Ethan went pale—but his mother looked terrified and whispered, “Stop her before she finds out.” That was when I realized my triplets weren’t the only secret the Montgomery family had been hiding.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, followed by the frantic shouting of estate security.

Before anyone could reach the door, it was pushed wide open. Standing there was Senator Hastings himself, flanked by two federal agents in dark suits and local police officers holding official documents.

"Caroline, get your coat," Senator Hastings barked, his face red with rage and panic. "The federal warrants have been executed. The accounts are frozen. We're leaving—now."

The grand Montgomery study, usually a symbol of untouchable generational wealth, instantly transformed into a crime scene of corporate greed. Guests lingering in the hallway pressed against the glass doors, their phones out, recording every second of the downfall. The livestream of the century was already trending globally under the hashtag #MontgomeryWeddingDisaster.

"Dad, do something!" Caroline shrieked, panic finally breaking through her polished veneer. "She ruined everything! Her and her bastard kids—"

"Shut your mouth, Caroline!" the Senator roared, realizing too late that every word was being captured by the miniature lapel mic Marcus was wearing.

I turned my back on the chaos, walking out of the study and down the grand staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs, Liam, Noah, and Caleb were sitting quietly on the lowest step, sharing a single artisanal minicake a terrified caterer had handed them to keep them quiet.

"Mom!" Caleb yelled, jumping up and running toward me. "Is the wedding over? Can we go get ice cream now?"

I scooped him up into my arms, burying my face in his dark hair, while Liam and Noah grabbed my hands.

"Yes, baby," I whispered, kissing the top of his head as the flashing lights of news helicopters began to circle overhead. "The wedding is over."

As we walked out of the Montgomery estate, past the stunned crowds of elites and reporters, Ethan stumbled out onto the front balcony. He reached out a trembling hand toward us, his mouth opening to call out our names, but the roar of the news choppers drowned him out completely.