Alex stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself in the black suit. His tie felt too tight around his neck. He tried to fix it, but his hands were shaking too much. In a few hours, he would be married to Sophia. But now he knew the terrible truth about her family.
And Ethan was in danger.
The proof from the coffee shop woman was clear. Sophia and her father were hiding money. They needed Alex's family's money to save themselves. And they would do anything to make sure the wedding happened today.
Even hurt Ethan.
A knock on the door made Alex jump.
"Alex? Can I come in?" It was his mother's voice.
"Yeah, Mom," Alex said, quickly hiding the envelope with the proof under the bed.
His mother walked in, looking beautiful in her dark blue dress. She smiled when she saw him.
"My handsome boy," she said, coming over to fix his tie. "I can't believe you're getting married today."
Alex tried to smile, but it felt wrong on his face. His mother frowned.
"What's wrong? You look pale."
"Just nervous, I guess," Alex lied.
His mother patted his face. "That's normal. Your father was so nervous on our wedding day that he forgot his own name when the priest asked him!"
Alex thought about his father in the hospital. What would he say if he knew Sophia was part of the people who hurt him?
"Mom," Alex said slowly. "What if I told you I don't want to marry Sophia?"
His mother's smile vanished. "What are you talking about? It's your wedding day!"
"I know, but—"
"Is this about Ethan?" she asked, her voice suddenly cold.
Alex stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not blind, Alex. I see how you look at him." She sighed. "But that's just a crush. Sophia is your future. The wedding will join our family business with the Martinez company. It's too important."
"But what if the Martinez company is in trouble?" Alex asked. "What if they're just using us?"
His mother's eyes narrowed. "Where did you hear that?"
Before Alex could answer, his phone buzzed with a text message. It was from the unknown number again: "They're keeping Ethan at the old building by the docks. Hurry!"
Alex's heart beat faster. He needed to save Ethan. But first, he had to deal with his mother.
"I need to go," he said, making for the door.
His mother blocked his way. "You're not going anywhere except the church, Alex."
"Mom, please. I can't explain now, but someone's in trouble. I have to help."
"The only person in danger is you if you don't show up to your own wedding," she said. "Your father worked hard to set up this marriage. Do you want to ruin everything he built?"
"Dad's in the hospital because of the Martinez family!" Alex said, too upset to keep the secret.
His mother stepped back, shocked. "What are you talking about?"
"The thieves who took Ethan and hurt Dad? They work for Sophia's father," Alex said, pulling out the package. "Look. I have proof."
His mother took the envelope with shaking hands and looked through the papers inside. Her face grew paler with each page she read.
"This can't be true," she whispered.
"It is. And now they have Ethan. I have to go save him."
His mother looked up, her eyes wide. "They have Ethan? Are you sure?"
Alex showed her the text message. "I have to go to the docks."
"No!" his mother said. "It could be a trick. We should call the police."
"There's no time," Alex protested. "The wedding is in two hours. If I don't show up, who knows what they'll do to him?"
His mother thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. But you're not going alone." She pulled out her phone. "I'm calling your uncle Ramon. He's ex-military. He can help."
While his mother made the call, Alex checked his gun. Sophia had sent another text, asking where he was. Alex ignored it. He couldn't deal with her fake worry right now.
Ten minutes later, Uncle Ramon arrived in his truck. He was a big man with a serious face. After Alex's mother explained the problem, he nodded.
"I know that warehouse," he said. "It's a bad place. Let's go."
Before they left, Alex's mother hugged him tight. "Be careful, my son. And... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about Sophia."
"It's okay, Mom. I'll be back soon."
The drive to the docks seemed to take forever. Uncle Ramon was quiet, focused on the road. Alex kept checking his phone, hoping for another word about Ethan, but there was nothing.
"So, you and this Ethan," Uncle Ramon finally said. "You care about him a lot, huh?"
Alex nodded. "More than anything."
"More than this Sophia girl you're supposed to marry?"
"Yes," Alex agreed. "I've always loved him."
Uncle Ramon smiled a little. "Then we better hurry and save him."
When they reached the docks, Uncle Ramon parked the truck far enough away that no one would see it. The building was old and rusty, with broken windows and a big metal door.
"Let me go first," Uncle Ramon whispered as they got closer. He pulled a gun from his jacket. "Stay behind me."
