Chapter 1 - The Shattered Reception
The Grand Belmont ballroom smelled of crushed white roses and stale champagne. Under the blinding glare of the massive crystal chandelier, Julian shifted uncomfortably inside his heavy black tuxedo. Clara stood beside him, her 28-year-old frame encased in an intricate white lace long-sleeve wedding dress that felt more like a straightjacket than a garment of joy. Her blonde hair remained pinned in an elegant updo, the delicate veil trailing behind her like a ghostly shroud. Before them rested the white wedding gift box, its satin ribbon mocking their fragile union.
"Open it, Julian," Clara murmured, her voice tight, the warmth she had displayed in the lobby earlier completely evaporated. "Let us see what your precious brother sent us from across the Atlantic."
Julian hesitated, his dark eyes darting toward the murmuring crowd of elite guests. "Clara, please. Not here. Not in front of my father's business partners. Whatever petty games Richard is playing from London can wait until tonight."
"Games?" Clara's laughter was a sharp, brittle sound that cut through the polite applause of the orchestra. "You called my family poor, Julian. You told your groomsmen that I trapped you with my social climbing. Do you think I did not hear the whispers in the dressing room?"
"That was a moment of weakness, and you know it," Julian snapped, his voice rising above the hum of the string quartet. "Every bride gets nervous. Why must you turn everything into a battlefield?"
"Because this wedding is for people who matter," Clara said, throwing the exact phrase back at him with venomous precision. "I understand completely now. Congratulations, Victoria."
Julian froze, the color draining entirely from his clean-shaven face. "What did you just say? What does Victoria have to do with any of this?"
"Ask the hotel staff," Clara whispered, her eyes turning glacial as she reached into the white box and pulled out the heavy cardstock envelope. "Ask the woman in the black blazer who handed me this box while you were busy flirting with your bridesmaids."
Julian reached out to grab her wrist, his expression turning desperate. "Clara, stop. Whatever is in that envelope is a lie. Richard hates me; he would destroy us just to win a petty inheritance dispute."
"Let go of me," she hissed, her fingers sliding the heavy letter from its sleeve. "Let me read my future."
She unfolded the thick paper, her eyes scanning the first two lines. The color vanished from her cheeks entirely, her breath catching in her throat as the horrifying reality of the text set in.
May you like
Julian watched her face twist in absolute horror, whispering, "Clara? What does it say?"
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