Chapter 1 - THE DOOR FLEW OPEN
Ethan heard Lily scream three minutes before he was supposed to walk down the aisle.
He had been standing in the hallway outside the ballroom, adjusting the cuff of his jacket while the wedding coordinator reminded him to breathe.
Then came the sound.
A sharp cry.
A child's cry.
His child's cry.
Ethan ran toward the bridal dressing room.
He didn't knock.
The door flew open hard enough to strike the wall.
Victoria stood beside the vanity in her wedding dress.
Her veil was perfectly intact.
Her bouquet lay on the counter.
And one hand was tangled in Lily's hair.
Before Ethan could process what he was seeing, Victoria's other hand struck Lily across the cheek.
Lily cried out.
“Tell me where you hid it!”
Everything inside Ethan stopped.
Then restarted at once.
“Dad!”
Lily pulled free and stumbled toward him.
Ethan crossed the room in two strides, caught his daughter and immediately moved her behind him.
Her cheek was red.
Tears ran down her face.
Ethan stared at the woman he had been planning to marry in less than five minutes.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Victoria's expression changed instantly.
The fury vanished.
She looked almost frightened.
“She ruined everything.”
Ethan looked around.
The dressing room was immaculate except for a few petals on the carpet.
Victoria's veil wasn't torn.
Her dress wasn't damaged.
Nothing appeared ruined.
“What did she ruin?”
Victoria grabbed her bouquet and held it tightly against her chest.
“She went through my things.”
“She is seven.”
“She stole from me.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
Then Victoria made the mistake of looking at Lily with the same anger Ethan had seen when he entered.
He snatched the bouquet from her hands.
Victoria gasped.
Ethan hurled it away.
It struck Victoria across the chest and face before exploding into white flowers across the floor.
“You don't touch my daughter.”
Victoria stared at him.
“Ethan, listen to me—”
“No.”
Behind him, Lily tugged his jacket.
“Daddy…”
He turned.
Lily was holding her flower basket.
Her hands were trembling.
“I didn't steal it.”
“What happened?”
“I found something.”
She reached beneath the flower petals and removed a small silver pendant.
Victoria went completely still.
Not angry.
Terrified.
Lily placed the pendant in Ethan's palm.
It opened like a tiny locket.
Inside was the photograph of a woman Ethan had never seen before.
Dark hair.
Pale eyes.
A faint smile.
“Daddy,” Lily whispered, “I found this in Victoria's room.”
Ethan looked at Victoria.
Her face had lost all color.
“Who is she?”
Victoria didn't answer.
“Who is this woman?”
“Give me the pendant.”
Ethan closed his fist around it.
“No.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“Ethan.”
He moved Lily farther behind him.
“Stay where you are.”
Victoria stared at his hand.
Then she whispered something that made the room colder.
“You don't understand what you're holding.”
The wedding coordinator appeared in the doorway.
“Everything okay?”
Ethan looked at his crying daughter.
Then at the woman in the photograph.
Then at his bride.
“No.”
May you like
He removed his boutonniere and dropped it onto the vanity.
“The wedding is off.”
