Chapter 5 - The Fall of the House of Vale
The transition from groom to prisoner was swift and brutal. As the federal agents dragged Adrian down the aisle, the very people who had kissed his ring ten minutes prior were now stepping back, pulling their designer coats away so he wouldn't brush against them. High society was a fickle beast, and the stench of federal prison was contagious.
"This is a mistake!" Adrian shouted, his voice cracking as the chapel doors slammed open, revealing a swarm of flashing red and blue lights outside. "My lawyers will have your badges for this! I am Adrian Vale!"
"Not anymore," Agent Harris muttered, shoving him into the back of a black SUV.
Back inside the chapel, it was pandemonium. Vanessa was having a full-blown hysterical breakdown near the altar, ripping at the tight bodice of her extravagant gown. She looked frantically for anyone to comfort her, but her bridesmaids—fair-weather friends at best—were already edging toward the exits, eager to distance themselves from the scandal of the decade.
"He lied to me!" Vanessa shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You set this up! You planted those recordings!"
Elena stepped forward, her briefcase held tightly by her side. "Ms. Cole, as of twenty minutes ago, federal authorities froze all of Mr. Vale's assets. That includes the joint accounts he opened with you, the penthouse he purchased in your name, and the vehicles registered to you. I strongly suggest you find a very good, very cheap defense attorney."
Vanessa’s knees buckled. She collapsed onto the marble floor, sobbing into her tulle skirts, a ruined princess in a collapsed castle.
I stood in the center of the aisle and watched the empire I had helped build tear itself apart. The satisfaction wasn't explosive or joyous. It was a deep, resonating calm. It was the feeling of a broken bone finally being reset.
Elena gently touched my arm. "The press is gathering outside. Harris tipped them off. Are you ready?"
"I don't want to speak to them," I said, buttoning my coat against the chill that was beginning to seep into the chapel. "The ledgers will speak for themselves."
"Then we go out the side door," she said with a respectful nod.
May you like
We exited through the sacristy, slipping into the quiet alleyway where our town car was waiting. As we drove away, I looked back at the grand chapel. The flashing police lights illuminated the stained glass windows, turning the holy sanctuary into a crime scene.
For the first time in eight years, I went to sleep that night without checking the locks on my doors three times. I didn't keep a weapon under my pillow. I just lay in the dark, listening to the city hum, and finally, truly breathed.
