Chapter 3

After Patrick left, the officers escorted me out of the interrogation room. They looked at me like I was nothing but trash.

"Ariana, Officer Doyle has posted bail for you as a family member. You're free to go."

I had nowhere to go. I turned out my pockets and scraped together enough money for a plain black dress. Then I knelt beside my father's casket at the funeral home.

But soon, dozens of black cars, each decorated with extravagant wedding flowers, crashed straight through the gates of the funeral home. The black hearse carrying my father's coffin faced the convoy.

Patrick stepped out of the Rolls-Royce at the front. He wasn't wearing his uniform. Instead, he wore a finely tailored charcoal suit. Pinned to his lapel was the badge signifying his status as a decorated hero. His cold, stern face stood out against the storm of funeral petals. There was something about him that sent a chill down my spine.

"Get in the car, Ariana." He stood over me and looked down.

"Patrick, my dad just died, and you're already so eager to use his death to climb higher?"

Patrick's expression remained unchanged. He grabbed my wrist and forced the diamond ring onto my finger. "Jacob got what he deserved, but you're innocent." He whispered, his voice dripping with condescension. "You may be the daughter of a criminal, but since we're married, I'll protect you. In Hinton, only I can keep you safe."

I glanced at him before bursting into laughter. "Keep me safe? Patrick, you're just afraid I'll die too soon, and people will blame you for it, right? After all, if it weren't for my dad, you'd have been dead a long time ago."

"Ariana, don't get the wrong idea about Patrick." Lena, who was dressed in red, looped her arm through mine. "He's doing this for your own good. Those people you owe money to could tear you apart. But if you marry Patrick now, they won't dare lay a finger on you."

She leaned closer, putting on an affectionate smile. "Come on. Take off that depressing dress and put on the wedding dress. Mr. Walker will be able to rest in peace knowing you have someone to take care of you."

Lena reached out and pressed her fingers hard against the infected wound on the back of my hand.

"Ahh!" My vision went black from the pain. Cold sweat soaked my back as I instinctively yanked my hand away.

Lena stumbled into a puddle, and her temple slammed against Dad's black gravestone. Her blood trickled down in the rain.

"Lena!" Patrick panicked and pushed me away.

I fell into a puddle as jagged stones slashed my palms.

"Ariana, you're truly beyond saving," Patrick scolded as he rushed over to scoop Lena up. It was as if I were some kind of heinous villain.

"Patrick, I'm fine… Ariana is just too overwhelmed by grief." Lena huddled in his arms, trembling. Her fingers clung tightly to his shirt collar, deliberately exposing the bruise I'd supposedly caused. "As long as Ariana can calm down, I'll even kneel to her."

I looked at her. "Sure. Didn't you want me to marry Patrick? Then get on your knees in front of my dad's gravestone. I'll marry him after that. He'll be praised by everyone and rise through the ranks."

Lena's voice was thick with emotion. "Fine! I'll do anything for Patrick!"

But before she could kneel, Patrick pulled her back up. He looked at me with nothing but loathing and indifference, and gripped my wrist. "Ariana, you're marrying me today, no matter what."

I stared at him before kicking the dirt at his feet. Mud splattered across his polished shoes. The wind tore through the funeral flowers, scattering petals across the graveyard. I laughed until tears streamed from the corners of my eyes.

"Patrick, remember this. I'm your reckoning."