A Wedding to Die For

**"A Wedding to Die For"** is the ninth episode of the first season of *Almost Paradise*. The episode first aired on May 25, 2020, on WGN America (now NewsNation).

## Synopsis

Detective Kai Mendoza is assigned to go undercover at the wedding of triad boss Tommy "The Scorpion" Chow in order to gain intel on the triad's operations. This is her first proper undercover assignment since Alex Walker interrupted her operation in "Finding Mabuhay" and she goes to tell Alex to not get involved. Alex is confused as to why she is telling him about the operation in the first place if she does not want him involved but agrees to stay out of it.

Kai goes to the wedding venue, a different resort on the island, and meets Tommy and his fiancée Amber Adams. Tommy is suspicious that Kai has replaced the wedding planner but Amber says that she approves of Kai based on her horoscope sign. Kai then walks the couple through the plans for the evening while trying to gain intel on who else is coming to the wedding. Tommy refuses to specify any names relating to this and instead gives Kai a set of numbers and letters to make the seating chart with. The wedding plan is to get married on the lawn, have the reception in the dining hall, and then take a small boat to the honeymoon suite on a nearby island.

Kai notices Alex at the hotel bar and leaves the couple to go confront him. Alex claims to just be checking out the competition, this hotel's gift shop, but Kai does not believe him. After some back and forth, Alex leaves. However, on his way out, Alex notices high-ranking members of rival triads arriving at the hotel and he goes back in to warn Kai. Alex tells Kai that rival triads will be attending the wedding and that this is going to be bigger than she thought it would be. Tommy notices Kai and Alex talking and confronts her, suspicious that something is going on. Kai tells Tommy that Alex is her stylist and that he will be assisting them during the wedding. This explanation satisfies Tommy and Alex takes on a larger role in the wedding preparations.

The wedding ceremony happens with minimal issues, although Amber flirts with Alex throughout the ceremony. During the reception, things continue to go smoothly. Amber asks Alex to dance, which strikes him as odd, but he obliges. However, Tommy drops dead on the dance floor, sending the party into a panic. Tommy's son immediately accuses members of the other triads of killing him, but they accuse him of killing his father in order to gain control of the triad. Kai shouts for everyone to get it together and to stop accusing each other so they can focus on finding the killer without killing each other. Alex takes a panicked Amber back to her dressing room while Kai continues to figure things out.

The triad members decide to move Tommy's body to the freezer while they convene to figure out the future business relationships between the three triads. Kai watches the meeting through a vent in the adjacent room, with her bug recording everything and sending it to Detective Ernesto Alamares, who has been running surveillance from another hotel room. However, Kai realizes something about Tommy's death and leaves her bug in the vent so Ernesto can keep recording while she goes to investigate.

While this is going on, Alex is comforting Amber in her dressing room and she continues to flirt with him. Alex realizes the other members of the triad will likely kill Amber so she does not inherit Tommy's money, so he reveals himself to be working with law enforcement and helps sneak her out. While they are doing so, he realizes that he had smelled Amber's essential oils on Tommy's body and realizes Amber killed Tommy. Alex tries to arrest Amber but Amber poisons Alex, and he collapses. Kai, who had come to the same realization as Alex, arrests Amber before she can inject the full dose. Alex is taken to the hospital while the police arrest the remaining triad members.

## Cast

### Main

* Christian Kane as Alex Walker
* Samantha Richelle as Detective Kai Mendoza
* Arthur Acuña as Detective Ernesto Alamares
* Nonie Buencamino as Chief Ike Ocampo
* Ces Quesada as Cory Santos

### Guest

* Lucy Lovegrove as Amber Adams
* Gerald Chew as Tommy "The Scorpion" Chow
* Andrew Lua as Young Chow
* Teroy Guzman as Bangkok Leader
* Isay Alvarez as Big Sister Ling
* Miko Raval as Tongo
* Boom Labrusca as Plain Clothes Officer #2
* A. Autrey Camilo as Interpol Agent
* Joel Molina as Quin Xiong Di Triad Guard
* Lesley Lina
* Sol Eugenio as Shanghai Triad Henchman (uncredited)