Hermione's POV
The plane touched down just as the church bells started ringing.
I pressed my face against the small window, staring at my city below. Somewhere down there, Jerry was marrying Linda in the church that was supposed to be mine.
"We land, we move fast, we leave." James unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thirty minutes maximum."
"What if we get caught?"
"We won't." But his hand shook slightly as he checked his watch. "Everyone who matters is at that wedding."
The private airport was empty. James's car waited on the runway, engine already running.
"Drive past the church first," I told the driver.
"Hermione, we don't have time—"
"I need to see it." My voice came out harder than I meant. "Just drive past."
James sighed but nodded.
Ten minutes later, we turned onto the street I knew too well. The church stood at the end, covered in white flowers and silk ribbons.
My flowers. My ribbons. My wedding.
Cars lined both sides of the street. Expensive ones. Everyone important had come to watch Jerry marry a dying girl.
"Stop here." I grabbed the door handle.
"Don't even think about it." James locked the doors. "You go in there, and Rebecca wins."
"I just want to look."
Through the church windows, I could see people inside. So many people. They filled every seat.
And at the front, wearing white, stood Linda.
"She's wearing my dress." The words choked out of me. "That's my wedding dress."
James pulled out small binoculars, looking closer. "You're right. Same dress from the photos in your room."
"How did she even fit into it?" Anger boiled in my chest. "She said she was dying! She said—"
"She lied about everything." James lowered the binoculars. "But look at her face. Really look."
I grabbed the binoculars. Linda stood at the altar next to Jerry, smiling at the guests. But something was wrong. Her smile looked frozen. Fake.
And her hand kept moving to her stomach.
"She's scared," I realized. "She's terrified."
"Because she knows Jerry will find out eventually." James took the binoculars back. "You can't hide a pregnancy. The dates won't match up."
The church doors opened. People started coming out. The ceremony was over.
"They're married." My heart twisted. "Jerry actually married her."
Linda appeared in the doorway, holding Jerry's arm. She'd changed out of my dress into something pink and flowing.
Everyone cheered and threw rice. Linda waved like a queen. Jerry smiled, but it looked painful.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" I asked.
James rolled down the window slightly. Voices drifted across the street.
"Such a beautiful ceremony!"
"Poor thing, marrying her last wish..."
"Where's Hermione? Did anyone see her?"
"I heard she stole from the family and ran away!"
"No! Really?"
"That's what Rebecca said. Police are looking for her."
My hands curled into fists. "They think I'm a thief."
"Rebecca's controlling the story." James started to roll up the window. "That's why we need that evidence. To show everyone who the real thief is."
Linda suddenly collapsed.
Everyone screamed. Jerry caught her before she hit the ground. People crowded around, shouting for doctors.
"What's happening?" I leaned forward.
An ambulance appeared within minutes. Paramedics rushed over with a stretcher. Linda lay on the ground, her hand on her stomach, crying.
"The baby!" Linda's voice carried across the street. "Please, save my baby!"
Jerry's face went white. "Baby? What baby?"
The paramedics loaded Linda onto the stretcher. Rebecca appeared out of nowhere, climbing into the ambulance with her.
But before the doors closed, I saw Rebecca lean down and whisper something in Linda's ear.
Linda's crying stopped instantly. She nodded.
"Did you see that?" I grabbed James's arm. "Rebecca told her something, and Linda just stopped crying!"
"She's faking again." James pulled out his phone, recording. "But this time, there are witnesses. Doctors who will run real tests."
The ambulance drove away, sirens wailing. Jerry stood in the street, looking lost and confused.
Senator Kingston appeared beside him, gripping his shoulder hard. They argued about something. Jerry shook his head. The Senator's face turned red with anger.
"We need to go," James said urgently. "Now."
"Wait, I want to see—"
"Hermione, look!"
He pointed down the street. Police cars were pulling up to the church. Officers got out, talking to Rebecca on her phone.
She was pointing toward where we sat.
"She spotted us!" James's driver hit the gas before the doors even closed.
We sped away as police cars turned to follow.
"How did she know?" I twisted around, watching them chase us.
"Someone must have seen my car." James pulled me down. "Stay low."
We turned corner after corner, the driver moving fast but careful. Finally, the sirens faded.
"Did we lose them?" I asked.
"For now." James helped me sit up. "But we have maybe ten minutes before they find us again. The bank is three blocks away."
"What if they're watching it?"
"They will be soon." James handed me a hat and sunglasses. "Which is why you're going in alone."
"Alone?" My voice squeaked. "Are you insane?"
