Chapter 6: The Wedding That Wasn't
The screen went black.
Nobody moved.
For several seconds, I could still hear my father's voice in my head.
The wedding was never for Daniel.
It was for you.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Daniel stared at me.
"What does that mean?""
"I don't know.""
Richard did.
I saw it in his face.
He looked less like a man caught in a secret and more like a man watching a bomb count down.
"Richard.""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"What did my father mean?""
"I can't tell you.""
"You've been saying that all morning.""
"I am trying to keep you alive.""
"By lying?""
"By keeping you ignorant.""
I stepped closer.
"That worked for six years.""
Richard's jaw tightened.
Then Lucas suddenly spoke.
"Grandpa.""
Richard looked at him.
"Why does everyone look scared when they talk about Emma?""
Richard didn't answer.
Lucas frowned.
"Mom said Emma is the key.""
I turned to Sarah.
"The key to what?""
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know.""
"You keep saying that.""
"Because I was never told the whole plan.""
"What plan?""
She looked toward Richard.
"The wedding.""
My skin prickled.
"What about it?""
Sarah swallowed.
"Your father designed it.""
I stared at her.
"He designed my wedding?""
"Not the decorations.""
She looked at the white dress I was wearing.
"The arrangement.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Stop.""
Sarah ignored him.
"Your father knew that Richard would never let you walk away from the family.""
"What family?""
"The Hart family isn't what you think.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What does that mean?""
Sarah shook her head.
"Ask your mother.""
"She's in a hospital.""
"Call her.""
I looked at my phone.
No signal.
"There's no service.""
Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a second phone.
"Use this.""
I stared at it.
"Why do you have a phone that works down here?""
"Because the hotel has a private network.""
He handed it to me.
I dialed my mother's number.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Then she answered.
"Emma?""
My knees nearly gave out.
"Mom.""
"Oh God.""
Her voice was trembling.
"Where are you?""
"I'm at the hotel.""
"I told you to leave.""
"You told me Dad is alive.""
Silence.
"Is he with you?""
"No.""
"Is Richard?""
"Yes.""
My mother exhaled sharply.
"Then listen to me.""
"I'm listening.""
"Do not let your father speak to you alone.""
"Why?""
"Because he has done this before.""
My stomach dropped.
"Done what?""
"Changed people's memories of what happened.""
I stared at Daniel.
He looked horrified.
"Mom, what are you talking about?""
"I don't have time.""
"Make time.""
"There is a file in my hospital room.""
"Which file?""
"The one marked E.H.""
My heart stopped.
"That's me.""
"Yes.""
"What is it?""
My mother began crying.
"Your father started it before you were born.""
I felt cold.
"What did he do?""
"He used you.""
"How?""
"I don't know the science.""
"Then tell me what you know.""
"I know he believed you had something no one else had.""
"What?""
"A genetic trait.""
I looked at Sarah.
She wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Mom, what trait?""
"He called it the inheritance.""
I swallowed.
"What's the inheritance?""
"I never understood it.""
"Did Dad?""
"Yes.""
"Did Richard?""
My mother went silent.
"Mom.""
"I think so.""
I looked at Richard.
He had turned away.
"You need to tell me something else.""
"What?""
"Why is there a marriage license with my name from 2020?""
Silence.
Daniel looked at me.
My mother's breathing changed.
"Emma...""
"What?""
"You already got married.""
The room seemed to spin.
"No.""
"You were married six years ago.""
"To who?""
"I don't know.""
"What do you mean you don't know?""
"I was told you wouldn't remember.""
My hands began shaking.
"Why wouldn't I remember my own wedding?""
My mother sobbed.
"Because you weren't supposed to.""
The call went dead.
I stared at the screen.
Daniel whispered, "Emma.""
I turned slowly toward him.
"You knew.""
His face went pale.
"I knew there was something about the date.""
"You knew I had been married.""
"No.""
"You knew something happened in 2020.""
"I knew your father had arranged a ceremony.""
My heart pounded.
"For who?""
Daniel didn't answer.
"For who?""
He looked at me.
"For you.""
Sarah closed her eyes.
Richard said, "Enough.""
I rounded on him.
"No.""
My voice echoed through the room.
"No more.""
I pointed at the door.
"I am not going downstairs. I am not walking into that church. And I am not marrying Daniel until someone tells me the truth.""
Daniel nodded.
"You shouldn't.""
I stared at him.
The answer surprised me.
"You agree?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did you let me come this far?""
"Because I didn't know how to stop it.""
"That's not good enough.""
"I know.""
He looked toward Lucas.
"Six years ago, my father told me Sarah was dangerous.""
Sarah laughed bitterly.
"He told you I was dead.""
"I believed him.""
"And when I contacted you?""
Daniel looked at the floor.
"I thought it was a trap.""
I shook my head.
"So you investigated me.""
"No.""
"You tracked Sarah.""
"I was trying to understand what happened.""
"And you found Lucas.""
"I found a photograph.""
"Of him?""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
Daniel hesitated.
"At my father's house.""
Richard's head snapped around.
"You went into my office?""
"I needed answers.""
"What did you find?""
Daniel looked at me.
"A file.""
My stomach tightened.
"What file?""
"Yours.""
I stared at him.
"What was in it?""
"Photos.""
"What kind?""
"Your childhood. School records. Medical records.""
