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“It still doesn’t answer my question. Why hasn’t he tracked me down?”
Philip speaks this time.
“He might be under orders from Miguel not to approach you.”
The fact that he uses Miguel’s name so casually tells me that his friends are aware of what I shared with Philip. I tell myself that it was necessary if they had to find out the truth, but a sliver of betrayal courses through me.
“Also, your wedding announcement was in the papers,” Fergus reminds me. When I stare at him, not understanding, he explains, “I did some checking into your father’s financials. Turns out that he never managed to clear those debts, the ones for which you were used as collateral.”
I feel the shame flooding my face and I try to pull away from Philip’s grip.
“I had to tell them, Charlotte,” he tries to explain, but I shake my head and just step away from him. How can I explain to him how fragile my trust is? What he sees as an inch is a mile to me.
Agatha watches us with narrowed eyes, but she doesn’t say anything.
Fergus doesn’t blink and continues undeterred.
“These are the men who your father had made transactions with.”
I force my hands into the pockets of my trousers, so that they can’t see how violently my hands are shaking. I shake my head, a harsh jerk, my voice rough when I speak.
“They can’t be. I remember what those men looked like. They were different. These men – I’ve never seen these men before.”
“They’ve been spotted near your bakery ever since the wedding was announced.” Philip sounds strained to my ears. “Everything we have so far tells us that these men are probably linked to what happened at your bakery.”
My throat feels dry.
“Even if that were so, what could they possibly want from me? I don’t have a penny to my name. I have no savings, nothing. Everything I own is worthless. It’s just junk I’ve collected over the years.”
I see the way Philip stiffens next to me, but I choose not to pay any attention to him. I
am still smarting from the decision he made to reveal my well-kept secret to his friends, without consulting me first.
“There is a very good chance that they might still consider that deal with your father as being valid.” Zayn is blunt in his choice of words, and my blood chills.
“You mean–?” It is getting harder to breathe.
Philip grabs me by the chin and forces me to look at him, his gaze hot.
“They’re not getting their hands on you. I promise.”
That is the moment that Agatha chooses to speak up.
“What I don’t get are two things. For starters, if they were at the wedding, was it to verify Charlotte’s identity or to snatch her? Because if they wanted to snatch her, they could have done that when she was alone, getting dressed. The church hardly had top security. And secondly, if they do want her for whatever reasons that you’re not sharing with me, I’m guessing they want her alive.” Her eyes are sharp as she studies me. “They have no reason to kill Charlotte.”
My jaw is tense, and I feel a headache brewing.
“Who could hate me so bad that they want me dead? Aside from Nick?”
“There’s your ex-fiancé.”
I feel a hysterical laughter bubble in my throat.
“Erik? He already saw to my humiliation. I don’t even know why he did that. Murder isn’t his thing.”
I feel Philip grab my hand and my fear overpowers my anger, but I let him ground me. Zayn glances at me, and then at the rest of the occupants of the room.
“Obviously we don’t have everything right now. We’ll keep digging. Meanwhile, Charlotte, you haven’t left the apartment for a few days, but when you do, there will be two security personnel with you at all times. They’ll blend in, so you don’t have to worry about standing out.”
