Chapter 7 - The Shadow in the Aisles
"Stay out of this, Arthur," David warned, stepping protectively in front of Mia and Elena. The sudden appearance of his former business partner felt too calculated, too precise to be an accidental coincidence. "You haven't set foot in my life since the scandal. Why are you here today?"
Arthur offered a cold, thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. He leaned heavily on his cane as he walked slowly down the aisle, his polished leather shoes crunching on the scattered white flower petals. "I always keep track of my investments, David. And right now, you are holding onto a liability that could destroy everything we built."
Elena shrank back, pressing her shoulder against the stone pillar, her breathing turning shallow and erratic. "He... he was the one," she whispered, her voice trembling as she pointed a shaking finger at Arthur. "He’s the one who authorized the transfer. He’s the man who signed the medical orders every month."
David whipped his head around to face Arthur, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Is that true? You knew she was alive all this time? You let me grieve a dead wife while you kept her locked away in a private facility?"
Arthur didn't flinch. He met David’s furious glare with chilling indifference. "We did what was necessary to protect the company, David. Elena suffered a severe psychotic break following the birth. She posed a direct threat to the corporate merger we had spent a decade securing. Her medical bills were astronomical, and your public image as a grieving widower was the only thing keeping the stock prices afloat."
"You traded my wife for stock prices?" David roared, lunging forward, but Arthur raised his cane defensively, a group of burly men in plain clothes suddenly emerging from the side vestry to block David's path.
"Don't be a fool, David," Arthur said smoothly, adjusting the lapels of his overcoat. "You think you're the victim here? Look at your daughter. Look at what she just uncovered." Arthur turned his gaze toward Mia, who was standing frozen in her white flower girl dress. "She was never supposed to find that shoebox. Sarah got sloppy, and now the entire foundation of your comfortable life is crumbling."
Mia clutched her arms, shivering despite the warmth of the cathedral. "Dad... what are they talking about? What company? What happened to Mom?"
David ignored Arthur’s men and dropped down to his knees in front of Mia, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "Look at me, Mia. Everything is going to be okay. I promise you, I will fix this."
"You can't fix it, David," a cold voice whispered from the doorway.
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Everyone turned. Standing in the entrance, flanked by the two police officers who had supposedly taken her away, was Sarah. But she wasn't wearing handcuffs anymore. She calmly smoothed down the torn lace of her ivory dress, pulled a set of silver keys from her pocket, and tossed them casually onto the stone floor.
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