VEIL OF SECRETS (CHOICES)

Chapter 2 [Unveiled]

AGENT MICHAEL KIM : So. The bride, Kate O'Malley, vanished on the day of her wedding.

Me : That's right. The moment came for her to walk down the aisle... and she was nowhere to be found.

Agent : Sounds like a lot of people at the wedding probably preferred it that way.

Me : A lot of people at that wedding were assholes.

Agent : Can't blame them for thinking that, though. A bride running off on her wedding... wouldn't be the first time that happened.

Me : That's not what what happened here.

Agent : And how did you know that?

Me : Because I knew Kate.

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AT STERLING MANOR

I stand in the lavish hall as guests mill about the room uneasily, murmuring to one another

Me : (It's been almost thirty minutes... and there's still no sign of Kate!)

Kate's brother, Flynn stands next to me, brow furrowed.

Flynn : I don't like this. Something's wrong.

Me : Definitely. Kate can be a little flaky, but... she would never miss her own wedding.

Flynn : You saw her last night, right? How was she?

Me : She seemed off. Something was clearly bothering her. She tried to tell me... but then Tanner showed up and practically dragged her away.

Flynn : Do you think she was having second thought?

Me : Maybe. It could have just been cold feet, I don't know. It seems like she's been struggling to adjust to all this.

I gesture around the room. Flynn nods grimly.

Flynn : Still, I can't square her just bailing on everything at the last minute. I swear to god... if something's happened to her...

The grand doors at the end of the room swing open, and Tanner storms in, followed by his father. A petite, pinched-looking woman rushes over to them from the corner. I assume she must be Tanner's mother.

??? : Well? Did you find her?

Pierce : We've searched the whole mansion, Margaret. There's no sign of her. She's gone.

Margaret : she's really run off? How disappointing.

Tanner : Disappointing? More like ungrateful. How could she do this to me?!

Bryce snorts derisively from his perch by the bar, as he takes a long pull off his beer. A few empty bottles are lined up on the bar in front of him.

Bryce : I told you, bro. Go roll around in the trash all you want, but don't bring it home.

Me : Tanner... Something must have happened. You know Kate, she's incredibly loyal! She'd never just run out on you. Not like this.