Page 72 of Seal My Fate

I gulp. It was the perfect cover story, speaking on stage hundreds of miles away. But all it takes me is a quick internet search on my phone to see that the flight time is barely two and a half hours.

I feel sick to my stomach. The revelations about Ashford’s fraud distracted me from Wren’s attack, but she said it herself, they were connected. A threat, to silence her and send her running back to the States.

Now, the pieces finally fall into place. Hugh has the serpent crown tattoo, he was one of my original suspects, and—I realize to my growing horror—his father has more than anyone to lose if the falsified trials become public.

It's not just money. Lionel Ambrose has staked his political career on Ashford’s success—and he’s just weeks away from winning the election to be Prime Minister, the single most powerful position in the entire country.

A power worth killing for.

How could I have been so blind?

I grip my phone with shaking hands and send a 911 text to Saint.

‘Where are you? Meet me ASAP. Need to talk!’

My mind is racing as I hurry down the echoing hallway.

Hugh Ambrose… My God. Out of all of Saint’s friends, I trusted him the most. I liked his earnest manners and offbeat charm, and the way he was using his privilege for good with the Foundation’s charity projects around the world.

And now…

Now I know it was all a lie.

I need to warn Saint—and fast. I try to remember where the usher said the groomsmen were gathering. Was it the Decker Suite, or the Darlington Hall? I pause in the hallway, lost, when footsteps come. I turn, about to ask for directions—

“Hugh!” I gasp, startled. It’s him, strolling closer with a cheerful smile.

“Can’t stop, I’m on a mission. Club soda,” he says with a friendly smile. “Max’s cousin managed to spill claret all over himself, poor sod.”

“Oh, too bad.” I blurt a laugh, trying to act normal. It’s not easy, with my heart pounding in my chest, and every nerve in my body telling me to flee.

He hurt Wren. He locked her up, and did God knows what to her…

“Looking for Saint?” Hugh asks, pausing just in front of me.

“Yes, actually.” I swallow, averting my eyes.

“Think he went looking for his parents,” Hugh says. “Although, I can’t imagine why. Usually, he’s fleeing in the opposite direction.”

“I, umm, think it was a business thing. Ashford,” I fumble an excuse.

“Is that so?”

I look up, and Hugh must see my true emotions radiating in my eyes, because his expression changes.

“So… That’s how it is.”

The affable smile drops, and something far more dangerous takes its place. Taunting. Smug. “Bad timing, my dear,” he says quietly. “But then, you never did know when to keep your bitch mouth shut.”

I feel a shot of panic. We’re alone in the hallway, and suddenly, Hugh seems like a stranger to me, a world away from the earnest man I’ve known.

Run.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say brightly, taking a step back from him. “But, umm, I should get back to the bridal suite. They’ll be missing me!”

“They couldn’t give two hoots where you are,” Hugh says, moving closer. His eyes burn into me, chilly and full of disdain. “They’re getting wasted on champagne and coke. Nobody will notice if you’re gone.”

I shiver, looking around for rescue. But this area is off-limits to guests, and the cathedral is so big, I can’t tell if anyone is nearby.

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