They moved slowly toward the building, watching for any guards. But the place seemed empty.
"I don't like this," Uncle Ramon mumbled. "Too quiet."
They reached the side door. It was opened. Uncle Ramon pushed it open slowly, his gun ready.
Inside, the building was dark and full of dust. Old boxes and machines were piled everywhere. There was no sign of Ethan.
"Ethan?" Alex called softly. "Are you here?"
No answer.
They moved deeper into the building, checking behind boxes and in small rooms. Alex's hope was fading. Maybe the text was wrong. Maybe Ethan wasn't here at all.
Then they heard a noise. A soft moan coming from the back of the building.
"There!" Alex pointed, running toward the sound.
In a small room, tied to a chair, was Ethan. His face was hurt, and his shirt was torn. He looked up when Alex entered, his eyes widening.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" His voice was rough, like he'd been yelling.
Alex rushed to untie him. "I came to save you. Are you okay? Did they hurt you bad?"
"I'm okay," Ethan said, groaning as Alex helped him up. "But Alex, you need to go. Now. It's a trap."
"What?" Alex looked around, suddenly scared.
"They wanted you to come here," Ethan stated. "They knew you'd try to save me instead of going to the wedding."
"Who's they?" Uncle Ramon asked, stepping into the room.
Before Ethan could answer, they heard the sound of the warehouse door slamming shut. Then footsteps, many of them, coming closer.
"We're too late," Ethan whispered. "They're here."
Uncle Ramon moved to the office door, his gun ready. "Who's coming, boy?"
"Sophia," Ethan said. "And her father's men."
Alex felt cold all over. This was all his fault. He'd walked right into their trap, and now Ethan and Uncle Ramon were in trouble too.
"What do they want?" Alex asked.
Ethan looked at him, his eyes sad. "They want to make sure you get to the church on time, Alex. One way or another."
The footsteps were just outside the office now. Uncle Ramon indicated for them to stay quiet. Alex held Ethan close, trying to think of a way out.
Then a familiar voice called through the door. "Alex? I know you're in there. Come out now, and no one gets hurt."
It was Sophia.
"What do we do?" Alex whispered to Uncle Ramon.
His uncle checked his gun. "We fight our way out."
"No," Ethan said. "There are too many of them. They have guns too."
Sophia called again, her voice harder now. "Alex, you have one minute to come out, or my men start shooting. Your choice."
Alex knew what he had to do. He couldn't let Ethan or his uncle get hurt.
"I'm going out there," he said.
"No!" Ethan grabbed his arm. "She'll force you to marry her."
"Better that than watch you die," Alex said, touching Ethan's bruised face softly.
Ethan's eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose you again."
"You won't," Alex promised. "I'll figure something out." He turned to his uncle. "Take care of Ethan. Get him out if you can."
Uncle Ramon nodded, though he didn't look happy about the plan.
Alex took a big breath and walked to the door. "Sophia? It's me. I'm coming out. Don't hurt anyone."
He opened the door slowly, his hands up. Sophia stood there, wearing the same blue dress from this morning. But now she had a gun in her hand, and her smile was cold.
"Hello, Alex," she said. "Ready for our wedding?"
Behind her were five guys, all armed. Alex knew there was no escape.
"I'll go with you," he said. "Just let Ethan and my uncle go."
Sophia laughed. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, Ethan knows too much. He's been poking around in our business for weeks. He has to be stopped."
"No!" Alex moved toward her, but one of the guys grabbed him.
"Don't worry," Sophia said, patting his cheek. "We won't kill him yet. He'll be our guest at the wedding. After all, he is your best friend."
She nodded to one of her men, who went into the office. There were sounds of a fight, then a shout from Uncle Ramon. A moment later, the man dragged Ethan out. Uncle Ramon was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's my uncle?" Alex demanded.
"Taking a little nap," Sophia said with a smile. "He'll be fine. Eventually."
She checked her watch. "Look at the time! We need to hurry, or we'll be late to our own wedding."
As the guys led them out of the warehouse, Ethan caught Alex's eye. His look said everything: Don't give up. We'll find a way out of this.
But Alex wasn't so sure. As they were pushed into a black car, with Sophia sitting beside him, her gun still in hand, he felt more trapped than ever.
The car started moving toward the church, toward the wedding that would now truly be the end of his freedom. And possibly the end of Ethan's life.