Chapter 9: The Secret Beneath the Chapel
Chapter 9: The Secret Beneath the Chapel
The two black SUVs remained exactly three car lengths behind Alexander's vehicle.
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Not closer.
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Not farther.
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Professional.
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Deliberate.
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Daniel glanced into the rearview mirror again.
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"They're trained."
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Alexander nodded.
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"I know."
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"They're not paparazzi."
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"They're not reporters."
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"They're waiting."
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Emily tightened her grip on Sophia's hand.
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The little girl sensed the tension.
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She quietly leaned against her mother.
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"Are those people following us?"
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Alexander turned and smiled reassuringly.
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"They're just driving in the same direction."
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Sophia accepted the answer.
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Children trusted the people they loved.
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Adults rarely had that luxury.
.
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The old stone chapel finally came into view.
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It stood alone on a gentle hill overlooking a peaceful valley.
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Time had left its mark on the tiny building.
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The white paint had faded.
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Several stained-glass windows had cracked.
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Wildflowers surrounded the narrow stone path leading to the entrance.
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Emily smiled through her nervousness.
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"We were married here."
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Alexander looked at the weathered wooden doors.
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"I remember."
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"My father insisted on paying for every flower himself."
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Emily laughed softly.
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"He kept saying expensive weddings don't create strong marriages."
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Alexander smiled.
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"He was right."
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For a brief moment...
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Everything felt peaceful again.
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Daniel parked beside the chapel.
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The two black SUVs continued driving.
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They disappeared around the next curve.
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Emily released a slow breath.
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"They're gone."
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Daniel wasn't convinced.
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"They're waiting somewhere."
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Alexander agreed.
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"They'll make their move when they know what we find."
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The chapel door creaked open.
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Dust floated through the quiet morning sunlight.
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The familiar scent of old wood and candle wax filled the air.
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Sophia looked around with wide eyes.
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"It's beautiful."
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Emily knelt beside her.
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"This is where Mommy married Daddy."
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Sophia smiled brightly.
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"Can you get married twice?"
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Alexander laughed.
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"If Mommy says yes."
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Emily blushed.
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Even after everything...
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His answer warmed her heart.
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The chapel caretaker slowly approached from the back of the sanctuary.
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He appeared to be nearly eighty years old.
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His white beard reached almost to his chest.
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When he saw Alexander...
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Recognition flashed across his face.
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"You have your father's eyes."
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Alexander extended his hand.
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"I'm Alexander Sterling."
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The old man smiled gently.
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"I know."
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"I've been expecting you."
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Alexander frowned.
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"Expecting me?"
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The caretaker nodded.
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"Your father told me one day you would return."
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Daniel and Emily exchanged surprised glances.
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Alexander's heartbeat quickened.
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"My father spoke to you?"
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"Many times."
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"He trusted very few people."
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"I was fortunate to be one of them."
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The caretaker slowly reached beneath the altar.
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He removed a small iron key hanging from a faded ribbon.
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"I've kept this for twenty-five years."
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Alexander stared at the key.
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"What does it open?"
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The old man smiled.
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"Come with me."
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He led them behind the chapel.
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A narrow stone path disappeared into a quiet garden.
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At the center stood a magnificent oak tree.
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Its enormous branches stretched toward the sky.
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The caretaker stopped.
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"Your father planted this tree the day you were born."
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Alexander looked up.
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He remembered climbing it as a little boy.
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His father would always laugh whenever he reached the lowest branch.
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He hadn't visited since before Edward's death.
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The caretaker knelt beside the tree.
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Hidden beneath thick ivy...
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A rusted iron hatch became visible.
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Daniel immediately stepped forward.
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"I'll open it."
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The old key fit perfectly.
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With a loud metallic click...
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The hatch slowly lifted.
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A narrow staircase descended into darkness.
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Cool air drifted upward.
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Emily whispered,
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"A cellar?"
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The caretaker nodded.
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"Your father built it himself."
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"No one else knew."
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Daniel switched on a flashlight.
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The group carefully descended the stone steps.
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The underground chamber was surprisingly dry.
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Wooden shelves lined the walls.
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Old family photographs.
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Boxes of documents.
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Leather-bound journals.
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And in the center...
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A large steel safe.
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Alexander slowly approached.
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His father's initials had been engraved into the metal.
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E.S.
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The caretaker smiled.
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"He said only you would know the combination."
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Alexander frowned.
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"I've never seen this before."
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The old man looked thoughtful.
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"He told me the code wasn't numbers."
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"It was a memory."
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Alexander closed his eyes.
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A memory.
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His father loved puzzles.
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Then...
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He remembered something.
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The night before every birthday...
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Edward always asked him the same question.
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"What is the greatest treasure a man can leave his child?"
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Alexander had answered differently every year.
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Money.
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Knowledge.
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Success.
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Each time his father smiled and shook his head.
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Finally...
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When Alexander turned twelve...
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He answered,
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"His honesty."
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Edward had hugged him tighter than ever before.
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Alexander carefully entered the letters.
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H.
.
O.
.
N.
.
E.
.
S.
.
T.
.
Y.
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The safe clicked open.
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Inside lay only three items.
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A thick sealed envelope.
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An original leather-bound will.
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And...
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An old VHS videotape.
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Daniel looked surprised.
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"A videotape?"
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Alexander picked it up.
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A handwritten label covered the front.
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It read:
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For Alexander.
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Watch only if I am gone.
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Edward Sterling.
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Emily stared at the tape.
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"Can we play it?"
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The caretaker nodded.
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"I still have an old television."
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Several minutes later.
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The videotape began playing inside the caretaker's small office.
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Static filled the screen.
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Then...
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Edward Sterling appeared.
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He looked healthy.
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Relaxed.
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Alive.
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He smiled directly into the camera.
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"If you're watching this..."
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"...then Victoria finally made her move."
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Alexander felt chills run through his body.
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Edward continued.
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"My son."
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"I wish I could tell you your mother is innocent."
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"I can't."
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"I've spent years collecting evidence against her."
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Emily gasped softly.
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Daniel leaned forward.
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Edward looked unusually serious.
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"I made one mistake."
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"I waited too long."
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"I believed love would change her."
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"It didn't."
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Then Edward uttered a sentence that left everyone frozen.
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"Alexander..."
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"If I died from a heart attack..."
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"...I was murdered."
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The room fell completely silent.
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Sophia looked up at the adults, confused by their expressions.
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Before anyone could speak...
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A deafening explosion shook the entire chapel.
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The windows shattered instantly.
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The lights went out.
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Dust filled the air.
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Daniel reached for his weapon.
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"Everyone get down!"
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Outside...
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The two black SUVs had returned.
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May you like
And armed men were running toward the chapel.
End of Chapter 9
