Chapter 2 - The Secret Compartment
Julian’s fingers trembled as he flipped the heavy wooden frame around. The cardboard backing was loose, secured by rusty metal tabs that had clearly been forced open and shut many times.
"Don't touch it, sir! Step away from the suspect!" Officer Miller called out, his boots echoing loudly as he hurried down the aisle toward the stage, hand resting on his holster.
"Stay back!" Julian roared, glaring at the cop with such intensity that Miller actually halted mid-step.
Clara stayed crumpled on the white wooden floor, her designer veil dragging in the dust. "Open it, Julian. Go ahead. Pull out the note. You've been looking for the truth about Sarah for three years, haven't you? Well, here it is."
With a sharp intake of breath, Julian pried the cardboard backing away. A folded piece of yellowed parchment fluttered down, landing softly on the hem of Clara’s wedding dress. He snatched it up, unfolding it with shaking hands. The handwriting was unmistakable. It belonged to Sarah, his late wife, written in her hurried, slanted cursive.
"What does it say, Daddy?" Lily whispered, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her sleeve, pressing her small body against Julian’s side for protection.
Julian scanned the first few lines, the blood draining completely from his face until he felt dizzy. The room seemed to tilt, the white walls blurring into a sickening spin.
"This... this isn't possible," Julian stammered, looking up at Clara with newfound horror. "Sarah wrote this the week before the car crash. She said... she said she was hiding from someone dangerous."
"She wasn't hiding from an enemy, Julian," Clara whispered, her voice dropping to a haunting, broken register. "She was hiding from your own brother."
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Before Julian could process the earth-shattering accusation, the chapel doors swung open again, and a tall, familiar figure in a dark suit strode inside, wearing an expression of feigned concern.
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