Chapter 2: The Call That Froze the Ballroom
Arthur Collins didn't raise his voice.
He simply stepped away from the wedding stage and placed his phone against his ear.
"Release the documents."
Three words.
That was all.
Daniel barely noticed. His attention remained on Vanessa as he adjusted the train of her emerald dress, smiling as though nothing unusual had happened.
The guests whispered among themselves.
Some looked confused.
Others looked uncomfortable.
Emily stood motionless, one hand gripping her bouquet so tightly that several white rose petals fell silently onto the polished marble floor.
Her injured ankle throbbed with every heartbeat, but the pain barely reached her anymore.
This wasn't about a wedding.
It never had been.
Arthur ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"It'll take less than five minutes," he said quietly.
Emily nodded once.
"I know."
Across the ballroom, Daniel finally looked over.
"What was that about?"
Arthur met his eyes without emotion.
"You'll find out."
Vanessa forced a laugh.
"Oh, come on. Today's supposed to be a celebration."
Arthur looked directly at her.
"It still will be."
The massive LED screens surrounding the ballroom suddenly flickered.
Every guest turned.
Instead of displaying wedding photographs...
Financial reports appeared.
Corporate contracts.
Bank transfers.
A timeline stretching back almost two years.
Daniel's smile disappeared.
"What the hell is this?"
Arthur answered calmly.
"The truth."
Gasps echoed throughout the ballroom.
The chairman of Brooks International, several board members, investors, and reporters invited to cover the high-profile wedding stared at the screens in complete silence.
Every transfer connected to one company.
Reed Holdings.
Vanessa's family business.
And every approval signature belonged to one man.
Daniel Brooks.
Emily never looked at the screen.
She was watching Daniel instead.
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Because this...
This was the first moment he realized the wedding had never been the real battlefield.
