Chapter 1 - The Midnight Interrogation
The crystal chandelier overhead hummed with a sharp electrical frequency, casting hard glints across the ballroom floor. Julian stood rigid in his custom black tuxedo, the gray bow tie suddenly feeling tight against his throat. Elena stared at him, her dark eyes wide behind the sheer lace of her veil. The blue velvet box sat open between them, cradling a diamond that caught every facet of the harsh light. But the six-year-old flower girl, Lily, had shattered the romantic illusion with a dry candy bar and a demand for a puppy.
Elena dropped her hand from her mouth, her laughter dying out instantly as she looked past Julian toward the grand double doors of the ballroom.
"Julian," Elena whispered, her voice dropping an octave into a tone he had never heard during their two-year courtship. "Where did you actually get that ring?"
Julian swallowed hard, his dark hair damp at the temples. "I told you, it's a family heirloom. Passed down from my grandfather."
"Stop lying," Lily piped up, crossing her small arms over her light gray formal dress. She didn't look like an innocent child right now; her gaze was unnervingly sharp. "Grandpa Arthur died in a public housing project with twenty bucks to his name. My tablet told me your trust fund was wiped out in May."
Julian glared down at the child. "You shouldn't be reading financial forums on a borrowed iPad, Lily."
"It wasn't a forum," Lily said smoothly, unwrapping a corner of the chocolate bar she had just handed to Elena. "It was the Federal Marshals' asset seizure database."
Elena took a slow step backward, the white silk of her dress whispering against the polished parquet. "Julian. Who are you?"
Before Julian could formulate a denial, the heavy oak doors of the ballroom swung inward with a resounding bang, revealing three men in dark tactical suits holding manila folders.
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The lead agent stepped forward, his eyes locked entirely on Julian. "Julian Vance, you are under arrest for the federal grand larceny of twelve million dollars in unregistered diamond bearer bonds."
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