Robert leaned closer to me with a soft urgency in his voice, “We need to leave. Now.” His words were a stark contrast to the celebratory atmosphere, and they sent a shiver down my spine.
“Why?” I whispered back, trying to keep my voice steady amid the growing confusion around us.
“I’ll explain in the car,” he replied, his eyes scanning the room with an intensity I rarely saw in him.
Reluctantly, I nodded, trusting his instinct as we quietly excused ourselves from the table. The festive music and conversations began to fade as we made our way to the exit, the velvet box still untouched on my plate. Once outside, the cool evening air hit us, and we quickly headed to our car.
During the silent drive home, I stared out the window, my mind racing with unanswered questions. What had just happened back there? And why did Robert insist we leave so abruptly?
Finally, Robert broke the silence, his voice a mix of disbelief and concern. “You really didn’t notice?” he asked, glancing at me as he drove.
“Notice what, Robert?” I replied, my frustration bubbling over. “What was that all about?”
He sighed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Those velvet boxes, Maggie. They weren’t just some quirky part of the wedding.”
I let his words sink in, replaying the scene in my mind. “But what could possibly be in them? And why was it so important for us to leave?”
Robert hesitated for a moment, then said, “Jessica’s wedding wasn’t just about celebrating her love with David. It was a cover—a diversion.”
“For what?” I asked, bewildered.
Robert took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “David’s family is involved in some… questionable business dealings. The wedding was a way to bring key people together under the guise of a celebration. Those velvet boxes likely contained evidence of their dealings, intended to be discreetly distributed to select guests.”
A chill ran down my spine as I absorbed this revelation. “Are you saying Jessica knew about this?”
“I don’t think so,” Robert replied quickly. “I think she’s genuinely in love with David, and he may truly care for her. But his family is using the wedding for their own purposes.”
My heart ached at the thought of my sister being unwittingly entangled in something so nefarious. “We have to warn her,” I said urgently.
Robert nodded, his expression grave. “We’ll find a way to do it discreetly. But for now, we needed to distance ourselves.”
As we continued our drive home, the weight of this newfound knowledge settled heavily on my shoulders. My sister’s wedding, once a day of unbridled joy, had turned into a complex web of secrets. Yet, amidst the tangled threads, one thing remained clear: I would do everything in my power to protect Jessica from the shadows lurking beneath her seemingly perfect day.
