Chapter 6 - The Ransom Text
Marcus stared down at the screen of his phone. The text message read simply: “You think the bride has secrets? Check your own bank accounts, groom.” Attached was a screenshot of a massive wire transfer initiated twenty minutes ago from Marcus’s personal corporate account—moving a six-figure sum directly into an offshore account registered under Julian’s name.
Blood rushed to Marcus’s ears. He looked up from the screen, his face instantly draining of all color.
"What is it?" Maya asked, noticing the sudden, violent tremor in Marcus’s hands as he dropped the phone to his side. "Marcus, what's wrong?"
"It's not just your studio," Marcus said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. "Julian didn't just crash the wedding to make a scene. While we were standing at the altar exchanging vows, his corporate partners executed a hostile takeover of my family’s real estate firm. They drained my primary operating account."
Maya gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "That's impossible. How could he access your accounts without your authorization?"
"He didn't need my authorization," Marcus realized, the pieces clicking together with sickening clarity. "That contract you signed last year—the one with the hidden sub-clauses? It cross-collateralized your business assets with my personal holdings through a shell company Julian set up. We were linked legally the moment we filed for our marriage license three weeks ago. He used our impending union as the trigger clause."
David, who had been listening from a few yards away, stepped forward with wide eyes. "Are you telling me Julian planned this entire wedding? He let you fall in love, let you get engaged, and let us spend thousands on this venue just to trap both of you in a single financial chokehold?"
"It’s a corporate hit," Marcus said, balling his hands into tight fists. "He didn't want Maya. He wanted my family’s land development portfolio. The romance was just the bait to get us in the same room where he could legally execute the asset seizure."
Maya shook her head violently, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "No. I didn't know anything about his corporate reach. I swear to you, Marcus, I had no idea he was targeting your family. He told me he just wanted his money back from the studio."
"You were just a pawn in his game, Maya," Marcus said, neither angry nor comforting—just utterly hollow. "And so was I."
Before Maya could defend herself further, the heavy glass doors of the courtyard swung open again. It wasn't security, and it wasn't a wedding guest. It was Julian’s personal attorney, a sharp-faced man in a charcoal suit, holding a leather briefcase and accompanied by two local police officers holding official-looking documents.
The attorney walked straight toward Marcus with a predatory smile, ignoring the bride in her white lace gown entirely.
May you like
"Mr. Marcus Vance?" the attorney asked smoothly. "I am serving you with an emergency injunction and a notice of immediate asset freeze on behalf of Apex Holdings. You are legally required to vacate the premises and surrender all company keys effective immediately."
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