Chapter 1 In my past life, my mother vanished during my uncle’s wedding reception. The bride had walked over, glass of red wine in hand, eyes rimmed with tears. “Clara, thank you so much for everything today. This toast is for you.” My mother drank it. Minutes later, the maid of honor escorted her upstairs to lie down. She never came back. Afterward, the bride’s family sobbed to the guests, claiming fifty thousand dollars from the cash gift box was missing. Our relatives quickly chimed in, saying my mother had always complained about life being hard. They claimed she must have stolen the money and eloped with a secret lover. Twenty years later, federal agents busted a cross-state trafficking ring in the remote mountains. Only then did I find my mother. She was covered in horrific scars, her mind completely shattered. When I opened my eyes again, I was six years old. The reception hall was blazing with chandeliers. The bride was holding that exact glass of red wine, stepping toward my mother. “Clara, thank you so much for everything today.” I let out a bloodcurdling scream, lunged forward, and slammed into her arm. Crash! “Mom! Don’t drink it!” The crystal goblet shattered against the hardwood floor. Dark red wine splattered across the hem of Vanessa’s pristine white wedding gown. Vanessa froze, her eyes instantly welling with tears. “Daisy?” “Do you… do you really hate me that much?” In an instant, the relatives swarmed us like vultures. “What is wrong with this kid? Smashing a glass on a wedding day—what a little brat!” “Clara, is this how you raise your daughter?” “The bride comes over to give you a respectful toast, and your kid knocks it over to humiliate her family?” My mother sat at the head table, her face drained of color. She reached out to pull me close. “Daisy, come here.” I threw myself against my mother’s knees, sobbing until my throat burned. “Mom, you can’t drink it! There’s medicine in it! It’s poisoned!” The ballroom fell dead silent. A second later, Vanessa’s mother, Brenda, began shrieking. “Listen to her! Just listen to this vicious little brat!” “My sweet daughter comes over with an innocent toast, and this child claims it’s poisoned?!” Vanessa’s tears spilled over her cheeks. She turned toward my uncle, Ethan, her voice choking with sorrow. “Ethan, I know your sister might not want me in this family.” “I only wanted to thank her.” “If she doesn’t want me as her sister-in-law, she could have just said so.” Ethan’s face darkened with fury. He glared at my mother, barely containing his rage. “Clara, do you have a problem with Vanessa? Is that what this is?” My mother frowned, pulling me behind her. “Ethan, Daisy is only six years old. She probably just tripped.” Brenda slammed her hand onto the table. “A child? Being a child doesn’t give her the right to curse my daughter on her wedding day!” “All our friends and family are watching. If you don’t apologize right now, this wedding is off!” I looked at my uncle, shaking my head violently through my tears. “Uncle Ethan, she can’t drink it! Please, believe me just this once!” Ethan’s brow furrowed deeper, disgust flashing in his eyes. “Daisy, stop throwing a tantrum. Apologize to your aunt right now.” My heart felt like it had been crushed in a vice. Behind Vanessa, one of her bridesmaids, Rachel, casually bent down, reaching for the broken glass shards on the floor. My brain kicked into gear. The evidence! I knocked the glass over, but the wine had soaked deep into the white linen tablecloth. I spun around, grabbed a thick handful of paper napkins, and pressed them hard against the wet spot. The red liquid soaked through the paper in seconds. Vanessa’s expression flickered. “Daisy, what are you doing?” I ignored her. Clenching the soggy napkins in my fist, I ducked under the banquet chairs while the relatives were busy screaming at my mother and sprinted toward the double doors. My father, David, was just hanging up a phone call in the foyer. I slammed directly into his legs. “Daddy!” He knelt down, catching me in his arms. “Daisy? Why are you crying like this?” I shoved the wad of red-stained napkins deep into his inside suit jacket pocket and pressed his hand over it. “Hide it,” I whispered frantically. “Don’t let anyone take it.” Dad blinked, bewildered. I choked on my sobs, my tiny chest heaving. “Daddy, there’s bad medicine in the wine. If Mommy drinks it, she’ll disappear forever.” His eyes hardened. He looked past my shoulder toward the main table. There, Vanessa was dabbing her eyes. Brenda was still bellowing at my mother. Uncle Ethan stood between them, looking thunderous. Dad lowered his voice. “Daisy, what did you see?” “I had a nightmare,” I sobbed, struggling to breathe. “I dreamed Mommy drank that wine, and then she was gone.” “You looked for her for years. Grandma’s hair turned completely white.” “When Mommy finally came back, she couldn’t remember anything… she just kept crying that the wine was bitter.” My father’s arms tightened around me until it almost hurt. He smoothed my hair, his voice low and steady. “Don’t be afraid, Daisy. Daddy is here. I will protect you and Mommy.” Brenda came storming over, her heels clicking aggressively on the marble. “David! Perfect timing!” “Your daughter just ruined my girl’s wedding toast and accused us of poisoning her!” “If you don’t give us an explanation right now, we’re calling the police!” Dad shifted me behind his