Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN IN THE BLACK DRESS
For three seconds, there was complete darkness.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
Red.
Dim.
Unnatural.
Nora could hear people breathing.
Someone was crying.
A chair scraped across the floor.
David Bell shouted.
"Nobody move!"
Nora felt Julian's hand find hers.
"I'm here."
"Don't let go."
"I won't."
The lights returned.
Half the guests were standing.
Her father was gone.
Nora looked toward the back row.
Empty.
"Where's my father?"
No answer.
David immediately noticed.
"Price."
Daniel Price was already moving.
"Get the exits covered."
Two agents ran toward the doors.
Nora's mother stood frozen beside her chair.
"Mom."
Eleanor looked at her.
"Your father left."
"When?"
"During the blackout."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You do know."
Her mother closed her eyes.
"Nora..."
"Where did he go?"
Eleanor whispered.
"The crypt."
Nora frowned.
"What crypt?"
"The old family chapel beneath the church."
Julian looked at David.
"Is there another exit?"
David nodded.
"Several."
Price turned to his team.
"Secure the lower level."
Nora started forward.
David stopped her.
"No."
"My father is down there."
"That's exactly why you shouldn't go."
"I need answers."
"You'll get them."
"From federal agents?"
David stared at her.
"From the man you're about to marry."
Julian stepped forward.
"Nora."
She looked at him.
"How much do you know?"
"Enough."
"Then tell me."
Julian's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Your father has been meeting someone beneath this church for years."
"Who?"
"Marcus Voss."
Her blood ran cold.
"The man who tried to kill you?"
"Yes."
Nora shook her head.
"My father wouldn't."
Julian gave her a sad look.
"You've spent your whole life believing your father was incapable of doing terrible things."
"He is my father."
"I know."
"You're asking me to believe he hired someone to hurt you."
"I am."
Before she could respond, a woman spoke from behind them.
"He's worse than that."
Everyone turned.
She stood near the chapel entrance.
Black dress.
Black heels.
Dark hair pulled into a tight knot.
She looked to be in her late forties.
A small silver scar crossed her left cheek.
David stared at her.
"Helena."
The woman's eyes remained fixed on Nora.
"You look just like your grandmother."
Nora frowned.
"Who are you?"
The woman stepped forward.
"My name is Helena Cross."
David's expression hardened.
"Why are you here?"
"Because Charles Montgomery finally ran out of places to hide."
Nora looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
Helena smiled without warmth.
"It means your wedding was never supposed to happen."
Julian stiffened.
"What did you do?"
Helena looked at him.
"Nothing."
Then she turned to Nora.
"Your father did."
Nora's heart hammered.
"What are you talking about?"
Helena reached into her purse.
She pulled out a folded document.
"Read it."
Nora opened it.
Her eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
She read the name twice.
"Thomas Avery."
Julian's face changed.
Nora looked at him.
"Who is Thomas Avery?"
Julian swallowed.
"The Marine I told you about."
Helena nodded.
"Thomas was your father's nephew."
Nora stared.
"What?"
"Your father has a sister."
"I've never heard of her."
"Because Charles erased her."
Julian stepped closer.
"Helena..."
"She was your mother, Nora."
The room disappeared.
Nora couldn't breathe.
"My mother?"
Eleanor made a broken sound.
Nora turned.
"Mom?"
Her mother was crying.
"No."
Nora backed away.
"You said I was your daughter."
"You are."
"Then why is she saying—"
"Because she doesn't know."
Helena looked at Eleanor.
"Tell her."
Eleanor shook her head.
"Please."
Nora's voice trembled.
"Tell me what?"
Her mother covered her face.
"Your biological mother was Charles's older sister, Rebecca."
Nora stared.
"My mother?"
"Rebecca died when you were three."
"How?"
Silence.
Then Helena answered.
"She didn't die in an accident."
David Bell looked at Helena.
"Enough."
"No."
Nora turned toward him.
"Let her speak."
David's jaw tightened.
Helena continued.
"Rebecca discovered what Charles was doing with the foundation."
Nora felt sick.
"She threatened to expose him."
"And?"
"She disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"Three years later, her body was found."
Nora stared at Eleanor.
"You knew."
Eleanor whispered.
"I was told she died."
"By Dad?"
"Yes."
"Did you believe him?"
Her mother couldn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Nora turned away.
Everything about her childhood suddenly felt counterfeit.
Family photographs.
Birthday dinners.
Christmas mornings.
Her father's hand on her shoulder.
All of it.
A carefully constructed lie.
Then Julian touched her arm.
She pulled away.
"You knew."
"I suspected."
"When?"
"Months ago."
"And you still didn't tell me."
"I was trying to prove it."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't want to destroy your relationship with your family based on suspicion."
Nora laughed bitterly.
"My family destroyed itself."
A gunshot exploded from beneath the floor.
Everyone jumped.
David shouted.
"Down!"
The chapel erupted.
Guests dropped behind pews.
Another shot.
Then another.
Price yelled into his radio.
"Lower level compromised!"
David grabbed Nora.
"Stay behind me."
Julian pulled Eleanor toward a pillar.
Nora looked toward the floor.
"My father."
David shook his head.
"He's not your priority."
"He is."
"No."
David's eyes locked onto hers.
"Right now, your priority is staying alive."
Then the church's old bell began ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Julian suddenly froze.
"That's not the church bell."
"What?"
He looked toward the floor.
"There's another system."
David understood.
"Evacuation signal."
A hidden door opened beneath the altar.
Cold air rushed into the chapel.
A man climbed through.
Blood covered his shirt.
He stumbled.
David caught him.
Nora recognized him.
Marcus Voss.
He looked directly at her.
"Your father is leaving."
Nora stared.
"Where?"
Marcus coughed.
"Not where."
He gripped her wrist.
"When."
"What does that mean?"
He looked terrified.
"He has twenty minutes."
"Until what?"
Marcus's eyes moved toward Julian.
"Until he kills the only person who can prove what happened to your mother."
Julian's face went pale.
"Who?"
Marcus whispered one name.
May you like
"Me."
Then he collapsed.
