CHAPTER 5 — The Bullet Meant for the Bride
The first warning came...
Not from security.
Not from intelligence agencies.
But from the family dog.
A massive German Shepherd named Atlas suddenly lunged between Chloe and the mansion's front garden.
Growling.
Hair standing on end.
Christian reacted instantly.
"Get down!"
A suppressed gunshot cracked through the morning air.
The marble fountain behind Chloe exploded.
Stone fragments sprayed everywhere.
Atlas barked furiously.
Three more shots followed.
Christian threw Chloe behind a stone pillar.
"Stay here!"
"No!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
He smiled despite the chaos.
"You never do."
Within seconds...
Hidden security teams flooded the estate.
Armed men appeared from places Chloe hadn't even noticed.
The sniper escaped.
But something worse remained.
A small black box lay beneath the garden bench.
Inside...
A single wedding invitation.
Covered in blood-red ink.
CANCEL THE WEDDING...
OR SHE DIES.
Hours later...
British intelligence arrived.
Not local police.
Not ordinary detectives.
Government officials.
One woman entered the library.
Director Eleanor Graves.
She shook Christian's hand.
Then looked at Chloe.
"So..."
"You're the nurse."
Chloe blinked.
"You know me?"
Eleanor smiled sadly.
"Half the British government knows you now."
Christian frowned.
"Any news?"
Eleanor placed classified photographs across the table.
Five people.
All dead.
Former Ashford board members.
Every one of them had been murdered within the last six months.
"The same people who tried to kill your family..."
"They're eliminating everyone who knows the truth."
Chloe stared at the photographs.
"What truth?"
No one answered immediately.
Finally...
Christian opened an old wooden box.
Inside lay a faded birth certificate.
Not his.
A little girl's.
Chloe read the name.
Then froze.
"Emily Bennett..."
"My sister?"
Christian looked at her.
"You told me she disappeared when you were five."
Chloe nodded slowly.
"Our parents searched for years."
Christian swallowed.
"They never kidnapped her."
"They bought her."
The room fell silent.
Meanwhile...
Jessica secretly met the mysterious old man again.
"I did exactly what you asked."
He nodded.
"And Christian?"
"He's protecting Chloe."
The man smiled coldly.
"Good."
"Because people make mistakes..."
"When they're protecting someone they love."
Jessica hesitated.
"What exactly are you planning?"
The old man stood.
May you like
"You'll find out..."
"At the wedding."
