Chapter 2 - The Uninvited Guests
The heavy oak doors of the grand ballroom didn't just open.
They were thrown wide.
The sound hit the marble walls like a thunderclap.
Chloe froze mid-sentence.
Eleanor dropped my empty purse.
Dominic finally looked up from his shoes.
Through the entrance marched twelve men in perfectly tailored black suits.
They weren't local police.
They didn't wear badges.
But the earpieces and cold, professional stares communicated one thing: absolute authority.
The wedding guests parted like the Red Sea.
Nobody dared to breathe.
Behind the wall of security walked a man who commanded the room without saying a word.
Tall.
Silver hair.
A bespoke charcoal suit that cost more than Chloe's entire wedding budget.
Arthur Sterling.
My father.
He didn't look at the extravagant floral arrangements.
He didn't look at the terrified guests.
His piercing grey eyes found me immediately.
He saw my torn dress.
He saw my trembling hand holding the fabric together over my pregnant belly.
A dangerous, icy fury settled over his features.
Eleanor, always the loudmouth, stepped forward.
"Excuse me!"
"This is a private, million-dollar wedding!"
"Security, get these men out of here immediately!"
She waved frantically at the venue's hired guards.
The venue guards didn't move.
In fact, the head of venue security stepped forward, looked at my father, and bowed his head respectfully.
"Mr. Sterling, sir," the guard said.
"The perimeter is secured."
Eleanor looked completely bewildered.
"Mr. Sterling?" she scoffed.
"I don't care who you are! We rented this ballroom for the night!"
"My daughter's million-dollar ring was stolen by this piece of trash!"
She pointed a manicured finger at me.
Arthur Sterling didn't even acknowledge Eleanor's existence.
He walked straight to me.
He unbuttoned his suit jacket, took it off, and draped it gently over my shoulders.
It smelled like cedar and safety.
"Are you hurt, Vivienne?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine, Dad," I whispered.
The entire room gasped in unison.
Chloe's jaw hit the floor.
Dominic's eyes widened in absolute shock.
"Dad?" Dominic choked out, taking a step forward.
"Vivienne... what is going on?"
"Who is this man?"
My father finally turned around.
He didn't shout.
He didn't raise his voice.
But when he spoke, the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"I am Arthur Sterling."
"CEO of Sterling Global Holdings."
"And the owner of this hotel."
"You are currently standing in my building."
May you like
He looked Dominic up and down with utter disgust.
"And you must be the coward my daughter made the mistake of marrying."
