Chapter 3 - The Unread Confession
Julian’s fingers trembled slightly as he pulled the folded letter from the depths of the brown envelope.
The rain continued to lash relentlessly against the cathedral’s stained-glass windows, sounding like a steady drumbeat of impending doom.
"Julian, please, don't read that," Sarah pleaded, lunging forward to snatch the paper away.
With a sharp pivot, Julian held the letter out of her reach, his eyes fixed on the neat, elegant handwriting on the parchment.
"Stay back, Sarah," Julian warned, his voice devoid of any warmth or affection that had supposedly bound them together for the past two years.
Lucy crossed her arms, watching the unraveling spectacle with a mixture of exhaustion and grim satisfaction.
"My mom wrote that the night before she died," Lucy said softly, her voice carrying across the silent hall. "She knew her heart was failing, but she was more afraid that you would never know the truth about the woman standing next to you."
Julian unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the first few lines.
“Dear Julian, if you are reading this, it means Sarah has succeeded in silencing me permanently, or my time has simply run out. The woman you plan to marry is not the philanthropist she pretends to be.”
Julian gasped, his breath hitching in his throat as the words painted a horrifying picture of betrayal.
"This is forgery!" Sarah shrieked, her facade completely crumbling as she realized she had lost all control of the narrative. "A dead woman cannot defend her lies!"
"She isn't defending a lie, Sarah," a deep, resonant voice echoed from the back of the cathedral.
Everyone turned toward the heavy oak doors, which creaked open once more to reveal an older man in a charcoal suit, stepping out of the rain.
It was Arthur Vance, Julian’s longtime business mentor and the man who had supposedly retired to Europe years ago.
Julian’s jaw dropped in absolute disbelief.
"Arthur?" Julian breathed. "What are you doing here?"
Arthur walked slowly down the aisle, stopping right beside Lucy and placing a protective hand on the young girl's shoulder.
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"I'm here," Arthur said gravely, "to tell you how Sarah’s family stole everything your father built."
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