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Emery stood at the edge of the garden, her arms crossed as her eyes swept over the rows of carefully trimmed hedges and scattered flowerbeds. The sun was out, but it didn’t help. The irritation that had settled in her chest since the night before hadn’t faded–in fact, it had worsened.
Alina’s sudden appearance that morning had pushed her over the edge. Emery still couldn’t figure out what the woman was ying at. If she wanted her brother so badly, then why the act? Why show up with apologies and hollow concern?
With a huff, she nudged a small rock near her foot and immediately winced. The impact shot a sharp ache through her toes. She red down at the stone like it had personally offended her.
“Perfect,” she muttered, shifting her weight and trying to walk it off.
Emery stood still, her arms folded tighter across her chest. The garden stretched out in front of her like it always had, neat and quiet. She hated how peaceful it looked. As if nothing had happened. As if everything in her life wasn’t unraveling slowly, one calcted move at a time.
She heard the footsteps behind her but didn’t turn. Instead she let out a sighed.
Then something settled over her shoulders–warm, heavy. A coat. She recognized it immediately.
“It’s chilly,” Logan said behind her. “You don’t have to stay out here.”
Emery didn’t respond. She didn’t take the coat off either. She kept her eyes on the garden.
Logan stepped beside her. “I’m sorry forst night.”
She finally looked at him. His face gave nothing away, calm in the way she hade to expect. Controlled.
“We agreed,” she said. “To act as husband and wife. But keep our secrets to ourselves. There’s no need for an apology.”
Logan exhaled through his nose. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. Last night… it was unexpected. It won’t happen again.”
Emery looked away. “Stop making promises you can’t keep.”
He didn’t speak. She didn’t give him the space to.
“There’s no need to exin anything,” she added. “I’m not expecting anything from you.”
He stayed silent beside her.
Emery took a slow breath, eyes still on the garden. “We should leave this ce. It feels stuffy. Probably not great for the baby.”
Logan turned his head toward her. “We’ll leave,” he said. “As soon as you want.”
<b>12:34 </b>Thu, <b>Sep </b>11 G
That made her nce at him again.
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He wasn’t looking at the garden. He was looking at her. For once, he didn’t argue. Didn’t ask why. Didn’t insist they stay for appearances.
That alone made her pause. But only for a moment.
She nodded once. “Tomorrow, then.”
Logan gave the smallest nod in return. “Tomorrow.”
After what felt like an eternity, Emery and Logan finally boarded the private ne back to the US the very next day.
“Were you able to find out anything?” Samuel Dwight asked, not looking up from his monitor as he spoke. His voice was sharp, clipped. He hadn’t been sleepingtely and it was starting to show. His mood had been sour and his head is starting to ache.
Roni, his assistant, stood a few steps away with his tablet in hand. “Sir, we’re still hitting dead ends. So far, none of our usual sources have identified the wedding from the photos. I’ve gone through Nina’s known friends and checked their social media activity for thest three months–nothing relevant. Not a single post, story, or <i>tag </i>that matches the setting or the people in those images.”
Samuel finally looked up.
“I <i>also </i>contacted every high–end bridal boutique in L.A.,” Roni continued. “Asked about the bouquet in the photo. A few responded, but none recognized the floral arrangement. It might have been customized or imported.”
“Coordinators<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“I reached out to ten of the most prominent wedding coordinators in the city,” he said. “Five responded already. None of them were involved in any wedding that fits the style or timeline. I even traced catering services based on the cake design in the background. Still nothing.”
Samuel leaned back slowly. “<i>So </i>she attended a wedding… that left no digital footprint, didn’t use local services, and somehow avoided every major vendor in the area?” Isn’t that like Emery Vaughn’s past?
Roni nodded. “It was very private. Intentionally so. If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone went out of their way to keep it that way.”
Samuel narrowed his eyes. “Keep digging. Start checking offshore venues and cross–reference Nina’s passport activity if needed.”
“I already requested flight data from herst known trips,” Roni said, tapping the tablet. “And I’m scrubbing private flight records in and out of the state that week. If she flewmercial, I’ll find the manifest.”
Samuel gave a short nod. “Do it quietly.”
<b>12:34 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b>Sep 11 B
“I always do, sir.”
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Samuel waved Roni off with a quick motion. As the door clicked shut behind him, he leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His mind wasn’t on the data he’d gathered. It was in that single photo Nina had carelessly posted on her story days ago–just a glimpse<b>, </b>really. A woman in a wedding dress back turned to the camera. No face. No context. Just soft lighting,ce, and silence.
But he recognized that silhouette instantly.
Emery.
Blurry or not, he would know her anywhere. He had memorized every detail over the years–how she carried herself, how she stood. Even her posture was familiar.
He grabbed his phone from the desk and opened the clip Nina had uploaded next. A slow pan of white roses, crystal chandeliers, and a towering cake. No guests. No bride. No groom. Just ambiance. Like someone wanted to hint at the asion without giving away the details.
It wasn’t just any wedding. It seemed personal.
Samuel stared at the screen, unmoving.
He didn’t know what Nina was trying to do. Was she trying to tell him that Emery got married? Was she trying to mock him? Bait him? Make him angry? Was she trying to make him jealous so he would find Emery? But something inside him refused to ept it.
“It can’t be Emery,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head. “No. She loved me.”
He set the phone down.
“She wouldn’t do this.<b>” </b>
It must be one of Nina’s friends abroad. The world is too big–it would take days for them to find out who it was. But he was certain it wasn’t Emery. Besides, she’s pregnant with their child. What kind of man would ept someone else’s used goods?
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12:34 Thu, Sep <b>11 </b>B