Chapter 6

"I can't find Laura," Diane told Mr. Charles Seymour, who stood anxiously outside the bridal room.

"What do you mean? She's supposed to be in there!" Mr. Charles exclaimed, worry etched on his face.

"Yes, she was just here, but now she's gone," Diane explained.

Mr. Charles pushed past Diane, rushing into the bridal room. The room was in disarray, and Laura's expensive wedding gown crumpled on the floor.

"Sir, the guests are waiting," an usher said, entering the room. He paused, sensing tension and noticing the worried expressions on Diane and Mr. Charles' faces.

"Is everything alright, sir?" he asked, but Diane's long, silent stare was his only response.

Mr. Charles scanned the room, hoping to find a clue to Laura's whereabouts.

He refused to consider the lingering thoughts in his mind that Laura might have run away on her wedding day. She had begged to marry Vincent and was eager for this day.

His eyes locked onto the slightly ajar back door. He rushed towards it, opening it fully.

"Oh no!" Mr. Charles' worried voice echoed, alerting Daine, who rushed to his side. "Have you found her?' Diane asked.

"No, I think she's been kidnapped. Call the police and alert the Russell family," Mr. Charles urged.

Diane's heart skipped a beat. "Kidnapped?" She quickly dialed the police emergency number, and the usher sprinted out to inform the Russell family of the shocking development.

Laura's lips twisted into a smile as she read the trending headlines on every blog. Barely an hour since leaving her wedding, news of her alleged kidnapping and speculations about leaving her husband at the altar flooded the internet.

"Your father is calling," Jane said. Laura shifted her gaze from her laptop to the ringing phone.

The caller ID showed a number that rarely contacted her. Laura chuckled at her father attempt to play the caring parents for the public. 

Laura exhaled deeply, smiling. "Switch off the phone."

Jane raised an eyebrow, stunned.

"But ma'am, why are you doing this?" Jane asked. "Every woman would kill to be in your shoes, to be Mrs. Vincent Russell. Why give up this golden opportunity?"

Laura smiled, meeting Jane's gaze. "Really, they envy me?" She asked.

Jane nodded, mouthing a yes

"Then I have given the world a good opportunity," Laura said. "They better grab it while it lasts."

Jane looked puzzled, unsure what Laura meant. Before she could ask, the chauffeur interrupted.

"We've arrived at your destination, ma'am."

"You can go now. I will handle things from here," Laura said, turning from the apartment complex to Jane.

"I could stay and help you move in. Move-in day can be overwhelming," Jane offered.

Laura scoffed. "No need. I hired a company yesterday. Everything's already done."

Jane hesitated. "But—"

"It's okay, Jane. I need some me-time. Company would be distracting," Laura said firmly.

Jane nodded. "If you need someone to drink with, call me."

"I'll remember that," Laura said.

With that, Laura stepped out of the cab and watched until it disappeared from sight.

She took a deep breath, scanning the neighborhood. Her gaze landed on a faded signpost across the complex: "Fayfall Tarot Cafe Store." Laura's eyes lit up as she rummaged through her bag for a coupon.

She compared the name on the coupon with the signpost. "It exists!" Laura chuckled, memories flooding back.

She had received the coupon as a change from a coffee seller. Initially, she thought it was a scam since the cafe wasn't online. But something made her keep the coupon.

Laura turned to leave, but a sudden hunch made her pause. She felt an inexplicable urge to enter the Fayfall Tarot Cafe.

Laura stepped into the old cafe store, its crumbling walls and talismans at every corner giving off an eerie vibe. Candles flickered, casting shadows.

No customers or waiters were in sight, yet the lit candles suggested the place wasn't abandoned.

Laura followed the candles deeper into the store.

"Leave," a voice commanded, startling her. She turned toward the voice, finding a woman clad in white, her face exposed, eyes shut, and holding an old bell.

"A shaman?" Laura wondered, unsure why a shaman would read tarot cards.

"Or was this a cover-up?"

"I said leave," the woman's voice came again, louder and more menacing.

"Me?" Laura asked, pointing to herself and glancing around to confirm they were alone.

"Why should I leave? You don't even know me," Laura said.

The woman's lips curved into a smile.

"Laura Seymour, the woman who thinks she has her future in her palm," the woman said, bursting into laughter.

Laura stared, stunned. "What? How do you know my name, and what do you mean?"

The woman smiled. "Has curiosity overridden your doubt?"

Laura approached her, but the woman shunned her. "Remove your shoes. This is sacred ground."

Laura bowed, whispering, "Sorry." She took off her shoes and sat on a floor mat.

The woman opened her eyes, revealing white eyeballs without pupils. Laura figured she was blind.

"Well, I guess I'm curious if my future has changed or if my knowledge remains accurate," Laura asked.

"Yes," the woman replied simply.

Laura smiled, relieved.

"But..." the woman added, "not exactly as you think it is."

Laura's gaze snapped back to the woman.

"What do you mean?" Laura asked, seeking clarification.

"Life's path isn't fixed," the woman said. "If it were, there would be no surprises, highs, lows, trials, or temptations."

"Has my future changed?" Laura pressed.

The shaman smiled. "Those sayings, 'The means justifies the end' and 'One decision makes or mars one's future,' holds truth. You may know the future. but don't think you have figured out the universe."

Laura frowned, confused. "Will I experience the same fate as before?" she asked.

The shaman's smile grew. "I have no answer."

Laura nodded stiffly. "I guess that's a yes."

"It depends," the shaman said. "Life has multiple paths. Your choices determine the route. It's not a one-way road."

"Does that mean I won't be betrayed or die?" Laura asked.

"You're in between life and death," the shaman replied. "Your choices and others' shape your path. Some events can't be avoided, no matter how perfect your choices are. But one thing can change." The shaman paused, letting her words sink in.

"Whom it happens to," she continued. "That can change."

Laura stared, perplexed.

"The same applies to your wedding," the shaman said. "It's bound to happen, but people's actions decide whom it happens to, not the universe."

Laura's skepticism lingered. "How can I trust everything you've said is true?" she asked, wary of potential deceit. The world was full of con artists, and this woman might just be a professional one.

The shaman's enigmatic smile deepened. "2864 4327. I see two dead and seven injured."

Laura left the cafe, the shaman's words echoing in her mind. She was torn between belief and doubt. Could this woman truly see the future?

As she stepped onto the sidewalk, a sudden crash shook the air. Two cars collided, sending metal twisting and glass shattering. Laura's eyes widened as she rushed toward the wreckage.

On the mangled license plate of bus, a haunting sequence stared back: 2864 4327.

Laura's breath caught. The shaman's words had come to pass, eerily precise. Her doubts began to unravel, replaced by a chilling sense of wonder.