Chapter 5 - The Wedding Crasher
The country club ballroom was a sickening display of stolen wealth and fake smiles.
Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over hundreds of elite guests sipping expensive champagne.
Richard stood near the ice sculpture, accepting congratulations from corrupt politicians and wealthy businessmen.
Evelyn was busy parading Chloe around the room like a prize-winning poodle.
Nobody noticed the heavily armed men securing the perimeter outside the glass doors.
And nobody expected the main doors to violently swing open just as Marcus Thorne raised his glass for a toast.
The entire room fell into a stunned, deafening silence.
I walked through the entrance, wearing a breathtaking, blood-red silk gown that demanded absolute attention.
Leo walked closely by my side, looking like a lethal predator in a tailored tuxedo.
"I apologize for being late," I announced loudly, my voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling.
"But it takes time to gather the necessary documents to prove a felony."
My father's face turned completely purple with rage as he dropped his champagne flute.
"Security!" Richard screamed, pointing a trembling finger at me.
"Throw this deranged girl out immediately!"
The club's security guards rushed forward, but Leo's heavily armed men stepped out from the shadows, blocking their path.
Leo casually adjusted his cufflinks, projecting an aura of absolute, terrifying power.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Leo warned the guards quietly.
"My wife gets very upset when people interrupt her."
A collective gasp echoed through the ballroom as the guests processed the word 'wife'.
Chloe dropped her designer clutch, staring at Leo with wide, panicked eyes.
Dominic Thorne stepped in front of Chloe, his hand reaching inside his jacket for a weapon.
"You have no jurisdiction here, Leo," Dominic sneered defensively.
I didn't let Leo answer, instead pulling a sleek tablet from my clutch.
I connected the tablet to the ballroom's massive projection system with a single tap.
The giant screens behind the stage instantly switched from a slideshow of Chloe and Dominic to a spreadsheet.
"This is a detailed record of Evelyn embezzling three million dollars from Dominic's gambling accounts over the last year," I declared.
The crowd erupted into chaotic whispers as the undeniable financial proof scrolled down the screen.
Dominic turned slowly to look at Evelyn, absolute murder flashing in his dark eyes.
My father grabbed my arm, completely abandoning his sophisticated facade.
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"You stupid girl, you don't know what you've just done," Richard hissed in my ear.
"If you don't shut that screen off right now, I will burn your mother's secret journals tonight, and you'll never know who your real father is."
