No ride? Don’t worry, I’m coming to pick you up right now. Just stay put.”
He didn’t even look back at me as he walked out.
I stared at the door as it closed behind him. My tears burned down my cheeks like acid.
Fine. If this is how it’s going to be-so be it.
I just stood there, staring after the man I used to love, tears burning down my face. Fine. If that’s how he wanted to play it-then so be it.
I turned to pack my bags. But then the phone rang again.
“Miss Ward,” the paralegal said cheerfully, “since you’ve dropped the charges in your mother’s case, we’re closing our investigation. Just letting you know.”
