Chapter 3 - Navigating the Labyrinth of Lies
The service hallway smelled of bleach, expensive catering food, and stale air. My high heels clicked too loudly against the linoleum, echoing like gunshots in the narrow passage. I needed to reach the bridal suite before Grant realized Ethan was gone and came looking for us.
As I rounded the corner near the kitchen, a cold hand clamped over my mouth.
I gasped, thrashing blindly, but a heavy arm pinned my back against the wall.
"Going somewhere, sis-in-law?"
It was Colin. His breath smelled faintly of scotch and mint. His eyes were completely devoid of warmth.
"Let me go, Colin," I managed to choke out through his fingers, my fingernails digging into his forearm.
"Grant saw the kid running," Colin whispered, his face inches from mine. "And Grant hates loose ends. Where is the boy?"
"He's already in a car," I lied, summoning every ounce of bravado I possessed. "And the phone containing the video? It was automatically uploaded to my cloud storage. If anything happens to me or my son, the local police and three different news outlets will receive it before the night is over."
Colin’s grip tightened painfully, his face contorting with rage. For a second, I thought he was going to snap my neck right there against the kitchen wall. Then, heavy footsteps approached from down the hall.
"Colin," Grant’s voice called out, smooth and chillingly polite. "Is everything alright out here? The guests are asking for the bride's sister."
Colin released me abruptly, smoothing his tuxedo lapel with a sickeningly casual grin. "Just catching up with family, Grant. Everything’s under control."
May you like
Grant stepped into the dim light of the hallway. He looked immaculate, a picture of domestic perfection, but his eyes were dead. He looked at me, then at Colin, and finally smiled.
"Good," Grant said softly. "Because Melissa is looking for her sister. And we wouldn't want anything to ruin the happiest day of her life, would we?"
