The Wedding Party

Part 54: A Daughter

Kyan's heart raced as he locked eyes with Killian and Miguel, their expressions demanding answers. The stacks of money lay scattered on the floor, a damning testament to his deception. He forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat before speaking. "Angela... she accidentally shot herself in the leg," he explained, desperation tinging his voice. "I lied about it because I needed the money."

Miguel's face contorted with rage, and he lunged at Kyan, grabbing him by the collar. "You think that justifies what you did?" he snarled.

"Enough!" Killian intervened, pulling Miguel back. "Let's go to Macey and get Angela's body. We'll deal with this later."

As the trio left Kyan's room, Preston approached Macey in the hallway, his brow furrowed with concern. "Macey, I need to tell you something about Ash," he began, hesitating for a moment. "She tried to take her own life once. Ana and I decided to put her in a psych facility after that."

Macey's eyes widened as she processed the information. "Thank you for telling me, Preston," she said softly, her gaze filled with understanding. "This helps piece things together."

Meanwhile, at the island clinic, Olive stood by her mother's lifeless body, tears streaming down her face. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned to see Helena's comforting smile. "Thank you, Helena," Olive whispered, her voice trembling. "Nothing will ever be the same without her, especially with Preston."

"Give yourself time, Olive," Helena advised, squeezing her friend's shoulder reassuringly. Turning to Dr. Hester, she asked, "Could you take Olive back to the Manor? I need to go to my sister's house for a bit."

"Of course," Dr. Hester agreed, guiding Olive out of the room.

Ten years ago, Helena returned the borrowed sleeping bag to Cole's house, calling out for him. As she approached the patio door, she noticed it was ajar and felt a shiver run down her spine. Her father's voice boomed through the phone, instructing her to barricade herself inside any house and not let anyone else in. Frantically locking the windows, Helena couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. And then, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air – it was Cole.

In the present, Olive and Dr. Hester made their way back to the Manor, where the weight of secrets, lies, and loss hung heavily over each and every person present.