Part 1: The Coronation.
Aspen ablaze with the crimson and gold hues of autumn, an ideal backdrop for the “Wedding of the Century” at Valen Estate. White O'Hara roses carpeted the garden, their scent suffocatingly sweet in the light of a thousand crystal candles. Inside the bridal suite, Lara Montgomery admired her reflection, her smile crafted more for the tabloids than for a lover. She wasn't a blushing bride; she was a general surveying a conquered kingdom.
“Don't get me wrong,” her mother, Sonia, warned her as she placed a diamond tiara on her head. “Today we officially join the financial elite.” Lara smiled wryly, coldly and flawlessly. “Don't worry, Mom. Henry is mine; that ghost from ten years ago is long gone.” Sonia clutched her exotic leather bag tightly. “Getting rid of that intern wasn't easy, but look at us now. Today is your coronation.”
Part 2: The Tunnel.
In the groom's quarters, Henry Vance stood by the window; a tailored gray suit could do little to hide the crushing weight on his shoulders. The tech giant was known for his coldness and ruthlessness, but the truth was that he had died emotionally ten years earlier in Boston. He wasn't marrying Lara for love, but out of pure loneliness; she was beautiful and demanded nothing from a heart he'd left shattered.
“I feel like I'm walking to a grave,” Henry confided to Rafe, his godfather. “I can't get her out of my head.” Rafe sighed, looking at his watch; he knew Henry was referring to Camille, the girl whose name was forbidden. “It's been ten years, Henry,” Rafe said. “She cheated on you in that hotel. Focus on the present.” The chapel bells rang out, signaling the end of the wait.
Part 3: The Intruder
The ceremony began on the emerald lawn, and silence held the crowd captive until a clang of metal shattered the peace at the main entrance. “Let me go! I have to tell him!” cried a voice, broken and hoarse, yet unmistakably familiar to Henry's frozen heart. Security personnel were struggling with a figure dressed in brown rags, bloodied and barefoot on the manicured lawn.
“Take that garbage away!” Lara hissed, her face twisted in disgust. “If she’s hungry, throw out the kitchen scraps!” Henry recoiled at her cruelty. “Stop!” he roared, signaling Rafe. “Don’t hurt her.” Rafe reached the woman, paling as she pressed a dirty USB drive into his hand before collapsing. “Show her… the truth.”
Part 4: The evidence.