back, shielding me completely. “Spilled wine can be poured again,” Dad said calmly. “Accusations require proof.” Vanessa paled. “David, you suspect me too?” Dad didn’t answer her. He pushed past them toward my mother. “Clara, you didn’t drink any of it, did you?” Mom shook her head. I let out a tiny breath of relief. But in the next second, Mom swayed, her hand grabbing the edge of the table to steady herself. “David…” she murmured, her voice faint. “Why do I feel so dizzy?” Chapter 2 A dark gleam flashed across Vanessa’s eyes for a fraction of a second before instantly melting into feigned terror. “Is Clara alright? Did Daisy frighten her?” The bridesmaid, Rachel, rushed forward, grabbing Mom’s arm. “There’s a bridal suite upstairs. Let me take her up to lie down.” I lunged forward, throwing my arms around Mom’s other hand. “No! Don’t go!” Rachel bent down, giving me an angelic smile. “Daisy, be a good girl. Your mom is just exhausted.” “It’s noisy down here. She just needs ten minutes of quiet.” I screamed, slapping her hands away with all my strength. “Get your hands off my mom!” Beads of cold sweat formed on Mom’s forehead. She looked down at me weakly. “Daisy, baby, Mommy is fine…” Her voice was slurring. Dad stepped in, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’m taking her to the emergency room.” Right then, Victor Cross appeared. He was Vanessa’s older brother, dressed in a sharp gray three-piece suit with a boutonnière pinned to his lapel. He offered a warm, helpful smile. “David, don’t panic.” “It’s just the stuffy air in here. The AC has been struggling all afternoon. Take her up to the lounge first.” “Use the staff hallway behind the stage. It’s quiet, and you won’t cause a scene in front of the wedding guests.” I grabbed a handful of Dad’s suit jacket, my knuckles white. “Daddy, we all go together! Do not leave Mommy alone!” Dad nodded firmly. “We stick together.” He scooped me up with one arm while supporting Mom with the other. Suddenly, Brenda lunged, grabbing my arm in a vice-like grip. “You aren’t going anywhere!” “You ruin our daughter’s wedding and think you can just sneak out without an apology?!” The pain made me shriek. Dad’s expression turned lethal. “Let go of my daughter.” Brenda refused. Instead, she dropped onto the floor, wailing like a banshee. “Look at the Millers abusing the bride’s family!” “They accuse us of poisoning! They treat us like criminals!” “This wedding is over! Our family’s dignity has been dragged through the dirt!” The guests gasped, craning their necks and crowding in. Vanessa leaned against Ethan, looking frail and delicate. “Ethan, let it go. Your sister’s family clearly despises me. I don’t want to make things hard for you.” Ethan’s heart broke for her. He stepped directly into Dad’s path, blocking the exit. “David, just apologize to Vanessa. For my sake.” Dad’s voice was dangerously low. “Your sister is sick. I am taking her to a doctor.” “She’s just dizzy!” Ethan barked, panicking. “There are three hundred guests out there! You’re going to destroy my entire wedding over a kid’s imaginary nightmare?!” I whipped my head around to look for Mom. Just seconds ago, she was standing right beside Dad. In the chaos of the crowd, Rachel had already pulled her two steps toward the side corridor. Victor was right behind them. My eyes widened in pure terror. I tried to kick free, but Brenda was still clawing at my leg. Dad shoved Brenda’s hands off me. In those few lost seconds, Rachel and Victor guided Mom through the side exit door. The hem of her lavender silk dress fluttered once. Then it vanished. A bucket of ice water seemed to dump straight over my head. I yanked on Dad’s collar, screaming at the top of my lungs: “Daddy! Mommy’s gone!” Dad spun around. The space beside the table was empty. His face drained of all color. “Clara!” He tossed me onto his hip and sprinted straight for the side door. Uncle Ethan finally realized his sister had vanished, panic flickering across his features. “Where is Clara?” Vanessa spoke quickly: “Rachel just helped her up to the bridal suite! Where else would she be?” Dad kicked open the door to the bridal suites. I buried my face in his shoulder, tears blinding my vision. Lounge one: empty. Dressing room: empty. Bridal suite: empty. Mom wasn’t there. Dad’s breathing turned ragged and shallow. He grabbed a passing hotel busboy by the collar. The young man stammered in terror: “I… I think I saw a bridesmaid helping a woman in a lavender dress down the service stairs… toward the kitchen loading dock.” I was trembling so violently my teeth chattered. “Daddy, the back doors! The delivery van! The van with the ribbons!” Dad ran down the service stairwell with me in his arms. Behind us, Ethan came running down the hall. “David! What the hell is going on?!” Dad dialed 911 with shaking fingers, roaring back over his shoulder: “Your sister has been taken!” Chapter 3 Outside the hotel’s rear loading dock sat several parked vehicles. Perched on Dad’s shoulder, my eyes frantically scanned the alley. There. Tucked into the shadowed corner of the bay was a white commercial cargo van. Red ribbons were tied to the side mirrors. Its engine was humming to life. “Mommy is in that van!” My voice was hoarse from screaming. Dad sprinted forward and threw his entire body directly in front of the hood. The van screeched to a halt, the driver leaning out the window, cursing: “You