The Wedding Party

Part 41: A Realization

Back at the Manor, Killian paced the floor of the drawing-room, his brow furrowed as Kyan, Miguel, and Jaylee sat in various stages of disbelief. "I still can't believe it," Killian muttered, his voice strained. "Marina...dead?"

"Who would do something like this?" Kyan asked, his hands shaking from the shock.

"Someone with a sick mind, that's who," Jaylee replied bitterly, her eyes red from crying.

"Bo Brandt," Miguel whispered, recalling the stories of the infamous killer who had once terrorized the island. The others looked at him, their eyes wide with fear.

"Bo Brandt is dead," Killian reminded them firmly, though doubt lingered in his own mind.

Meanwhile, at the barn, Macey knelt to examine the spade, snapping photos with her phone as Doctor Kasen Hester and Detective Scarlet Camacho surveyed the scene. "The trap was rigged to the light switch," Scarlet noted, her voice steady despite the gruesome sight before them. "Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."

"Bo Brandt used similar methods," Hester added thoughtfully, peering at the remnants of the chandelier. "Could be an imitator."

Macey nodded, her eyes narrowing as she spotted a chart propped up against the wall. It detailed the wedding ceremony, including the moment Marina would have been standing under the chandelier. "Our killer must have known about this," she said, her voice hardening with determination. "We'll find out who's responsible for this."

In one of the guest rooms of the Manor, Jairo brushed Amelia's hair gently, tears streaming down his face. "Why, Amelia? Why did this happen?" he choked out, his heart breaking for his family.

Amelia bit her lip, trying to hold back her own tears. "I don't know, Papa. I wish I did."

As Darrell quietly exited the room, his face a mask of grief, Preston opened the front door to find Helena standing there, her expression grave. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"Darrell just took Yusuf some water," Preston remarked, watching the exchange from the window. She couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering what other secrets were lurking among them.

"Preston, what's going on?" Helena asked, concern etched on her face.

"Before Marina died, Ash left me a message," Preston confided, his voice shaking. "She said there would be a final surprise." Helena's eyes widened in alarm, knowing that whatever Ash had planned, it couldn't be good.