My Bride Was Minutes Away From Walking Down The Aisle When I Found My Daughter Sitting Beside A Washing Machine With Her Flower Basket On The Floor. She Said My Fiancée Told Her To Stay Hidden Until The Ceremony Ended. When I Asked Why, The Answer Made Me Say, “There Will Be No Ceremony.”

The drone's red camera lens rotated, locking directly onto our heat signatures.

"Get down!" I ordered, pulling Laura and Emily under the thick cover of a fallen evergreen tree.

I knew we could not outrun a thermal drone in the open forest, and shooting it would only reveal our exact coordinates.

I scanned our surroundings and spotted a shallow, freezing mountain creek about fifty yards away.

"We have to get in the water to mask our body heat," I told them, knowing the freezing temperature was incredibly dangerous.

We sprinted to the creek and waded into the icy water, hiding beneath an overhanging rocky bank.

The drone swept over the creek twice, its sensors confused by the freezing water masking our thermal signatures.

Eventually, the buzzing sound faded away as the drone continued its search further down the mountain.

We climbed out of the water, our teeth chattering violently as the evening air chilled us to the bone.

We quickly hiked the remaining half-mile to Marcus's cabin, desperate for warmth and shelter.

I pounded on the heavy wooden door, and Marcus opened it with a look of complete shock on his face.

"Andrew? What the hell are you doing out here in a soaked tuxedo?" Marcus asked, pulling us inside quickly.

He threw heavy wool blankets over Laura and Emily, directing them to sit by the roaring fireplace.

"My wedding was a trap, Marcus," I explained, shivering as I took off my ruined jacket.

"I need to use your secure satellite phone to call my commanding officer for extraction."

Marcus nodded grimly, walking into his small kitchen to grab the phone.

He returned a moment later, handing me the satellite phone and a steaming mug of black coffee.

"Drink this first, brother, you look like you are going into shock," Marcus said sympathetically.

I took a large gulp of the hot coffee, grateful for the sudden warmth spreading through my chest.

Almost immediately, I tasted a bitter, metallic tang hiding beneath the roasted flavor.

My vision suddenly blurred, and my knees buckled as a powerful sedative hit my bloodstream.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

Marcus slowly pulled a pair of heavy, military-grade zip ties from his cargo pants.

"I am so sorry, Andrew, but Vanessa offered me two million dollars to keep you here until she arrives."

Chapter 5 - The Betrayal in the Woods