Chapter 6
Sophie did my makeup with the precision of an artist, chattering about the flower arrangements, the guest list, how "gorgeous" I was going to look.
Every word she said felt like a nail in a coffin she was building for me.
"Hold still," she said, pressing a brush to my cheekbone. "God, Bella, your skin is incredible. Ryan is going to lose his mind when he sees you."
Ryan is going to lose his mind when he sees me alive tomorrow, I thought.
At 1:25, I stood up abruptly. "I need air."
"What? Bella, I'm not done with your—"
"Five minutes. Just five minutes. I feel like I'm going to faint."
Sophie's expression flickered. Concern? Or concern that I was going off-script?
"Okay. Five minutes. But if you're not back, I'm dragging you."
I slipped out the back of the bridal suite, kicked off my heels, and ran barefoot through the hotel corridors to the chapel's rear entrance.
Natasha was already there. She looked different from this morning—darker circles under her eyes, hair pulled back tight. She was holding a folder against her chest like a shield.
"You came," she said.
"I did. Talk fast. I don't have much time."
Natasha glanced around nervously. "How much do you know?"
"I know Ryan killed his first wife. I know he plans to kill me for insurance money. What I don't know is who's helping him and why the hell his ex-girlfriend is trying to save me."
Natasha's jaw tightened. "Because Megan was my sister."
The world tilted.
"Your... sister?"
"Megan Hayes was my older sister. When she died, I knew it wasn't an accident. I spent three years gathering evidence, getting close to Ryan's circle. When I heard he was getting married again—to you—I knew he was doing it again."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
"I did! They said the case was closed. Insufficient evidence for reopening. Ryan has connections. Lawyers. Friends in the DA's office." Her voice cracked. "So I came here. To stop him myself."
"You put the evidence in the hotel safe."
"In case something happened to me. Which—" she laughed bitterly, "—clearly it did, in whatever timeline you're remembering."
So Natasha was aware of the loop. Or at least, she was aware something unnatural was happening.
"Natasha, listen to me. In another version of today, you were murdered. Throat slit. In that same hotel room. Whoever's protecting Ryan's secret—they're here today, and they know about you."
Her face went pale. "Who?"
"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out." I grabbed her shoulders. "Stay hidden. Don't go to room 407. Don't approach anyone in the wedding party. Can you do that?"
She nodded slowly. "There's one more thing you should know."
"What?"
"Ryan isn't working alone. He has a partner. Someone inside your circle. Someone you trust completely."
"Sophie," I said.
Natasha shook her head. "Sophie is a pawn. She's in love with Ryan—he's been sleeping with her for over a year—but she doesn't know about the murder plan. She thinks she's getting Ryan after you conveniently 'decide' to leave him."
My stomach dropped. "Then who?"
Natasha opened her mouth—
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Natasha's body jerked. Red bloomed across her chest.
"NO!" I caught her as she fell.
Her eyes were wide, her lips moving. "Your... mother..."
Then nothing.
I looked up. On the rooftop of the chapel, a silhouette disappeared.
My mother?
Every word she said felt like a nail in a coffin she was building for me.
"Hold still," she said, pressing a brush to my cheekbone. "God, Bella, your skin is incredible. Ryan is going to lose his mind when he sees you."
Ryan is going to lose his mind when he sees me alive tomorrow, I thought.
At 1:25, I stood up abruptly. "I need air."
"What? Bella, I'm not done with your—"
"Five minutes. Just five minutes. I feel like I'm going to faint."
Sophie's expression flickered. Concern? Or concern that I was going off-script?
"Okay. Five minutes. But if you're not back, I'm dragging you."
I slipped out the back of the bridal suite, kicked off my heels, and ran barefoot through the hotel corridors to the chapel's rear entrance.
Natasha was already there. She looked different from this morning—darker circles under her eyes, hair pulled back tight. She was holding a folder against her chest like a shield.
"You came," she said.
"I did. Talk fast. I don't have much time."
Natasha glanced around nervously. "How much do you know?"
"I know Ryan killed his first wife. I know he plans to kill me for insurance money. What I don't know is who's helping him and why the hell his ex-girlfriend is trying to save me."
Natasha's jaw tightened. "Because Megan was my sister."
The world tilted.
"Your... sister?"
"Megan Hayes was my older sister. When she died, I knew it wasn't an accident. I spent three years gathering evidence, getting close to Ryan's circle. When I heard he was getting married again—to you—I knew he was doing it again."
"Why didn't you go to the police?"
"I did! They said the case was closed. Insufficient evidence for reopening. Ryan has connections. Lawyers. Friends in the DA's office." Her voice cracked. "So I came here. To stop him myself."
"You put the evidence in the hotel safe."
"In case something happened to me. Which—" she laughed bitterly, "—clearly it did, in whatever timeline you're remembering."
So Natasha was aware of the loop. Or at least, she was aware something unnatural was happening.
"Natasha, listen to me. In another version of today, you were murdered. Throat slit. In that same hotel room. Whoever's protecting Ryan's secret—they're here today, and they know about you."
Her face went pale. "Who?"
"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out." I grabbed her shoulders. "Stay hidden. Don't go to room 407. Don't approach anyone in the wedding party. Can you do that?"
She nodded slowly. "There's one more thing you should know."
"What?"
"Ryan isn't working alone. He has a partner. Someone inside your circle. Someone you trust completely."
"Sophie," I said.
Natasha shook her head. "Sophie is a pawn. She's in love with Ryan—he's been sleeping with her for over a year—but she doesn't know about the murder plan. She thinks she's getting Ryan after you conveniently 'decide' to leave him."
My stomach dropped. "Then who?"
Natasha opened her mouth—
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Natasha's body jerked. Red bloomed across her chest.
"NO!" I caught her as she fell.
Her eyes were wide, her lips moving. "Your... mother..."
Then nothing.
I looked up. On the rooftop of the chapel, a silhouette disappeared.
My mother?