Chapter 8 - The Audio That Ruined a Wedding
Camille’s own voice blasted through the chapel’s state-of-the-art sound system, loud and monstrously clear:
"Take your blood money and crawl back to whatever gutter you came from... You are nothing but dirt under our shoes."
The guests gasped. Several of Victoria Bennett’s closest socialite friends covered their mouths in horror.
But Ifeoma wasn't finished. She pressed another button on the device, shifting the audio to the recording Adrian had captured in his kitchen just hours prior.
"Of course I don't love him... He’s an arrogant, self-righteous boy who thinks he’s a king... Once the Bennett debts are cleared and Julian's company absorbs his routes, I'm filing for a fraudulent divorce and taking half of everything else."
The sanctuary descended into utter chaos. Harrison Bennett looked like he was having a stroke. Victoria collapsed back onto the velvet pew cushions, dry-sobbing into her silk handkerchief.
Julian Vance, who was sitting in the middle rows acting as a casual family guest, stood up quietly, attempting to slip out the side door.
"I wouldn't move, Mr. Vance," two heavy-set federal agents in plainclothes said, blocking the exit. One of them held up a warrant. "Federal Bureau of Investigation. We’ve been tracking your corporate espionage and illegal wire transfers to the Cayman Islands for the past six months, courtesy of an anonymous tip and financial forensic data provided by Okafor Global."
Camille turned to Adrian, her beautiful face distorted by panic and desperation. She dropped to her knees, her expensive French lace dress pooling in the dust of the chapel floor.
"Adrian, please!" she begged, tears streaming through her mascara. "I was desperate! My father forced me into it! We were losing everything! I love you, Adrian, I swear I do! We can start over!"
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Adrian looked down at her. He didn't look angry. He looked entirely detached, as if he were looking at a stranger who had accidentally wandered onto a stage.
"You told me you wanted a marriage built on faith, loyalty, and family, Camille," Adrian said softly. "You got the family part right. But unfortunately for you... you underestimated mine."