got a death wish, pal?!” Victor Cross stepped out from behind the loading bay doors, a relaxed grin plastered on his face. “David, what are you doing?” “That’s just the catering van. It’s carrying the extra wedding favors and floral arches.” Dad stared through the windshield. “Open the back.” Victor spread his hands, chuckling dismissively. “On what authority? Your daughter made a scene at the reception, and now you want to search a private vendor’s truck?” Brenda and a crowd of wedding guests came pouring out of the exit doors. “Is there no law in this city?!” Brenda wailed. “Stopping the wedding transport? Searching vehicles on a holy wedding day? It’s bad luck!” “You’re actually believing a six-year-old’s hallucination?!” Vanessa emerged, supported by Ethan, sobbing into his chest. “Ethan, please tell them to stop. Everyone is watching. What will people say about me after today?” Ethan stepped up, looking pale and furious. “Daisy, when are you going to stop this circus?!” A sharp pain pierced my chest. “Uncle Ethan, Mommy is missing.” Ethan froze. Vanessa stiffened, then began weeping louder. “Why does Daisy keep targeting me? Did Clara teach her to hate me like this?” Grandma arrived just in time to hear that sentence. She had her gray hair neatly pinned, wearing the crimson velvet coat she only saved for special holidays. “Where is Clara?” Grandma demanded. No one answered. Brenda kept shouting: “The Vance family owes us an apology! My daughter entered this marriage pure and honorable, and you accuse us of drugging people and kidnapping? You’re trying to kill her!” Grandma strode forward without a word. Smack! Her hand cracked across Ethan’s face with a resounding echo. The entire alley went dead silent. Grandma’s hand was shaking with rage. “Your sister worked two jobs to pay your college tuition. She gave you her life savings for your down payment.” “And now she is missing, and you stand here yelling at a six-year-old child, asking if she’s done throwing a tantrum?!” “Ethan Vance, do you have a soul?!” Ethan went paper-white, clutching his stinging cheek. Dad finished talking to the 911 dispatcher and turned his icy gaze toward the driver. “The police are two minutes out. Turn off the engine.” Panic flickered in the driver’s eyes. Victor lunged forward, trying to shove Dad out of the way. “Stop intimidating my workers! You think you can handle the lawsuit when this turns out to be a misunderstanding?!” Dad blocked him with a single forearm, holding me tightly against his chest. “We wait for the police.” Moments later, the wail of sirens cut through the evening air. Two cruisers pulled into the alley, lights flashing red and blue. The officers stepped out, and Dad immediately laid out the situation. Brenda pushed forward, trying to spin the narrative: “Officers, this is slander! They’re ruining my daughter’s wedding! It’s just wedding favors in that truck! Look for yourselves!” The officers approached the rear of the van and pulled open the double doors. Boxes of wedding favors, silk table runners, flower baskets, and stage props were stacked to the ceiling. At a glance, there was nobody inside. Brenda pointed a triumphant finger at us. “See?! Nobody!” “Clara probably snuck off on her own, and you’re trying to pin it on us!” Vanessa buried her face in Ethan’s arm, weeping. “My reputation is completely ruined. I can never show my face again.” The relatives began to murmur among themselves. “Did they really get it wrong?” “A kid’s bad dream shouldn’t cause this kind of chaos.” “David, you really need to apologize to the bride.” Dad didn’t speak. But through his shirt, I could feel his chest trembling. I stared at the inside of the truck bed. No. That wasn’t right. In the police archives twenty years later, the cold-case file clearly stated: The transport vehicle had a hidden compartment. I pointed frantically toward the back wall. “There’s another wall! The back of the truck is fake!” Victor’s face twisted in panic. “What kind of garbage lies are you feeding them?!” “Knock on the wall!” I screamed, tears streaming down my cheeks. “It’s hollow behind the boxes!” The older officer glanced at me, climbed into the back, shoved aside several crates of floral centerpieces, and tapped his baton against the front interior panel. Thump. Thump. Clack. The sound changed completely. The officer frowned. “This bulkhead isn’t factory standard.” Victor spun on his heel and bolted toward the alley entrance. Dad moved like lightning, grabbing Victor by the collar and slamming him against the brick wall. “Where do you think you’re going?!” Victor struggled, his eyes wild. “I’m going to the bathroom, you psycho!” The second officer drew his taser. “Down on the ground! Now!” Inside the van, the officers pulled down the stacks of fabric. Behind them was a plywood panel, freshly painted, secured with shiny new zinc screws. The officer’s expression darkened. “Pry it open.” A crowbar cracked the wood. The panel was wrenched free, piece by piece. I stared through the widening crack. The moment the panel fell, a blast of freezing, pungent air rushed out. The flashlight beam cut through the dark. There was a coil of nylon rope. A roll of industrial duct tape. A discarded syringe. And lying in the corner was a tiny, delicate mother-of-pearl button. The exact button from the collar of my mother’s lavender dress.
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