Chapter 6 - THE MORNING AFTER
The morning sun rose brightly over the harbor, casting a golden glow across the manicured lawns of our primary estate. Inside the grand study, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
Eleanor sat by the bay window, a small white bandage over her cheek where Vanessa’s hand had struck her the night before. But her eyes were clear, bright, and completely at peace.
On the mahogany desk in front of me sat the daily financial reports from Apex Global. Every asset, every credit line, and every vehicle tied to Daniel had been successfully severed and transferred back into the corporate reserve funds.
My phone buzzed continuously on the edge of the desk.
Call after call. Text after text. Voicemail after voicemail.
“Dad, please pick up. The bank locked my debit card.” “Mom, please, you have to talk to Marcus. They towed my car from the apartment complex.” “Arthur, where are we supposed to sleep? Vanessa’s parents locked us out of their house too!”
I pressed the silent button, turning the phone face down.
There was a sharp knock at the heavy oak study door. Marcus Vance stepped inside, holding a single digital tablet.
“Good morning, Mr. Harrison,” Marcus said, nodding respectfully. “I have an update regarding your son and Ms. Kensington.”
“Go ahead, Marcus,” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Following last night’s incident, the fallout has spread across local social media. The video of the bride’s outburst and the subsequent financial cancellation has gone viral. Over two million views on multiple platforms.”
Eleanor turned slightly from the window. “And Vanessa?”
“Her family’s remaining creditors have seized their remaining assets. Her designer accounts have been frozen, and she and Daniel spent the night in a budget motel off the highway because no hotel in the city would accept their declined cards.”
Marcus paused, sliding the tablet across the desk. “Furthermore, Daniel attempted to access the corporate warehouse this morning to retrieve some personal items. Security denied him entry, per your standing instructions.”
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I looked down at the tablet screen. It displayed a security camera feed from the entrance of our main logistics hub.
There stood Daniel, wearing the expensive tuxedo from the night before, now wrinkled and stained with wedding cake icing. He was pounding his fists against the reinforced glass doors, screaming at the security cameras, entirely alone.
