Tomas
I woke up with a start, my head resting heavily on the table in my secret camera room. Jennifer wasn’t in her room, not even in the closet. I bolted out, quickly closing the door and curtains to conceal the hidden wall. A frantic search of the house yielded nothing. I shouted for Carl, but the maids informed me he hadn’t returned yet. A glance at my watch revealed it was nearly 10 a. m. I was supposed to be at the church in two hours. I called Carl, and he assured me he’d be there in less than two hours.
Amanda appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Tomas, where have you been? You look pale and exhausted! What’s wrong? I’ve been searching everywhere for you, and I can’t find my son either. I even thought Jennifer was looking after him, but she said she hadn’t seen him.” Her voice was laced with worry.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I said, trying to sound reassuring. “I asked Carl to take care of him, buy him some candies, and get him a nice suit for the wedding. I wanted you to rest and sleep well. Are you ready for our special day, Amanda?” I winked, attempting a lighthearted tone.
She approached, kissed my cheek, and giggled. “Yes, I am, Tomas.”
“But Amanda,” I said, my eyes widening, “you said you saw Jennifer?”
“Yes,” she replied, a hint of surprise in her voice. “And I was actually surprised she’s still here. I thought she didn’t know about the wedding, but she said she did and that she was going to buy a new dress to attend. She even congratulated me. She was so strange, but I guess she’s finally accepted the reality of the situation.”
I nodded, putting my arm around her shoulder. “That’s great. Now, you need to get ready. Keep it simple, princess.” I winked, forcing a smile, and gently nudged her towards the stairs. “Go put on your wedding dress.”
Within seconds, I called Carl. “Where are you, Carl? Hurry up. I’ll be ready in half an hour, and we need to get to the church before the ceremony begins. More importantly, I’m calling about Jennifer. She left, telling Amanda she’d attend the wedding and was going shopping for a dress. I’m worried sick about her.” My voice was a hushed whisper.
Carl’s response was sharp and filled with urgency. “Then don’t go through with it! Go find Jennifer! I don’t know what’s going on in your head; this is the first time you’ve hidden something from me, and it’s incredibly dangerous. If you love Jennifer, come back, cancel this wedding immediately, and find her. Don’t lose her, don’t lose your heart forever. This girl isn’t your toy, and our enemies target her constantly. Use your brain, Tomas! It’s not too late.” His voice was a mixture of anger and concern.
I furrowed my eyebrows, replying in a deep, serious voice. “Carl, I’m going to the church. Don’t be late. And find Jennifer. Call her or something.” I hung up, the weight of his words heavy on my shoulders.
I went upstairs and began to shower. The memories of Jennifer flooded back, overwhelming me. I fought to regain control, drying myself and heading to the closet to put on my black suit. Then, a shock. There, in the closet, was the wedding ring I’d given Jennifer. The memory of seeing her in her closet last night, clutching the ring tightly, returned with a jolt. But how was it here now? I shook my head, pocketed the ring, and tried to push the unsettling thought aside.
I emerged from the dressing room and asked the servants to help with my tie, the memory of Jennifer’s adorable and attractive assistance flooding back. Her innocent face, her addictive smile-they were vivid in my mind. My heart pounded, its rhythm accelerating. I was addicted to Jennifer, I was sure of it. I hoped I wasn’t wrong, that I wouldn’t regret what I was doing. It felt like suicide, but I had to do it for Jennifer, to protect her. This time, I couldn’t turn back. It was enough for her. I hadn’t protected her before, but now I would do anything to ensure her safety, even if it meant she found happiness with someone else. I sighed and left the room.
I instructed the driver to pick up the bride in a separate limousine, claiming I needed to make final preparations. The truth was, I was waiting for Carl’s results. Every minute that ticked by brought me closer to the wedding, increasing my nervousness and tension.
I called Carl repeatedly, finally reaching him. “Carl, where are you?” I shouted into the phone.
“Mr. Tomas, the results will be ready in exactly five minutes. Try to delay the wedding as long as possible,” Carl informed me.
“Okay, but hurry! I have to turn off my phone now. Don’t be late. Everyone’s here, and Amanda has arrived. Have you called Jennifer?” I asked urgently.
“Yes, she’s coming to your wedding, too. Don’t worry, the hospital is close to the church. But don’t do anything rash until I get there,” Carl said before hanging up.
“Oh God, what should I do? I need to go to the bathroom for a few minutes. That should be reasonable. Please God, help me this time,” I murmured.
Moments later, my assistants and the wedding planner knocked on the bathroom door. “Mr. Tomas, are you in there? Please answer! Is everything alright?”
I opened the door, nodding. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little nervous. I’m ready now.” I walked towards the aisle, my steps slow and unsteady. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Carl and Jennifer. As I stood, Amanda began to walk down the aisle, looking beautiful, but my heart wasn’t beating for her. All I could see was Jennifer, standing behind Amanda, holding the train of her dress. How could she endure such pain? Why was she here, watching my wedding? Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, her heart beating rapidly. I wanted to run to her, to hold her close, but I reminded myself of the sacrifices I’d made for her sake. I couldn’t turn back. All I could do was wait for Carl.
Then, thank God, Carl came running, shouting, “Stop this marriage, Tomas! Now!” But as he spoke, I looked for Jennifer, and she was gone. I wondered if I’d imagined her there, in her simple rose dress.
Carl, wheezing and breathless, leaned against his leg, catching his breath. He held the papers. I approached him, opened the papers, then spun around to Amanda, throwing the papers in her face. I slapped her hard, drawing blood from her lip. “Do you think I’m an idiot? How dare you fake the DNA results! I suspected it! There’s no way your son is mine! You thought I’d leave the woman I love for you or even for my son?! This wasn’t a real wedding, Amanda! I did all this to uncover the truth! If you knew me at all, you’d know a son wouldn’t force Tomas Charl to marry you! But now I need to know one thing, or you’re dead. Why did you fake all this, and what’s your relationship with Paul Walker?!” I roared, my voice filled with fury. She remained silent, and I pulled her closer, my eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare lie again! I swear I’ll kill your son!”
She screamed, running towards her son, as Davis appeared, shielding the child and pulling Amanda behind him. “Whoa, Tomas, not my son! If you want to kill someone, kill me!” Davis shouted repeatedly. I narrowed my eyes, approaching him, grinding my teeth. “Then this child is your son,” I smirked.
Carl shouted my name. “Tomas, this isn’t the time! I’m worried about Jennifer. You need to find her; she might hurt herself. She looked completely devastated. Help her first.”
“I’ll keep both of you alive for now, but later you’ll pay. And pray to God that Jennifer is safe, because something bad has happened to her. I will destroy your entire family,” I threatened Davis and Amanda, then gathered my men and Carl, running off in search of Jennifer. Carl sat beside me in the car.
“Carl, where should we look? I have no idea,” I said, desperation in my voice.
“I don’t know either, but I think we should start at the orphanage. It’s her home, after all,” Carl replied.
We arrived at the orphanage, inquired about her, and learned she hadn’t been there. I ordered my men to search every room, thinking she might be hiding, but found nothing.
We left, and I asked Carl to call Jack, or for us to go find him. Perhaps she’d sought his help. But he claimed he hadn’t seen or spoken to her since she left him, leading me to suspect he wasn’t telling the truth. I went to his house, but Jennifer wasn’t there.
“Mr. Tomas, I think we should ask the police for help and alert all our men in the country,” Carl suggested. “Yes, Carl, I agree. And let’s put her picture on social media and the news, offering a reward for her safe return-five million dollars. That should get everyone searching for her,” I commanded, and Carl nodded, immediately starting to make the calls.