Chapter 45- The Vacation Drive
The car’s windows were open, and Madeline relaxed back in her seat to enjoy the refreshing evening breeze. The landscape was painted with tranquility as the sunset’s orange and pink hues spread beyond the horizon. Jacob held the steering wheel freely while focusing on the twisting road in front of him. A gentle melody played on the radio, the type of music that evoked memories of carefree moments and balmy summer evenings.
Absently, Madeline flipped through the updates and headlines on her phone with her thumb. Her thoughts drifted back to the Sebastian and Emily news that they had learned about earlier, the duo were involved in some kind of road accident.
She felt a smirk tug at the corner of her mouth, shaking her head at the thought of their entangled drama, she reasoned that those two deserved each other. Jacob glanced at her from the corner of his eye,
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing” she replied, still lost in her thoughts.
Shortly after, a notification with a breaking news alert appeared on her screen. She touched on it, intrigued, and her face changed from casual laughter to wide–eyed disbelief in an instant
“What the hell?” she whispered.
“What’s going on?” Jacob asked, turning the music down as he noticed her alarmed face,
“Listen to this” Madeline said, her voice trembling as she played the video aloud.
The car filled with the somber voice of a news anchor,
“Emily Roberts, 27–year–old mistress and the bride–to–be of today’s infamous wedding tragedy, was found unconscious just moments before she was meant to walk down the aisle. Reports indicate she was seriously harmed at her own wedding venue under mysterious circumstances”
“Sebastian, the popular duped groom, is currently in custody as a suspect, having been discovered at the scene during what appeared to be an attempt to flee. Authorities are investigating further, with more updates to come”
Madeline’s breath caught in her throat and she grasped her chest. Jacob appeared astounded as well, his brows knitted in shock,
“What the fuck is going on?” she muttered,
“I have no idea. But I know one thing, we’re not taking any chances, I need to make sure you’re safe”
Madeline frowned, turning toward him,
Chang–45 – The Vacatio
“Safe? Jacob, what are you talking about?”
He looked at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road,
“If Sebastian really attacked Emily… I mean, who’s to say he wouldn’t do something worse? That guy has always been unpredictable”
Madeline’s heart raced,
“But this… this isn’t Sebastian, he’s not the type to… to kill someonly*
“Really?” Jacob shot back, his voice tinged with disbelief,
“Emily mysteriously ends up dead when Sebastian, her toxic ex, just happens to show up at her wedding? Maddie, think about it. After everything she did to him, this could’ve been hist way of getting revenge”
Madeline wanted to disagree, but Jacob’s words hurt with an unsettling truth. Emily had acted in an extremely cruel manner. A toxic relationship that could drive anyone over the brink plus she made things worse by her public humiliation of Sebastian, her display of her new romance, and now this scandalous wedding.
Murder, though? It seemed unimaginable,
“I don’t know” she said finally, her voice shaking.
Jacob remained silent. Ahead of them, the road was silent save for the engine’s hum. Madeline’s mind raced, mentally reliving the news report. She kept thinking about Emily, who was unconscious and covered in blood, and Sebastian, who was allegedly responsible for everything.
As Albert and Bailey strode back and forth, their footsteps echoed off the tiled floor, amid the faint buzzing of fluorescent lights in the stark white hallway. Just seconds before, Emily’s bloodied body had been hurried into the operating room, leaving them both tense and scared.
On a chilly metal bench, Albert sat with his head in his hands, and Bailey leaned against the wall with her arms folded tightly across her chest, her mind was racing with ideas and feelings, and she was having trouble breathing due to the shock of what had just transpired,
“What happened, Bailey?” Albert asked suddenly
She froze mid–step, turning to face him. His face was pale, his eyes hollow with worry and disbelief,
“L… I don’t know” she stammered,
“Everything was fine one minute, and then…”
“And then what?” Albert pressed, his patience wearing thin,
“She… she went out to see someone” Bailey admitted reluctantly. Albert’s expression
darkened,
“Who?”
“Sebastian” she whispered.