"They're looking for us together. They won't expect you by yourself." James pressed the key into my hand. "Box number 347. Get in, get the evidence, get out. Five minutes maximum."
"And if I get caught?"
"You won't." But James's face said he wasn't sure. "I'll be watching from across the street. If anything goes wrong, I'll create a distraction."
The car stopped a block from the bank. I could see it through the windshield. Big. Busy. Safe.
Or a trap.
"Hermione." James grabbed my hand. "If you don't come out in six minutes, I'm coming in after you."
"And if we both get caught?"
"Then we fight our way out together." He squeezed my hand. "Partners, remember?"
I put on the hat and sunglasses. Checked my reflection in the car window. I looked like a stranger.
Good.
I opened the door and stepped out. The street was crowded with people leaving the wedding. They passed by without looking at me twice.
The bank stood ahead. I started walking, my heart pounding so loud I thought everyone could hear it.
Just get to the door. Get inside. Get the box. Get out.
Simple.
I was ten feet from the entrance when someone grabbed my arm.
"Hermione?"
I spun around. A woman stared at me. Older. Familiar.
Mrs. Chen. My old piano teacher.
"I thought that was you!" She smiled. "I haven't seen you in years! What are you doing here?"
"I—I'm just—" My mind went blank.
"Are you okay, dear? You look upset." Mrs. Chen studied my face. "Did you hear about Jerry's wedding? Such a sad story about that poor girl being sick."
"Yes, I heard." I tried to pull away. "I really need to go—"
"Oh! Did you come for the wedding?" Mrs. Chen wouldn't let go of my arm. "I'm sure they'd love to see you! Jerry always spoke so fondly of you."
Police cars turned onto the street.
"I have to go!" I yanked my arm free.
"Wait!" Mrs. Chen called after me. "Hermione!"
But I was already running into the bank, my hat falling off behind me.
Inside, the bank was cold and quiet. A guard stood by the door. He looked up as I rushed past.
"Miss? You can't run in here."
"Sorry!" I slowed down, walking quickly to the counter. "I need to access a safety deposit box."
The woman behind the counter looked bored. "Name?"
"Maria Hale."
She typed on her computer. Frowned. Typed again.
"I'm sorry, but that box has been flagged."
My blood turned to ice. "Flagged?"
"There's a hold on it. Police order." She looked up at me. "You'll need to come back with—"
The guard's radio crackled. "Be advised, suspect Hermione Hale may be in the area. Approach with caution."
The counter woman's eyes went wide. She looked at me. Really looked at me.
I ran.
"Stop her!" the guard shouted.
I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. I burst through a side door into a hallway. More doors. More hallways.
Behind me, footsteps pounded. Radios squawked.
I turned a corner and smashed into someone.
We both fell hard.
"Ow!" I looked up.
Adrian Blackwood—James's younger brother—stared down at me with a huge grin.
"Well, well." He helped me up. "James said you were trouble. He wasn't kidding."
"How did you—"
"Back door. This way. Now." Adrian grabbed my hand and pulled me through a service entrance I hadn't seen.
We burst into an alley. James's car screeched up beside us.
"Get in!" James threw open the door.
Adrian shoved me inside and jumped in after me. The car took off before the doors even closed.
"Did you get it?" James asked.
"The box was flagged!" I gasped for air. "Rebecca knew! She knew we were coming!"
Adrian laughed. "Actually, she didn't."
He pulled a metal box from inside his jacket.
"I got it three hours ago." Adrian opened the box. Inside were dozens of papers, photos, and a USB drive. "Turns out Dr. Mills left two keys. One for you, and one for me."
"But how did you know to—"
"Dr. Mills was my godmother." Adrian's smile faded. "She called me before she died. Told me if anything happened to her, I should get this to you both."
James grabbed the USB drive. "What's on it?"
"Everything." Adrian's face went serious. "Evidence of every murder Rebecca committed. Every person she paid off. Every secret she buried." He looked at me. "Including who really killed your mother."
My hands shook. "Who?"
Adrian pulled out a photograph. Recent. Taken maybe a week ago.
It showed Rebecca and Senator Kingston standing over a hospital bed.
In the bed, barely alive, was Dr. Mills.
And Rebecca held a pillow.
"She killed her," I whispered. "Right before she called me."
"Not just killed her." Adrian pointed to the timestamp. "This photo was taken thirty minutes AFTER Dr. Mills called you. Someone stopped her from finishing what she wanted to say."
"Who took this photo?" James demanded.
Adrian turned the photo over. A name was written on the back in shaky handwriting.
My entire world stopped.
The name said: JERRY KINGSTON.