Chapter 7
Outside the heavy oak doors, the first low murmurs of arriving guests began to filter through. The faint sound of laughter, rustling silk dresses, and polite greetings signaled that the outside world was ready for a wedding, entirely unaware that the stage had been completely dismantled from the inside out.
Sarah looked toward the entrance, panic flashing back across her face with renewed intensity. "We have to do something," she hissed, her voice frantic as she smoothed down her golden gown with trembling hands. "The guests are arriving. The press is out in the courtyard. If they see us like this—if they find out about the lawsuits and the estate—everything we’ve built will be gone by noon."
"Everything you stole will be gone, you mean," David corrected her smoothly, snapping his briefcase shut. He pulled a thick manila envelope from beneath his arm and laid it squarely in the center of the table. "The injunctions have already been filed with the district court. By midnight, the accounts will be frozen, and the corporate assets seized pending a full forensic audit."
Julian stared at the manila envelope as if it were a venomous snake. All the wealth, the status, the meticulously curated social standing that he had traded his conscience for—it was evaporating in real time, reduced to ink on paper and legal terminology.
Emily sat quietly in her chair, her hands resting in her lap. The initial shock of her mother’s fate had given way to a cold, razor-sharp focus. She looked down at the sleeveless white V-neck gown she wore—a dress she had chosen because it reminded her of a photograph of her mother from her own wedding day. It was no longer a costume for a fabricated fairy tale; it was a uniform for a battle that was finally being won.
"You're not going to ruin this wedding in front of everyone," Sarah pleaded, her voice dropping to a desperate whine as she took a step toward Emily. "Think of your reputation, Emily. Think of how people will talk."
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"Let them talk," Emily replied, standing up slowly. She smoothed the front of her white gown, her expression completely serene. "For twenty years, this family lived in fear of what people would say. That’s why my mother was erased. That’s why you were brought in to keep the machine running. Well, the machine is broken, Sarah. And I am about to step out those doors and tell everyone exactly why."
Eleanor nodded slowly, her expression solemn but resolute. "Go ahead, Emily. I’ll stand with you. It’s time the St. Clair name stood for the truth, even if it destroys us."
