Chapter 5 - The Velvet Trap
The massive surround-sound speakers throughout the ballroom crackled to life.
Instead of wedding music, the crisp, unmistakable audio of a private conversation began to broadcast across the room. The voice was unmistakable—sharp, smooth, and laced with absolute malice.
“...just follow the script, Preston,” Elena’s voice echoed through the hall. “The moment I signal that the guests are watching, you drop the phone into the kid’s jacket. Your parents will back you up automatically because they always do. Once the brat reacts, you hit her. Hard. We need a public scandal.”
A collective gasp swept through the two hundred guests.
Preston’s face instantly lost all color. He spun around, staring at his bride in sheer horror. "Elena... what is that? What is playing?"
The audio continued, uninterrupted.
“And why do we need to hit a kid, El?” Preston’s recorded voice replied on the speakers.
“Because,” Elena laughed coldly on the recording, “once the lawsuit hits, your father’s corporate empire will be forced into bankruptcy liquidation. My father gets his company back, you get cut out of the inheritance, and I walk away with thirty million dollars in offshore settlements. Trust me, darling. Your family is too proud to defend a thief, and too stupid to see past their own last name.”
The ballroom was dead silent. You could hear the hum of the air conditioning vents.
My father staggered backward, his hand clutching his chest as he stared at Elena. "You... you're a Sterling. Arthur Sterling’s daughter..."
Elena didn't bother to deny it. She slowly smoothed down her dress, her porcelain face twisting into a terrifying, triumphant smile. She didn't look at my father; she looked directly at Preston.
"Did you really think I loved you, you pathetic, narcissistic fool?" Elena’s real voice cut through the room like a razor blade. "You ruined my family twenty-five years ago. You took everything from us. So I decided to take everything from you—starting with your social standing, your reputation, and your freedom."
Preston lunged forward, his face contorted in blind rage. "You bitch! You set me up!"
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Before Preston could lay a hand on her, Officer Miller and his partner stepped between them, pinning Preston’s arms behind his back and snapping cold steel handcuffs around his wrists.
"Preston Vance, you are under arrest for aggravated assault, filing a false police report, and conspiracy," Officer Miller announced, his voice echoing off the high ceilings.
