The Bride's Secret
Chapter 03 - The Bride's Secret
"I didn't know everything."
Madison spoke too quickly.
Nathan stared at her.
"Everything?"
Elena felt something cold settle in her stomach.
That was not the answer of an innocent woman.
Madison looked toward Evelyn.
Evelyn gave the smallest shake of her head.
Nathan saw it.
"So there was something to know."
"Nathan, please."
He stepped away from the altar.
"Did you know Elena had my children?"
"No."
"Did you know she was alive?"
"Of course I knew she was alive."
Nathan's expression hardened.
"Did you know she had tried to contact me?"
Madison said nothing.
That silence was worse.
Elena looked at her sons.
Noah was listening.
Too closely.
She crouched in front of him.
"Take your brothers back to the car."
"No."
"Noah."
"You always say families shouldn't hide things."
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
Of course he remembered that.
Nathan looked devastated.
"I think they should stay," he said softly.
Elena immediately turned.
"You don't get to decide that."
Nathan absorbed the words without defending himself.
"You're right."
It was the first correct thing he had said.
Elena stood.
Madison's father hurried forward, muttering about guests, photographers and reputations.
Nathan rounded on him.
"My sons have been standing twenty feet away from me for five minutes, and you're worried about photographs?"
The older man fell silent.
Nathan turned toward Madison.
"Tell me."
Madison's eyes filled with tears.
"Three months ago, I found a box in Evelyn's study."
Evelyn went rigid.
"There were letters," Madison continued.
"From Elena."
Nathan looked at his mother.
"How many?"
Madison's voice cracked.
"I don't know."
"How many did you see?"
"At least twelve."
Elena's breath caught.
She had written thirty-seven.
Every birthday.
Every Christmas.
Every time one of the boys asked why their father never called.
Nathan's voice broke.
"You found letters from the mother of my children three months before our wedding..."
He looked at Madison.
"And you said nothing?"
"I was going to."
"When?"
Madison began crying.
"After the wedding."
Elena almost laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because some betrayals were so enormous that the mind rejected them.
Nathan removed the boutonniere from his jacket.
He placed it carefully on a nearby table.
Then he looked toward the guests.
"There will be no wedding today."
Madison froze.
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Nathan, don't destroy your future because a woman from your past showed up making accusations."
Nathan turned slowly.
"No, Mother."
His eyes were different now.
"You destroyed my past."
Then Elena reached into her handbag.
May you like
"There is one more thing."
And when Evelyn saw what Elena was holding, every trace of color disappeared from her face.
