Chapter 2 - The Wedding Ended in Forty Seconds
The room exploded.
Guests stood.
Phones came out.
Someone screamed Vanessa’s name.
Someone else asked whether this was a joke.
It was not.
Samuel moved faster than I did.
He took the projector remote from my hand.
Paused the footage.
Then leaned toward me.
“Richard.”
That tone.
I knew it.
Stop.
I had already crossed one line by striking Vanessa.
Samuel was making sure I did not cross another.
Vanessa pushed herself upright.
“You hit me.”
“Yes.”
“Are you insane?”
Claire appeared at the ballroom entrance.
I saw the mark on her cheek without a screen between us.
My anger surged again.
Then Noah yelled:
“Mommy!”
He ran.
Claire caught him.
Vanessa looked toward Claire.
For one second, hatred replaced shock.
“You.”
Claire tightened her arms around Noah.
Samuel stepped between them.
“No.”
Marcus was not in the ballroom.
That became important immediately.
Vanessa shouted:
“That footage is stolen!”
I answered:
“Then you won’t mind explaining it to the police.”
Her face changed.
Not enough for anyone else.
Enough for me.
I knew negotiation.
I knew fear.
That was fear.
Samuel told hotel security:
“Lock down the conference room. Nobody touches the laptop.”
Then to another guard:
“Find Marcus Cole. Do not detain him unless you have lawful grounds. Just locate him and call police.”
Practical.
Precise.
I was still angry enough to be useless.
Claire reached me.
“Dad.”
I looked at her cheek.
“Did she do that?”
Vanessa interrupted.
“She attacked me first.”
Claire did not look away from me.
“She hit me when I found her copying your treasury files.”
The room went silent again.
I asked:
“Where’s Marcus?”
“I don’t know.”
Samuel already had his phone out.
Calling law enforcement.
May you like
The wedding was over.
No announcement required.
