Chapter 1: The Message Beneath the Water
The last thing Marcus Reed expected to find beneath the swimming pool at his own wedding was his ex-wife chained to a metal weight.
The second thing was a phone displaying a message that suggested someone had planned her death.
And the woman waiting at the altar, wearing a diamond ring and a beautiful white dress, was the person his six-year-old daughter had accused.
Marcus's lungs were burning.
The blue water distorted everything around him. Claire's pale face was turned toward the pool tiles, her long brown hair floating around her head. Her white-blue dress billowed like a ghost.
He grabbed her shoulder.
"Claire! Claire, wake up!""
There was no response.
He pulled at the silver chain around her ankle. The links were thick, and the metal weight attached to the other end was wedged beneath a decorative stone ledge.
He pulled again.
Nothing.
His chest tightened.
He had perhaps ten seconds left before he would have to surface.
Then his fingers brushed the phone lying beside Claire's hand.
Its screen was cracked, but still illuminated.
A message remained open.
IF HE FINDS OUT WHAT YOU DID, WE BOTH GO TO PRISON. YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TALK.
Marcus stared at the words.
What had Claire done?
Who had sent the message?
And why had someone chained her to the bottom of a swimming pool?
He shoved the phone into the pocket of his trousers, wrapped both hands around the chain, and pulled with everything he had.
The chain shifted.
A small metal clip snapped loose.
Marcus grabbed Claire beneath her arms and kicked upward.
Her body was frighteningly limp.
His head broke the surface.
"HELP!""
The guests erupted.
"Somebody help him!"" a woman screamed.
Marcus struggled toward the pool's edge, dragging Claire behind him.
"CALL AN AMBULANCE!"" he shouted.
"SHE'S NOT BREATHING!""
Two men jumped into the pool.
One was Marcus's older brother, Daniel. The other was a wedding guest who had worked as a firefighter.
Together, they helped pull Claire onto the marble deck.
Marcus climbed out after her, coughing violently.
"Claire!""
He dropped beside her.
Her lips were pale. Water streamed from her mouth and nose. Her blue dress clung to her body.
Daniel rolled her carefully onto her back.
"Move, Marcus! Give us room!""
"That's my wife—"
"She's your ex-wife! And she's not breathing! Move!""
The words struck Marcus, but he stumbled backward.
The firefighter began CPR.
One compression.
Two.
Three.
Marcus watched Daniel count.
"Come on, Claire," Daniel whispered.
"Come on, sweetheart.""
Ava stood several feet away, barefoot, shaking so violently that a female guest had wrapped a tablecloth around her shoulders.
"Daddy?""
Marcus turned.
His little girl was staring at her mother.
"Is Mommy dead?""
His heart broke.
"No, baby. No. She's going to be okay.""
"But Aunt Vanessa said Mommy wasn't coming back.""
Marcus looked at her.
"What?""
Ava wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"She said Mommy was bad. She said Mommy had to go away forever.""
Before he could ask another question, the firefighter shouted.
"I've got a pulse!""
Ava burst into tears.
Marcus dropped his face into his hands.
The ambulance arrived six minutes later.
Those six minutes felt longer than the three years since his divorce.
Paramedics took over, fitted Claire with an oxygen mask, and secured her to a stretcher.
Marcus tried to follow.
A paramedic blocked him.
"Sir, are you family?""
"I'm her former husband. We have a daughter together.""
"Then you can follow us to the hospital. But let us work.""
Marcus nodded.
As they lifted Claire, a small object fell from the folds of her dress.
A silver bracelet.
Marcus recognized it immediately.
He had bought it for her on their fifth wedding anniversary.
He picked it up.
Ava tugged his sleeve.
"Daddy, that's Mommy's bracelet.""
"I know, sweetheart.""
"She was wearing it when Aunt Vanessa took her.""
Marcus slowly looked down.
"When did Vanessa take Mommy?""
Ava glanced toward the reception terrace.
Vanessa was standing beneath the floral arch.
Her wedding dress was still immaculate.
Her veil had slipped slightly, and one hand rested against her stomach. She wasn't crying. She wasn't asking about Claire.
She was watching Marcus.
And when their eyes met, she looked away.
Marcus crouched in front of his daughter.
"Ava, listen to me. I need you to tell me exactly what happened.""
The little girl swallowed.
"I was looking for my rabbit.""
"Your stuffed rabbit?""
She nodded.
