Chapter 1 - The Rewind That Started a WarThe tablet screen flickered, casting a cold, fluorescent blue glow over Preston’s pale face. The murmur of wedding guests died instantly, replaced by a suffocating silence so heavy you could hear the frantic rhythm of Sophie’s breathing against my shoulder.
"Play it from three minutes before the incident," I ordered, my voice dangerously calm. The fury inside me wasn't burning anymore; it had crystallized into pure ice.
The security manager, his hands trembling under my piercing glare, tapped the screen.
On the high-definition display, the grand oak doors of the ballroom swung open. There stood my eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, clutching a small, decorative velvet pouch that Margaret had dropped near the gift table moments earlier. In the video, Sophie didn't try to hide it. She picked it up immediately, her face lighting up with helpful innocence, and turned toward Preston and Margaret to return it.
What happened next made the entire crowd gasp.
Preston didn't take the pouch. Instead, fueled by sudden, irrational rage and a deep-seated prejudice against us, he grabbed the heavy solid oak menu board resting on the podium and deliberately hurled it at my child.
"Lies! That's edited! That's a deepfake!" Preston shrieked, lunging forward to snatch the tablet.
Before his fingers could even graze the device, I stood up, my hand shooting out to grab his wrist with a grip so fierce he winced.
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"Touch that tablet again," I whispered, stepping into his personal space, "and I won't just ruin your wedding. I'll ruin your entire empire."
Margaret’s face drained of all color. The bride—her white gown now stained with a droplet of Sophie’s blood—stared at Preston in absolute horror. The mask of polite society had completely shattered.
