Chapter 5: The Aftermath in the Empty Hall
Within an hour, the grand ballroom was completely deserted save for the catering staff quietly packing away untouched silver platters and half-filled champagne glasses. The glittering illusion of the high-society wedding had dissolved into piles of discarded floral arrangements and the lingering scent of expensive perfume mixed with stale air. Marissa sat alone at the edge of the head table, her wedding dress stained at the hem with dust from the floor, holding a cup of lukewarm black coffee provided by a sympathetic kitchen manager.
Her mother and Lily had already left for the safety of Eleanor’s townhouse across the city, shielded from the lingering press vans parked at the perimeter gates. Marissa stared at the blank projector screen, its matte white surface now completely innocent of the digital ghosts that had torn her family apart. She felt an overwhelming numbness, a strange emptiness where the rage and betrayal had lived only hours before. She had achieved justice, but victory tasted like ash.
The heavy doors creaked open again, and Detective Miller, the lead investigator who had accompanied Gareth to the station, walked inside. He spotted Marissa sitting alone in the vast, dim space and walked over, his footsteps echoing softly. He pulled out an empty chair opposite her and sat down without waiting for an invitation, his notebook resting closed on his knee.
"He's being booked downtown," Miller said quietly, his tone professional yet softened by genuine empathy. "Given the volume of the financial records and the digital footprint you provided, bail won't be an option tonight. Your forensic accountant did exceptional work, Mrs. Vance—or rather, Miss Bennett. I believe you've decided to revert to your maiden name."
Marissa nodded slowly, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. "Bennett. Yes. It feels right. I couldn't carry his name another day, let alone another hour." She looked up, meeting the detective's steady gaze. "Will this be a protracted trial? I want to make sure Lily is never subjected to a courtroom spectacle if we can avoid it."
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"With the amount of airtight documentation on that server, I doubt his defense counsel will let it go to trial," Miller replied, offering a reassuring nod. "Plea negotiations will likely begin by morning. Your brother made the mistake of leaving a digital paper trail that even the best corporate lawyers in the state won't be able to spin."
Marissa let out a long, shaky breath, feeling the last knots in her shoulders loosen just a fraction. The nightmare was officially over, and the dawn of a difficult but honest reality was finally breaking.
