Chapter 3 - The Fifty-Million-Dollar Trap
Chaos erupted inside the chapel in less than three seconds. Photographers surged forward, camera shutters clicking like a swarm of mechanical locusts, blinding Victor with flashes of light as he stood paralyzed at the altar. Whispers broke out among the city’s elite, ripples of shock and scandal spreading through the pews like wildfire.
Victor’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly, his eyes darting frantically between me and the towering figure of Adrian Cross standing just a step behind my shoulder. The recognition hit Victor like a physical blow when he finally registered the silver hair and the unmistakable authority of the man beside me.
"E-Elena...?" Victor stammered, stumbling backward against the mahogany organ pipes, his hands trembling so violently he could barely keep his balance. "No... no, that’s impossible. The police report... the rescue team... you were dead!"
"You always were terrible at math, Victor," I said, stepping closer to the altar, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. "You calculated the cost of my life at fifty million dollars. But you forgot to calculate the price of coming back to collect it."
Before Victor could muster a coherent sentence, the side doors of the chapel swung open, and four federal agents flanked by local NYPD detectives marched down the aisle. Their heavy boots echoed with authority. One of them held up a glossy blue folder stamped with federal seals.
"Victor Hale," the lead agent announced, his voice booming through the sound system. "You are under arrest for attempted first-degree murder, insurance fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit capital crimes."
"This is a mistake! A setup!" Victor shrieked, panic finally shattering his composed veneer as the cold steel of handcuffs snapped around his wrists. He lunged forward, eyes wild, looking toward the pews where his corporate allies sat in stunned silence. "Serena! Tell them! Tell them she's lying! She’s an imposter!"
Serena pressed herself back against the wall, her face drained of all color, shaking her head frantically. "I don't know him! I’ve never seen this man before in my life!" she blurted out in a desperate bid to save herself, instantly throwing her lover under the bus with zero hesitation.
I watched her betrayal with a cold, detached amusement. Dogs turning on each other—how predictable.
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As the officers dragged Victor down the aisle, kicking and screaming like a cornered animal, he locked eyes with me one last time. His face was twisted in sheer, unadulterated terror. He realized then that the woman he thought he had buried in the Aspen wilderness was not only alive, but she was the daughter of the most powerful financial titan in the country.
"You're ruined, Victor," I whispered softly as he passed my shoulder. "And we haven't even started yet."
