Chapter 3

While Stanley was in the shower, his phone on the couch buzzed several times in a row. I picked it up. The screen lit up with a night photo, seemingly taken casually. In the corner, a blurry cafe sign caught my eye. I recognized it. It was the cafe under Mandy's building. Stanley came out wrapped in a towel. When he saw me holding his phone, he practically snatched it from me, almost knocking me over. "What's wrong?" I pretended to be startled. "Nothing…" His eyes darted away as he shoved the phone into his pocket. "It's just a random picture I use as my lock screen. I change it all the time." "Oh." I nodded, then picked up my phone as if I'd suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Freddy asked if we needed help with the wedding. He knows many people back home and has well-established connections. Do you want him to help check the hotel availability? He's pretty reliable." Stanley's face darkened. "Freddy? That classmate you met overseas? No need to drag him into this." "He's just being nice." I smiled. "Look at you, pretty jealous, huh?" Later, at the wedding supply company, Mandy was also there. She fussed over everything and constantly told me it was for my good that she was inspecting every detail with extreme care. While I wasn't paying attention, she slipped her hand into the box of wedding favors, grabbed a small, colorful box, and tucked it into the folder with the wedding schedule. I glanced at the box and knew exactly what it was. Once she excused herself under the pretense of taking a phone call, I opened the folder. Sure enough, it was an adult board game, one with ridiculous, over-the-top pieces. The pieces were flashy and overdesigned. I put the box back where it was. That night, I called Mark. "Mark, there's something I want to ask you about. Do you still remember the Morningstar project?" There was a brief pause on the other end. "Yes. It was one the bureau followed closely. What about it?" "I heard the people in charge might have some personal conduct issues. Things sound a little messy." His voice grew serious. "Really? Sylvia, have you heard anything specific?" "I only overheard it from friends, so I'm not too sure. I just feel that for a project this big, if the people running it aren't trustworthy, the risks are way too high." "I understand. I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks for letting me know, Sylvia." After hanging up, I bundled up all the backups—videos, audio recordings, and bank transfers—into an encrypted file and sent it to Freddy's secure email. "Freddy, keep this safe. If anything happens to me, make sure this goes public." He replied quickly. "Don't worry. If you need anything, just say the word." The night before the wedding, I was home alone. Stanley said the project was in its final sprint and he'd be pulling an all-nighter. I went over everything for tomorrow, checking things off the list. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with an unknown number. It was a picture message. Stanley was asleep, eyes closed, his profile sharp in the dim light. In the corner of the frame, I noticed a half-open box of condoms on the nightstand. There was just a single line of text below it. "He's asleep. Tomorrow, you'll be the happiest bride in the room. :)" I stared at the screen until it dimmed on its own. Then I picked up my other phone and sent a message to Justin. "Set up a hidden camera in the top-floor suite at the hotel tomorrow, and get a little… extra surprise ready. Make sure everything works perfectly."