My mouth went dry.
"And?""
"A fertility report.""
I felt sick.
"Mine?""
Daniel nodded.
"From when you were seventeen.""
My eyes stung.
"Why would my father have fertility records from when I was seventeen?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"Because he was planning something.""
"What?""
"I don't know.""
Richard stepped forward.
"I do.""
Everyone looked at him.
He reached into his jacket and removed a small metal key.
"This opens a safe in your father's old office.""
I stared at it.
"Where is the office?""
"Under the Hart estate.""
"My father's house?""
"No.""
Richard looked at me.
"The place your father built beneath it.""
Sarah whispered, "You never told me about that.""
"I didn't trust you.""
"You didn't trust anyone.""
"Exactly.""
I took the key.
"What am I supposed to find?""
Richard hesitated.
"The original records.""
"Original records of what?""
"Your birth.""
I frowned.
"My birth?""
"Your father altered your birth certificate.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"Because you were not born where you think.""
The room went silent.
Daniel looked stunned.
"What is she, then?""
Richard looked directly at me.
"A child your father created.""
My stomach turned.
"No.""
Richard continued.
"Your mother gave birth to you.""
"Then what do you mean?""
"Your father had changed your DNA before birth.""
I stepped backward.
"That's impossible.""
"Not to him.""
Sarah whispered, "That's what the inheritance is.""
I looked at her.
"You knew.""
"I suspected.""
"What is it?""
She shook her head.
"Your father was working on something that could be passed from one person to another.""
"Passed how?""
"Through blood.""
I stared at the little boy beside Daniel.
Lucas.
His dark hair.
His eyes.
The same face I'd noticed when he first appeared.
A thought struck me.
"Lucas.""
Everyone turned toward me.
I crouched beside him.
"Can I ask you something?""
He nodded.
"Do you have a birthmark?""
He pointed behind his shoulder.
"Here.""
I moved the collar of his shirt aside.
A small crescent-shaped mark rested beneath his left shoulder.
My breath caught.
I had the same mark.
I'd had it since childhood.
I touched my own shoulder.
Daniel noticed.
"You have one too.""
"Yes.""
Sarah stared.
Richard closed his eyes.
I stood.
"What is that mark?""
Richard answered.
"A marker.""
"For what?""
"Compatibility.""
"Compatibility with what?""
He looked toward the locked door.
"Your father.""
I felt a deep chill.
"Why would Lucas have it?""
Richard said nothing.
Sarah finally whispered, "Because Lucas was made from your DNA.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
She nodded slowly.
"Your father used your genetic material to create him.""
Daniel's face drained of color.
"Then Lucas...""
"Is your biological child," Sarah said.
Daniel looked at the boy.
"But Emma isn't his mother.""
"No.""
Sarah shook her head.
"Emma is his genetic source.""
I couldn't breathe.
The pieces were finally forming something horrible.
My father had used my DNA.
He had created a child.
He had erased records.
He had manipulated my mother.
He had somehow arranged my wedding to Daniel.
And six years ago, something had happened to my memory.
But one question remained.
"Why Daniel?""
Richard looked at him.
"Because your father needed someone genetically compatible with Lucas.""
Daniel stared.
"I don't understand.""
"You were selected.""
"For what?""
Richard hesitated.
Then his eyes moved to me.
"For the procedure.""
A horrible silence filled the room.
"What procedure?""
Nobody answered.
Then the private phone in my hand rang.
The caller ID showed a number with no name.
I answered.
"Hello?""
My father's voice came through.
"Emma.""
I couldn't speak.
"Are you wearing the dress?""
My blood froze.
"How do you know what I'm wearing?""
He laughed softly.
"Because I chose it.""
Daniel stepped closer.
I put the phone on speaker.
My father's voice filled the room.
"You have exactly twenty minutes.""
"Until what?""
"Until the church doors open.""
I swallowed.
"I'm not going.""
"I know.""
"Then why are you calling?""
"Because the wedding doesn't require your consent.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"What do you want?""
My father laughed.
"Daniel.""
The laugh disappeared.
"You were always the obedient one.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"Leave her alone.""
"I can't do that.""
"Why?""
"Because she belongs to me.""
I grabbed the phone.
"No.""
My father's voice softened.
"You've always been stubborn.""
"Where are you?""
"Very close.""
"Come and face me.""
"I will.""
"When?""
"After you see what happened on your first wedding day.""
My stomach dropped.
"My first wedding?""
"Yes.""
I heard him smile.
"Ask Daniel what happened to the woman standing beside you.""
Daniel froze.
Sarah began crying.
Richard whispered something I couldn't hear.
"What woman?"" I demanded.
My father answered:
"The one you married first.""
The call ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel slowly looked at me.
His face was filled with a grief so deep it frightened me.
"Emma...""
"What?""
He reached into his jacket.
Pulled out his wallet.
Opened it.
And removed a photograph.
He handed it to me.
I looked down.
It showed a church.
Six years ago.
July 3, 2020.
Me in a white dress.
Daniel beside me.
And between us—
a woman I'd never seen before.
She was holding a newborn baby.
The baby's face was partially covered.
But on his tiny shoulder was a familiar crescent-shaped mark.
May you like
And written across the bottom of the photograph were four words:
*THE FIRST CEREMONY BEGINS.*
