Chapter 4: A Warning From the Past
The room became so quiet that Lucas could hear the distant music from the ballroom down the hall.
His eyes shifted from his mother to Victoria.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Margaret Bennett stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her normally composed expression unusually tense.
"I didn't want today to happen like this."
Lucas frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
She glanced at Victoria before answering.
"Six months ago, I received an anonymous letter."
Lucas stared at her.
"A letter?"
Margaret nodded.
"It had no return address. No signature."
Daniel slowly handed her the envelope that had fallen from Victoria's dress.
Margaret examined the handwriting for only a moment before looking up.
"It's the same person."
Victoria immediately shook her head.
"That's impossible."
Margaret ignored her.
"The first letter warned me that someone close to Lucas wasn't being honest."
Lucas felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
"You never told me."
"I couldn't."
"Why not?"
"Because the letter contained no proof."
She sighed deeply.
"It simply said that if this wedding happened without the truth coming out, someone innocent would get hurt."
Lucas looked toward Sophie, who was sitting quietly beside Daniel in the hallway, hugging her flower basket to her chest.
His heart ached.
"You thought it was some kind of prank."
"I hoped it was."
"And now?"
Margaret looked down at the envelope.
"I'm no longer sure."
Lucas turned to Victoria.
"Have you ever seen this handwriting before?"
She hesitated.
"No."
"You hesitated."
"I'm trying to remember."
Lucas stepped closer.
"Victoria."
"I don't know!"
Her voice echoed through the small room.
The sudden outburst startled everyone.
Victoria immediately lowered her voice.
"I'm sorry."
She pressed both hands against her temples.
"This isn't how today was supposed to go."
"No," Lucas replied quietly.
"It wasn't."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Finally, Lucas reached for the envelope.
"I'm opening it."
Victoria's head snapped up.
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"It isn't important."
"Then it shouldn't matter."
"It does matter."
"Why?"
She swallowed.
"Because..."
She stopped herself.
Lucas noticed the fear in her face again.
Not anger.
Not embarrassment.
Fear.
Real fear.
He carefully broke the seal.
Inside was a single folded sheet of cream-colored paper.
Nothing else.
No photographs.
No documents.
Just one handwritten page.
Lucas unfolded it.
The handwriting matched the words on the envelope.
He began reading silently.
As his eyes moved across the page, the color slowly drained from his face.
Daniel watched him carefully.
"What does it say?"
Lucas didn't answer.
His jaw tightened.
Margaret stepped closer.
"Lucas?"
He looked up, visibly shaken.
"It's addressed to Victoria."
Everyone turned toward her.
She stared at the letter without speaking.
Lucas finally read it aloud.
Victoria,
If you're reading this, then you've ignored every chance to tell Lucas the truth yourself.
Secrets don't disappear because you hide them. They only grow more dangerous.
Lucas deserves to know why you really came into his life.
More importantly...
Sophie deserves to know why you can never replace the woman who gave her life.
If you continue with this marriage without telling him everything, I will.
You still have time to do the right thing.
No signature.
No date.
Nothing that identified the writer.
Silence filled the room.
Daniel looked confused.
"What truth?"
Margaret slowly lowered her gaze.
Victoria's hands trembled.
Lucas folded the letter carefully.
"Who wrote this?"
Victoria whispered,
"I don't know."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Then tell me what they mean."
She closed her eyes.
"They're lying."
"About what?"
"I didn't come into your life for any hidden reason."
"Then why would someone write this?"
"I don't know."
Lucas had always believed he could tell when someone was lying.
As an attorney, he'd spent years questioning witnesses, reading body language, and separating facts from emotion.
Now, standing only a few feet from the woman he was supposed to marry, he wasn't certain.
Victoria looked terrified.
But terrified of what?
Being exposed...
Or being falsely accused?
A soft knock interrupted the silence.
The wedding planner carefully opened the door.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt."
Lucas turned.
"What is it?"
"The guests are becoming concerned."
She hesitated.
"The officiant asked whether the ceremony is still happening."
Lucas looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Through the partially open doors, he could see nearly two hundred guests waiting.
Friends.
Family.
Coworkers.
People who had traveled across the country to celebrate this day.
He slowly removed the boutonniere from his tuxedo jacket and placed it on a nearby table.
"I need more time."
The planner nodded.
"I'll let everyone know."
After she left, Lucas turned back toward Victoria.
"This wedding isn't moving forward until I know the truth."
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
"You think I don't love you."
"I want to believe you do."
"I do."
"Then help me understand."
She looked at Sophie through the doorway.
The little girl was quietly coloring on the back of the wedding program Daniel had given her, unaware that the adults around her were unraveling.
Victoria's voice broke.
"I've been trying to protect someone."
Lucas frowned.
"Who?"
She looked directly at Sophie.
"...Her."
Before anyone could ask another question, a hotel employee hurried down the hallway carrying a small cardboard box.
"Excuse me," he called.
"I'm looking for Mr. Lucas Bennett."
Lucas stepped forward.
"I'm Lucas."
The employee handed him the sealed box.
"This was left at the front desk early this morning."
"There wasn't a name?"
"No, sir."
Lucas looked down.
Taped to the top was a simple white note.
May you like
In the same unmistakable handwriting, it read:
"The answers you're looking for are inside. Open this before you marry her."
