Chapter 8 - The Wedding Morning
Rebecca caught Sophie before she reached Lucas.
Not physically.
With a lie.
Lucas was already driving to Ian's office.
Rebecca told Sophie he had left because he was angry with her.
"He said he needs space before the wedding."
Sophie stared.
"Daddy wouldn't say that."
"He did."
"You're lying."
Rebecca held up her phone.
"Call him."
Sophie did.
No answer.
Lucas was in Ian's conference room with his phone turned off.
Rebecca knelt.
"If you tell him what happened before the ceremony, he'll think you're trying to ruin everything."
"I am trying to ruin it."
Rebecca flinched.
Sophie clutched the burned half of Anna's letter.
Rebecca looked at it.
"You don't even know what that says."
Sophie unfolded it.
Only fragments remained.
Lucas, if you are reading this...
Charles has been moving...
Rebecca knows more than...
Sophie is protected by...
Do not let anyone change her guardianship...
If anything happens to me...
Sophie looked at Rebecca.
"My mommy knew you were bad."
Rebecca's face hardened.
"Your mother didn't know everything."
"She knew you."
Rebecca stood.
"I was twenty-four. I worked for my father. Anna discovered accounting irregularities and decided everyone around Charles was guilty."
"Was Grandpa Charles stealing?"
Rebecca turned away.
Sophie repeated.
"Was he?"
Rebecca whispered.
"Yes."
The answer stunned the child.
Rebecca sat down.
"He was losing the company. He borrowed money from accounts he thought he could replace."
"That's stealing."
"Adults make complicated mistakes."
"Mommy died."
Rebecca looked at her.
"I had nothing to do with Anna's accident."
"Did Grandpa Charles?"
Rebecca said nothing.
Sophie understood silence better than adults realized.
She backed away.
Rebecca reached for the letter.
Sophie ran.
Rebecca did not chase her.
Not then.
Hours later Rosewood Mansion filled with flowers, musicians, photographers, caterers, and guests.
Lucas returned shortly after noon.
He went directly to Sophie's room.
She was not there.
Rebecca told him Sophie was with the flower-girl coordinator.
Lucas believed her because everything was chaos.
He found Sophie only once before the ceremony.
She was standing near the grand staircase.
He crouched.
"You okay?"
Sophie stared at him.
"I need to tell you something."
A coordinator called Lucas.
"Mr. Bennett, the photographer needs you."
Lucas ignored her.
"What is it?"
Sophie reached into her dress pocket for the burned letter.
Empty.
She panicked.
Rebecca stood ten feet away.
She held the missing piece inside her bouquet.
Sophie looked at her.
Rebecca smiled.
Lucas followed Sophie's gaze.
"What happened?"
Rebecca approached.
"The photographer is waiting."
Lucas looked back at Sophie.
"We'll talk before I go downstairs, okay?"
Sophie nodded.
He kissed her forehead.
"Five minutes."
He walked away.
Rebecca remained.
The smile disappeared.
"Where did you put the other papers?"
"What papers?"
"The trust page from the lake house."
Sophie said nothing.
Rebecca stepped closer.
"I know you found something."
"I'm telling Daddy."
"If you do, this wedding disappears."
"Good."
Rebecca's jaw tightened.
"You think that means everything goes back to before me?"
Sophie stared.
"It doesn't."
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"Your mother is still dead. Your grandmother still lives hundreds of miles away. Your father will still be alone."
"He has me."
For some reason, that answer enraged Rebecca more than anything else.
"He always has you."
Sophie backed away.
Rebecca continued.
"Every dinner. Every vacation. Every decision. Everything is about whether Sophie is sad, whether Sophie remembers her mother, whether Sophie approves."
"Because he's my daddy."
"Exactly."
Rebecca breathed deeply.
"After today, that changes."
Sophie began trembling.
"No."
"Yes."
Rebecca pointed toward the hallway.
"You're going to Stonebridge Academy next month."
"Daddy said no."
"He'll change his mind."
"No."
"And then Lucas and I will have children of our own."
Sophie started crying.
Rebecca instantly regretted the cruelty but did not stop.
"After today, you are not the center of his family anymore."
Sophie turned to run toward the ballroom.
Rebecca grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going?"
"Daddy."
Guests were arriving in the adjoining corridor.
Rebecca could not create a scene.
She pulled Sophie toward the private bathroom.
"Stay here until you calm down."
"No."
"Sophie."
"No."
Rebecca pushed her inside.
Sophie grabbed the door.
Rebecca pulled it closed.
Then she tied the outside latch with a decorative ribbon taken from a flower arrangement.
Inside, Sophie began pounding.
"Let me out."
Rebecca stood outside with both hands shaking.
For one second she almost opened the door.
Then Charles appeared.
"What happened?"
"She knows."
"How much?"
"Enough."
"Where's the letter?"
"I have part of it."
"And the trust page?"
"I don't know."
Charles looked toward the locked bathroom.
"Keep her quiet until after the ceremony."
Rebecca stared at her father.
"This has gone too far."
"It went too far seven years ago."
He walked toward the ballroom.
Rebecca remained.
From inside came a tiny voice.
"Daddy."
Rebecca closed her eyes.
May you like
Then she walked away.
Five minutes later, Lucas Bennett heard the knocking.
