“Lori, I know this was hard on you. I really do. But Lisa... she’s not like you. She’s sensitive. She couldn’t handle something like that.”

“If anything had happened to her, I couldn’t face my brother in the afterlife. You understand, don’t you?”

I was too exhausted to argue. Too done to care.

I waved him off, voice flat. “You don’t need to explain. I get it. I won’t take it personally.”

His eyes lit up like I’d just given him a gold star. “That’s what I love about you, Lori. You’re always the understanding one.”

“Once the wedding with Lisa’s over, I swear—I’ll take care of those enemies. You’ll never be in danger again.”

Whether Milford did it for me, or for Malissa’s safety—he knew the answer better than anyone. I didn’t have to say it out loud.

On the morning of the wedding, just before heading out, Milford took my hand.

“Lori,” he said gently, “thank you for being so understanding. Once all this is over, I’ll take you and Enid on a trip—just the three of us. A proper break.”

I gave him a soft smile and reached up to straighten his collar. “Sure,” I said, “go on now. Don’t keep your dear sister-in-law waiting.”

He paused, surprised—maybe even suspicious. He hadn’t expected me to be so calm. So agreeable. After all, I’d fought him so many times over his “dear Malissa.”

He didn’t dwell on it in the end. With a nod, he turned and left for the hotel, wedding suit crisp, steps confident.

I watched his back disappear down the drive and thought to myself—yeah, it was time. Enid and I needed to go.

Meanwhile, at the hotel, the ceremony was in full swing.

The officiant stood tall, voice echoing through the grand hall. “Mr. Wright, do you take Miss Malissa to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Milford opened his mouth to speak—but before he could say a word, the old family butler burst through the doors, pale and breathless.

“Sir—something terrible’s happened! Right after you left, those men from the other day—they came back. Reinforcements, maybe. They stormed the house. Took the madam and the young miss!”

The room froze.

“They just sent a video,” the butler stammered, hands shaking. “They—they’ve been killed.”