Chapter 7 - The Wedding Crasher
"Ladies and gentlemen," Richard Sterling boomed into the microphone, standing beside Nathan and Victoria. "Tonight, we do not just celebrate a marriage. We celebrate the permanent union of our two great families!"
The crowd erupted into applause. Victoria beamed, leaning her head on Nathan’s shoulder.
Nathan stepped up to the microphone. "Thank you, Richard. It’s true. Tonight is about truth. About legacy. And about the lengths we go to for family."
He reached into his pocket and pressed a small remote.
Suddenly, the romantic music cut out with a screech. The massive projection screens behind them, meant to show a slideshow of the couple, flickered violently.
The image of Victoria and Nathan vanished. It was replaced by a high-definition video from Arthur Cole’s private office, time-stamped a year ago.
The ballroom fell dead silent.
On the screen, Arthur Cole was arguing with Victoria. The audio echoed through the massive hall.
"I'm calling off the merger, Victoria," Arthur's voice boomed. "You and your father are bleeding my company dry. And I won't let you marry Nathan. You're unstable."
On screen, Victoria’s face twisted into genuine malice. As Arthur turned his back to look out the window, the camera caught Victoria pulling a small vial from her purse. She swiftly poured the contents into Arthur’s tea.
Gasps erupted through the ballroom.
"Drink your tea, Arthur," the video-Victoria sneered. "You look tired."
Arthur drank. Minutes later, he clutched his chest and collapsed. Victoria simply watched him die, then calmly picked up her purse and walked out.
The video paused on her cold, dead eyes.
"Nathan, turn this off!" Victoria shrieked, dropping her bouquet. Her face was chalk-white. "It's a deepfake! It's a lie!"
"Is it?" Nathan's voice thundered, completely dropping his polite facade. "Is it also a lie that you forged legal documents to frame Grace Evans? Is it a lie that you took a hockey stick to my four-year-old daughter two days ago?"
The crowd was in total uproar. Journalists were frantically recording everything on their phones.
Richard Sterling lunged for Nathan, but Nathan's security team intercepted him, slamming the older man to the floor.
The grand doors of the ballroom suddenly burst open. Federal agents flooded the room, their badges gleaming under the chandeliers.
"Victoria Sterling and Richard Sterling!" the lead FBI agent announced over a bullhorn. "You are under arrest for the murder of Arthur Cole, extortion, forgery, and conspiracy!"
Victoria screamed, fighting wildly as handcuffs were slapped onto her wrists, ruining her designer dress. Her carefully constructed empire crumbled in front of thousands of flashing cameras.
Nathan didn't watch them drag her away. He was looking at the back of the room.
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Standing there, flanked by Marcus and a female federal agent, was Grace. She was holding little Lily in her arms.
Nathan stepped off the stage, walked through the chaotic crowd of stunned billionaires, and pulled his family into a tight embrace.