"Mommy brought it this morning. I left it near the big glass doors. I went to get it, and then I heard Mommy talking.""
"Where?""
"Behind the garden room.""
Marcus knew the room.
It was a small conservatory near the swimming pool, used to store decorations and catering equipment.
"What did you hear?""
Ava's bottom lip trembled.
"Aunt Vanessa said Mommy had to sign something.""
"Sign what?""
"I don't know. Mommy said no.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
Ava continued.
"Then Aunt Vanessa got angry. She grabbed Mommy's arm.""
"Did you see them?""
"Yes.""
"What happened next?""
Ava looked at Vanessa again.
"Mommy tried to go outside. Aunt Vanessa pushed her. Mommy fell near the pool.""
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
"And then?""
"Aunt Vanessa looked around. She saw me.""
Ava began crying again.
"She told me I was a bad girl if I told you.""
Marcus held her hands.
"What else did she say?""
Ava whispered, "She said Daddy wouldn't believe me because he loved her more.""
A cold sensation moved through Marcus.
He looked toward the altar.
Vanessa was no longer there.
"Daniel!""
His brother hurried over.
"What?""
"Take Ava. Don't let her out of your sight.""
Daniel frowned.
"Where are you going?""
"Find Vanessa.""
"Marcus, wait. The police are coming.""
"I don't care. I need to know where she is.""
Daniel grabbed his shoulder.
"Listen to me. You just pulled Claire out of a swimming pool with a chain around her ankle. Don't do anything stupid.""
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"Someone tried to kill her.""
"I know.""
"And my daughter says Vanessa did it.""
Daniel looked at Ava.
The little girl nodded.
Daniel's expression changed.
"Then we let the police handle Vanessa.""
Marcus looked down at the silver bracelet in his palm.
He remembered Claire standing beside him three years earlier, crying in their kitchen while he accused her of hiding money from their joint account.
He remembered the custody hearing.
He remembered Vanessa sitting behind him, whispering that Claire was manipulative and unstable.
He remembered believing her.
For three years, he had allowed another woman to tell him what kind of mother his daughter had.
Now Claire was being rushed to a hospital after someone had chained her underwater.
And he had nearly married that person.
A police officer approached.
"Mr. Reed?""
Marcus stood.
"Yes.""
"I'm Detective Evelyn Brooks. We received a call about a possible assault.""
Marcus pointed toward the ambulance.
"Someone chained my ex-wife to the bottom of that pool.""
Detective Brooks glanced at the pool, then at the stretcher.
"Do you know who did it?""
Marcus looked at Vanessa's empty place beneath the arch.
"My daughter says she saw my fiancée push her.""
The detective's expression hardened.
"Where is your fiancée now?""
Marcus turned.
A catering employee was pointing toward the parking area.
"That woman in the white dress? She just left.""
Marcus felt the blood drain from his face.
"Which way?""
"Toward the service road.""
Detective Brooks immediately raised her radio.
"Dispatch, possible suspect leaving Hawthorne Estate. Female, white wedding gown, last seen near the east parking entrance.""
Marcus reached into his pocket.
The phone was still there.
He pulled it out and showed the detective the glowing screen.
"I found this beside Claire.""
Brooks read the message.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Do you recognize the sender?""
"No.""
"Did you see anyone else near your ex-wife before the incident?""
Marcus thought about the pale blue dress he'd seen near the glass doors.
He remembered Vanessa's insistence that Claire leave.
He remembered the strange look in her eyes.
Then another detail surfaced.
"Yes," he said.
"My wedding coordinator.""
"Name?""
"Rebecca Miller.""
The detective wrote it down.
"Why her?""
Marcus hesitated.
"She was with Vanessa most of the morning. And she was the last person I saw near the conservatory.""
Brooks looked toward the ambulance.
"Mr. Reed, I need you to come to the station later and give a full statement.""
"Can I go to the hospital first?""
"Of course. But don't delete anything from that phone.""
Marcus nodded.
The ambulance doors closed.
As it pulled away, Ava began screaming.
"Mommy!""
Marcus wrapped his arms around her.
"It's okay, baby. We're going to the hospital.""
But just before he climbed into Daniel's car, his own phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET THE WEDDING FINISH.
A second message appeared.
NOW YOU'VE PUT YOUR DAUGHTER IN DANGER TOO.
Marcus stared at the screen.
Then he looked toward Ava.
May you like
Someone had been watching them.
And whoever had chained Claire beneath that water knew exactly where his little girl was.
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