Chapter 1 - The Sanctuary Door
The wooden door of the groom’s suite rattled under Rebecca’s knock. Outside, ninety guests were sitting in the grand ballroom, sipping champagne, completely unaware that the fairytale they had gathered to witness was about to implode. Daniel stared at the laptop screen. The audio track on the video was still playing—the harsh sound of a physical strike followed by his daughter Emily’s soft, suffocating sob.
Daniel closed the laptop gently, his hands trembling with a rage he had never felt in his sixty years of life. He pulled the flash drive from the port, slipped it into his pocket, and stood up. When he opened the door, Rebecca stood under the hallway lights, draped in three thousand dollars of white silk and lace. She smiled, but her eyes were cold, calculating.
"Daniel, darling, what’s taking so long?" she whispered, reaching out to adjust his lapel. "The string quartet is already playing the prelude."
Daniel didn't flinch. He looked at her face—the flawless makeup, the expertly styled hair, the calculated softness—and wondered how he had been so blind for two whole years.
"Where is Emily?" Daniel asked, his voice low and devoid of warmth.
Rebecca’s eyes flickered for a fraction of a second. "I told you, sweetie. She had a terrible migraine. She’s resting at home."
"She’s not at home," Daniel replied, taking a step into the hallway. "And she didn't have a migraine."
Before Rebecca could answer, Daniel walked past her toward the ballroom doors. Panicked, Rebecca grabbed his arm, her polished nails pressing hard into his jacket. "Daniel, stop! What are you doing? Everyone is waiting!"
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"Let go of me," he said, turning his head slowly. The look in his eyes made Rebecca instantly drop her hand.
Daniel pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the ballroom. The music faltered. Ninety faces turned toward him in surprise.
