Chapter 5 - The Wedding Disruption
Back in the present, the chapel was in an uproar. Federal agents were escorting a screaming, flailing Richard down the center aisle, his expensive tuxedo jacket rumpled and torn. The wedding guests were scrambling toward the exits, eager to distance themselves from the catastrophic scandal.
Victoria stood near the altar, her face a mask of cold fury, clutching her bouquet so tightly her knuckles turned white. As Richard was dragged past her, he cast one desperate, pleading look in her direction.
“Victoria! Please! It’s a conspiracy! They’re lying!” he screamed.
Victoria didn't even blink. She raised her chin, her voice dripping with absolute contempt. “If you speak to me again, Richard, I’ll make sure you spend every remaining day of your life in a maximum-security cell where the sun never shines.”
Marcus walked up beside me, placing a heavy, reassuring hand on my shoulder as we watched Richard disappear through the heavy oak chapel doors, flanked by federal marshals.
“Well, little lady,” Marcus murmured with a grim smile, “looks like the weather cleared up just in time.”
“It sure did, Marcus,” I replied, looking down at Grace, who was finally stirring peacefully against my chest, her tiny fingers curled into a soft fist.
DA Vance approached us, holding a thick folder containing the preliminary asset seizure warrants. “Abigail, your father’s company accounts have already been frozen and secured by federal order. Within forty-eight hours, every single asset Richard tried to steal will be legally repatriated back to your family.”
“Thank you, Vance,” I said, shaking his hand firmly. “And thank you for moving so quickly on the jurisdiction transfer.”
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“It wasn't hard,” Vance replied with a slight grin. “When you hand the district attorney an airtight murder plot complete with 4K dashcam footage and forensic accounting, our job becomes pretty straightforward.”
As the last of the guests filtered out into the crisp afternoon air, the grand chapel finally grew quiet. The candles flickered softly, casting warm, steady light across the wooden pews. The nightmare that had begun six weeks ago in a freezing, desolate mountain pass was finally, truly over.
