Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
TRINITY
I check my phone for the fifth time in an hour, staring at the message I sent to Matheo three hours ago asking him to let me know when they get back. Still unread. The little delivered notification mocks me from the screen.
A mild anxiety hasn’t gone away all morning, but the closer we get to the start of the wedding, the more that feeling drowns out anything else.
They wouldn’t leave a note and then ditch me anyway, right?
Amelia’s snide voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, sharp and knowing. “Trouble in paradise?”
I glance up to find her watching me in the mirror next to Holly, who is carefully applying mascara. Josie sits in the chair beside me, radiant in her white silk robe, completely absorbed in choosing between two shades of lip gloss.
“No problem.” I set my phone facedown on the vanity counter with more force than necessary.
Isabelle snorts from the other side of the bridal suite, where she’s stepping into her bridesmaid dress. “I noticed the empty seats at breakfast this morning. What happened, Trinity? Didn’t pay them enough to make it all the way to the wedding?”
Heat floods my cheeks as the comment hits its target.
“Actually—” I start, but Josie’s voice cuts through the room like a whip crack.
“Excuse me?” My sister turns in her chair, and I recognize the tone immediately. It’s the same one she used when defending her friends against playground bullies in elementary school. “What did you just say about my sister?”
Isabelle’s mouth opens and closes like a fish. “I was just?—”
“You were just being a bitch to the woman who planned your brother’s extravagant wedding at the last minute because she loves me.
” Josie stands, all five-foot-two inches of her radiating pure fury.
“Trinity has worked eighteen-hour days this week to make sure everything is perfect. She’s coordinated vendors, managed guest lists, and dealt with every single crisis that’s come up without a single complaint. ”
Amelia tries to intervene. “Josie, we didn’t mean?—”
“Oh, you’ve meant everything you’ve ever said.” Josie’s laugh is anything but amused. “So why don’t you explain to the class why you won’t give Trinity a break?”
Amelia’s face flushes red, her composure cracking. “Fine. We remember you from college.”
The admission hits me like being dunked in cold water. All this time, they’ve been pretending not to know me when they remembered me perfectly.
“We invited you to family dinners multiple times,” Isabelle adds, her voice defensive. “You never came. Not once. You acted like Egret’s family wasn’t important enough for your precious study schedule.”
My stomach twists because they’re not entirely wrong. I remember those invitations—formal dinners at the Mahoney estate, weekend gatherings with extended family. I always had papers to write, exams to study for, and networking events that felt more crucial to my future.
“You made it clear that your career mattered more than anything else,” Amelia continues. “Including our brother.”
“So when you showed up here acting all superior with your fancy fake pack, it just...bothered us,” Isabelle finishes weakly.
I stare at them, feeling the familiar weight of guilt settling in my chest. Maybe it wasn’t fair to place all the blame on Egret, Brendin, and Saren. Maybe I really had been too focused on building my perfect future to invest properly in our relationship.
“You’re right,” I say quietly. “I could have tried harder back then.”
Josie reaches over and squeezes my hand.
“But none of that matters now. Things have worked out for them and for you. We’ve all moved on.
” She shoots Isabelle and Amelia a look of challenge, despite the smile on her face.
“We’re all about to be sisters, which means we can fight all we want as long as we make up in the end, right? ”
The silence stretches until Amelia clears her throat. “Trinity, I... we apologize. The way we’ve treated you was entirely uncalled for.”
Isabelle nods reluctantly. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, I accept your apology,” I say, trying my best to sound like I mean it. Leaning closer to Josie, I pitch my voice low enough for only her to hear. “But I’m pretty sure I’m never ever going to like them.”
Josie giggles. “That’s fine. Just pretend like you do with our cousins at Thanksgiving.”
Despite everything—my missing pack, my churning stomach, the uncertainty about what happens after today—I laugh. Because she’s right. I’ve been perfecting the art of polite family tolerance for years.
My phone pings, and I practically lunge for it, hope flooding my chest.
The notification makes my stomach drop.
CellNet: Welcome to Indonesia. International roaming charges may apply. Manage your account at cellnet.com
“Fuck.” The word explodes from my mouth loud enough that the entire bridal party turns to stare.
Holly sets down her nail file. “Everything okay?”
I stare at the useless notification, my throat tight. “I’m worried that my pack might have gotten cold feet and left.”
The words taste bitter. Even saying it out loud makes it feel more real, more possible.
“That’s ridiculous. They left you a note,” Holly says firmly. “Why would you even think that?
“Because they could have left that note to give themselves more time to clear out of the suite without arousing my suspicions.” My voice cracks slightly.
“Think about it—after last night’s disaster, they probably realized this whole thing was more trouble than it’s worth.
The note buys them time to disappear before I come looking. ”
Josie frowns from her chair. “Trinity, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“It’s been hours,” I point out. “If they didn’t rush to the airport and buy the first ticket off the island, then where are they?”
“I don’t know,” Holly admits while Josie nods in emphatic agreement. “I just know they wouldn’t leave you without saying anything.”
Just as I’m about to explain how much that doesn’t make me feel better, someone knocks frantically at the door .
Margaret bursts through the door with Irwan practically stumbling at her heels. Her face carries that particular expression she gets when she’s trying not to panic but failing spectacularly. “Everyone, look out the window.”
I turn toward the large windows that normally showcase the crystal-clear ocean view. Instead, the horizon stretches thick and hazy, like someone draped gauze across the entire sky. A fine layer of dust streaks the glass, and everything beyond looks muted and gray.
“Is there a fire?” Josie asks, her voice tight with worry.
Irwan steps forward, his usual composed demeanor intact despite my mother’s dramatic entrance. “I can assure you there is no fire, Miss Becker. However, it appears the small volcano on the island has erupted.”
Every woman in the room goes dead silent. Even Amelia stops mid-brush stroke on her eyelashes.
“Are we safe?” Josie’s question comes out as barely a whisper.
“Of course,” Irwan responds emphatically. “The resort is not at risk. The danger zone is on the complete opposite side of the island. Our only concern is volcanic ash potentially interfering with your outdoor wedding ceremony.”
Relief floods through me so fast I actually sag against the vanity.
“It’s fine,” I tell Josie, my brain already switching into problem-solving mode.
“We have a weather contingency plan. We can move the ceremony to the Hibiscus ballroom. The lanai doors are made of glass so there will still be a view, even if we can’t be outside, and it’s already decorated with backup chairs just in case. ”
Josie’s entire face lights up. “Trinity, I swear you think of everything. Thank you so much for being so prepared. ”
But something Irwan said nags at me. I turn back to him. “The other side of the island—is it inhabited?”
“No, Miss Jones. However, there is a thermal-powered data center facility, and the workers there will probably need to be evacuated as a precaution if they aren’t able to shelter in place.”
My heart stops.
A data center. On the other side of the island. Where Cash specifically mentioned they were going for his urgent business.
The room spins slightly as the pieces click into place. They didn’t abandon me—they’re trapped in an evacuation zone with an active volcano.
“How long ago did the eruption start?” I hear myself ask, though my voice sounds far away.
“About two hours ago, miss.”
Two hours. Right around the time I started worrying that they’d left me.
I grip the edge of the vanity as the full horror of the situation hits me. My pack—my real pack because I’ve fallen in love with all of them at this point—might be in actual danger while I’ve been sitting here getting my nails done and feeling sorry for myself.
I turn on Irwan quickly enough that he stumbles back. “I need to speak to whoever is in charge of emergency response. Right now.”