Chapter 7
Mark Collins turned on his heel and walked straight down the center aisle of the ballroom, his footsteps echoing through the frozen room. He didn't look back once, leaving his bride kneeling in a heap of white silk on the stained marble floor.
"Mark!" Brenda screamed after him, her voice cracking into a ragged, pathetic howl. "Mark, come back! Please!"
"Get off the floor, Brenda," David muttered bitterly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "He was a snob anyway. We don't need him."
"We don't need him?" Brenda snapped her head around, her eyes bulging with pure hatred as she glared at her brother. "You destroyed my life! You promised me a society wedding! You told me you had millions! You're a pathetic, broke loser who couldn't even keep his rich wife in line!"
"Shut up, Brenda!" Evelyn shrieked as the officer clicked the second cuff onto her wrist. "Don't speak to your brother like that! He did everything for this family!"
"He did everything for himself!" Brenda screamed, clawing at her bridal veil, ripping the delicate lace from her hair and throwing it at David's face. "Look at us! We're ruined! We’re the laughingstock of the entire city!"
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," a deep, authoritative voice cut through the screaming match.
The General Manager of the St. Regis, flanked by three banquet supervisors, stepped into the center of the room. He held an electronic tablet and a master billing ledger.
"Mr. Bennett," the manager said, looking down at David with cool, professional disdain. "As of two minutes ago, the primary payment method for this event was officially frozen by the Sterling-Hayes Family Trust. The remaining balance for the venue rental, the premium bar service, and the catering staff stands at one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars."
David blinked stupidly. "What? But the event is already happening!"
"The contract explicitly states that full payment must clear prior to the commencement of the reception dinner," the manager replied. "Since the transaction has failed, and the cardholder has formally reported the initial deposits as unauthorized fraudulent charges, we are terminating the function immediately."
"You can't just kick our guests out!" Evelyn yelled, thrashing against the officer’s grip. "They haven't even had the main course!"
"The kitchen has ceased all food preparation, madam," the manager stated flatly. "And the electrical service to this wing will be disconnected in five minutes. We request that all non-authorized personnel vacate the premises immediately."
A flurry of panic erupted among the two hundred guests. Women gathered their designer wraps, men adjusted their jackets, and the entire assembly began a hasty, murmuring retreat toward the exits, eager to distance themselves from the unfolding catastrophe.
"Wait! Don't leave!" Brenda pleaded, crawling across the floor toward the retreating crowd. "The gifts! At least leave the gifts on the table!"
No one listened. Within three minutes, the grand ballroom was entirely deserted, save for the Bennett family, Laura, her legal team, and the police.
Laura stood tall, holding Leo against her hip. The four-year-old had stopped crying; he was watching the scene with wide, solemn eyes, his small hand stroking the silk fabric of Laura's shoulder.
May you like
"Laura," David whispered, looking around at the empty, cavernous room, the realization of his total ruin finally settling into his bones. "Laura, please... you can't leave me like this. I have nothing. I have nowhere to go."
"You have a holding cell at the precinct, David," Laura said softly. "I suggest you get used to the accommodations."
