Page 68 of Four Aunties and a Wedding

Staphanie’s gaze snaps back to me and her mouth thins into a line. “You mean because they were trying to get Ama and me drunk? Is that why your Big Aunt has lost her dragon fascinator?”

“Er, yeah.”

Uncertainty crosses Staphanie’s face, making her look much younger and, just for the moment, vulnerable. I have no idea what could be going on in her mind. Maybe we just seem like such unlikely killers she’s having a hard time putting everything together. One can hope.

She pauses before meeting my eyes. “Look, is Second Uncle okay?”

I almost look away, but I stop myself in time. In as firm a voice as I can manage, I say, “Yes. Depending on how the rest of the evening goes.”

Staphanie grits her teeth. Her expression hardens into stone and she gives a small shake of the head. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. Anyway. Everyone’s been wondering where you are, and the reception’s about to start, so let’s go.”

“Right.” The wedding reception. Nathan. Oh, god. He must be so upset and confused right now. “Let’s go.”

I glance back at my family, standing in a single row with Third Uncle hidden behind them, and wave them off as I follow Staphanie. Please, universe, let them be lucid enough to stash Third Uncle somewhere before joining the reception. They’re all looking kind of dazed and uncertain. Not that I can blame them. I feel dazed and uncertain. At least no one’s found Big Uncle and Second Uncle, otherwise there would be cops everywhere. The thought isn’t a comforting one.

Another thing that isn’t comforting? The weird, conflicting feelings of sympathy I’m having for Staphanie. I mean, what the hell is up with that? Just because she’s concerned about Second Uncle doesn’t mean she’s no longer an evil mafia member who’s out to kill someone in cold blood. Come on, Meddy, focus on who the real bad guys are here. It’s not us. Despite all of the kidnapping and stuff.

“Your time’s almost up,” I blurt out suddenly. Shit, why did I said that? But then I realize that it’s true. There’s just the reception left, and a bit of dancing afterward, and then this cursed day will be over and done with, thank god.

Staphanie side-eyes me. “You mean your time’s almost up.”

“What?”

Staphanie shrugs.

“No, what’s that supposed to mean? What’re you going to do?” Oh god, this was probably their plan all along. Of course. They’ve planned to kill Lilian during the reception or maybe during the dancing after, when it’s all dark and everyone’s drunk. “You disgust me,” I spit out. “She’s an old woman. Leave her alone.”

Staphanie levels a cold gaze at me and quirks her mouth intoa smirk. “You’d be surprised at the atrocities old women are capable of.”

I’m about to come back with some snarky retort when I realize that she’s right. I mean, my family, which consists of older women, did just spend the entire way from the Randolph to Christ Church College discussing various ways of murdering Third Uncle, so.

At the bottom of the stairs leading to the dining hall, Staphanie pulls me to face her. She brushes stray strands of hair away from my face. If anyone were to happen to spot us, they’d think she’s just being a meticulous photographer. When she speaks, her voice is low and firm. “I don’t know what you’ve done to my uncles, but I swear, if you’ve hurt them, you’re going to pay for it. Now get in there and act normal.”

That’s a threat if I ever heard one. I wish I were faster with the comebacks. But I can’t think of anything before she leads me up the stairs. And as soon as we round the top of the stairs, all thought leaves my head.

Because there, right outside the iconic Christ Church dining hall, is Nathan. He looks up and smiles when he sees me, but there’s sadness in his smile. A touch of exhaustion. With one last meaningful glance, Staphanie leaves us and slips into the dining hall, and now there’s just me and Nathan and a whole moat of lies between us. I run to him and give him a tight hug, inhaling the good, clean scent of him, savoring the security of having his arms around me.

“Your family okay?” he says.

I nod wordlessly. I can’t speak. No words can describe how good it feels to be back in Nathan’s arms after everything.

“Listen, Meddy, I know something’s going on,” he says softly.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Of course he does. He’s one of themost intuitive people I’ve ever met. It’s one of the many reasons he’s such a successful businessman. Back at Tom and Jacqueline’s wedding, he figured out that my family and I were the ones behind Ah Guan’s corpse. Of course he senses something is wrong today. I look up at him and blink rapidly to stop the tears from falling.

“What is it?” he says. “You can tell me anything.”

“I—uh—” It sounds so ridiculous in my head. My family’s being blackmailed by the mafia, and coincidentally we have kidnapped three men and my aunts might be in the process of murdering one of them. “It’s nothing,” I say finally.

Disappointment washes over Nathan’s handsome features.

“Everything’s fine,” I quickly add, and that sounds like a lie, even to me. But the night’s almost over, and Staphanie and Ama have lost three of their main players, so how likely is it that they’d be able to carry out whatever they were plotting? My family and I are winning, dammit. “It will be,” I say again, and this time, my voice comes out more confident. “And I’ll tell you everything when it’s all over.” And we’re all home free and unlikely to get Nathan in trouble for being an accomplice or an accessory or whatever.

Nathan sighs. “Meddy, I—”

The door to the dining hall cracks open and Ama’s head pops out. “You up,” she says, shooting me a death glare behind Nathan’s back.

Nathan and I straighten up and look at each other. “I love you,” I say, finally. It seems the only thing left to say.

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