MARRIED TO MY FATHER'S KILLER

Elena... you need to come now!"

The terrified voice on the phone sliced through Elena Hart's concentration like blade.

She froze in the middle of reviewing a contract file , her pulse instantly asked. Around her, the polished glass wall of  her office suddenly felt suffocating.

"What happened? " she asked , already rising from her chair.

"It's your father" the man stammered breathlessly.

"He's been attacked ,there is so much blood" 

The phone nearly slipped from her trembling fingers.

For one horrifying second, the world stopped moving, everything stand still .

"No" she whispered 

Her heart beating fast, then she ran.

The rain outside crashed violently against the city, turning the streets into rivers of blurred light and chaos. Elena gripped the steering wheels so tightly , her knuckle turned white as she sped through traffic, ignoring the angry  horns behind her.

Her father couldn't die

Not him

Not the man who has raised her alone after her mother's death

Not the man who still call her baby even at twenty- eight.

Tears blurred her vision.

"Please..." she whispered shakily , " stay alive"

Her phone buzzed again on the passenger's seat.

Adrian Wells, her husband

For a moment ,she couldn't  answer. Fear had  lodged itself in her throat like broke glass

The call stopped ,then another message appeared.

I'm already at the hospital.Drive carefully.

Her chest tightened painfully.

Even in panic, Adrian Well sounded calm, controlled and powerful.

The exact opposite of the storm raging inside her.

The moment Elena burst into the emergency ward, the sharp scent of antiseptic and blood hit her violently.

Doctors rushed past

Machine beeped frantically

Someone was crying nearby

And then, she saw him.

Her father

Blood stained the white sheet beneath him,blood soaking through the bandage wrapped around his chest. Tubes surrounded his weak body, yet non of them could hide the scary paleness of his skin.

"Elena...."

His voice was barely audible

"Dad!"

She rushed to him, falling beside the hospital bed as tear streamed uncontrollably down her face.

"Oh my... God!... no..."

His trembling hand searched weakly for hers

The sight shattered her heart completely

This is not the strong, respected businessman the entire city honored and admired.

This is her father, broken, dying.

"Dad who did this to you?" she cried 

His breathing became uneven , pain twisted across his face as he struggled desperately for air.

Then suddenly

A large warm hand settled firmly against Elena's shoulder.

She looked up.

Adrian stood beside her in a black suit, tall and devastatingly handsome even beneath the cold hospital light.His sharp jaw was tensed, his dark eye is unreadable, dangerously calm.

Power radiated from him, effortlessly

"Elena" he said softly 

That deep voice nearly broke her

She turned and buried herself, against his chest, gripping his shirt desperately

"He can't leave me " she sobbed

Adrian arm wrapped around her instantly

Strong

Safe

"I'm here, he murmured against her hair

But his eyes remained fixed on the dying man in the bed.

And for a brief seconds, Elena  could have sworn she saw something flicker in them .

Fear.

Richard Well entered few moments later

"Elena...."

Her father-in - law's voice carried deep concern as he approached quickly . The billionaire chairman looked genuinely shaken, his usually commanding face heavy with grief.

"Oh God...." Richard whispered when he saw his old friend lying there, he moved closer immediately .

" I called the best surgeon in the city,they are doing everything they can" he said firmly.

Elena nodded with tears.

Richard gently held her shoulder

" You are not alone in this", he assured her. We'll find whoever did this

Something inside Elena cracked completely

Her father’s breathing suddenly worsened.

The heart monitor began beeping erratically.

“Dad!” she called in tears

His weak fingers tightened around hers with surprising force.

Then he whispered hoarsely to her ear  that others could not hear

“Don’t… trust anyone…”

Elena’s breath caught.

“Avenge me…”

Her entire body froze.

Her father’s eyes filled with terror as he struggled to say something else.

“Kkei…”

Blood touched the corner of his lips.

“Kk…”

Then the monitor flatlined.

"No!”

Elena screamed.

The sound ripped through the hospital room like shattered glass.

Doctors rushed in immediately.

Machines beeped violently.

But Elena already knew.

Her father was gone.

Three days later..

Rain poured relentlessly over the cemetery.

Black umbrellas covered the crowd of wealthy elites, politicians, and businessmen gathered around the polished mahogany coffin being lowered into the ground.

Elena stood frozen beside it.

The cold wind whipped through her black dress, but she barely felt it.

Nothing felt real anymore.

Not the condolences.

Not the prayers.

Not the whispers surrounding her father’s death.

Beside her stood Adrian, one arm possessively around her waist as if afraid she would collapse.

His face remained unreadable beneath the gray skies.

Yet his grip on her tightened whenever she trembled.

Across the burial ground, Richard Wells spoke quietly with several influential men, handling everything with calm authority.

The perfect grieving friend.

The perfect family protector.

“Elena…”

Mia Carter squeezed her hand gently.

Her best friend’s eyes were swollen from crying.

“You need to eat something.”

Elena barely heard her.

Her gaze had locked onto a woman approaching slowly through the crowd.

Elegant.

Beautiful.

Cold.

Vivian Kane.

Victor Kane’s wife.

The moment Elena saw her, rage exploded violently inside her chest.

Victor Kane didn’t even attend the funeral himself.

Coward.

Murderer.

Vivian stopped in front of her, her expression filled with uncomfortable sympathy

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said softly.

Elena stared at her with burning hatred.

“You should leave.”

The woman blinked in shock.

“Elena—”

“LEAVE!” she snapped loudly.

The cemetery fell silent.

Mia grabbed Elena’s arm nervously.

“Elena…”

But Elena couldn’t stop.

Her nails dug into her palms as fury consumed her grief.

“Tell your husband,” she whispered venomously, “that if he thinks my father’s death will go unanswered… he’s wrong.”

Vivian’s face paled instantly.

Adrian stepped forward smoothly before things escalated further.

“Elena,” he warned quietly.

That calm in his voice sent chills down several spines nearby.

But Elena barely noticed.

Her eyes remained fixed on Vivian Kane with murderous hatred.

And for one terrifying moment,she wanted blood.

Later that evening, after the guests had left, Elena stood alone in her father’s office.

The room still smelled like him.

Leather.Whiskey.Cigars.

Her chest tightened painfully.

She walked slowly toward his desk, touching the surface with trembling fingers.

Then she noticed it.

A file,half hidden beneath papers.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She opened it carefully.

Inside was a photograph.

Three men stood together smiling at some corporate event years ago.

Her father, Richard Wells, Victor Kane.

But someone had violently scratched Victor Kane’s face out of the picture.

Elena’s breathing stopped.

Then suddenly

A deep voice spoke behind her.

“You shouldn’t be in here alone.”

She turned sharply.

Adrian stood at the doorway, his tie loosened slightly now, exposing the hard lines of his throat.His gaze slowly dropped to the photograph in her hands, his composure cracked.

But Elena saw it.

And then Adrian whispered something that made the blood drain from her face completely.

“Where did you get that photo?”