Chapter 10
Marcus listened to his earpiece for another five seconds, his jaw tightening so hard the muscles jumped beneath his fair skin.
"Understood," Marcus said into his radio. "Lock down the east wing. Do not let him reach the main ballroom. I'm securing the mother and child now."
The victorious adrenaline that had carried Victoria through the confrontation began to curdle into something much colder. She pulled Lily closer to her chest, her eyes darting down the long, empty hallway.
"Marcus, what is it?" Victoria asked, her voice tight with renewed panic.
Marcus looked up from his radio. He didn't look back into the banquet hall at Richard or Eleanor. He looked directly at Victoria, his eyes grave, holding a warning that made her blood run cold.
"Ma'am, my control room was reviewing the broader footage to secure the timeline for the police," Marcus said, stepping closer and lowering his voice so only she could hear. "They just pulled up the feed from the private groomsmen suite upstairs."
"My husband is upstairs," Victoria said, a knot of dread forming in her stomach. "Is he alright?"
"Your husband isn't in the groomsmen suite, ma'am," Marcus replied grimly. "And according to the audio logs from the hallway cameras, this wasn't just a cruel prank to get you to leave."
Victoria stared at him, the bright, cheerful colors of the hallway suddenly feeling oppressive. "What are you talking about?"
Marcus pulled the black tablet from under his arm once more. His fingers moved rapidly across the screen, pulling up a new, highly restricted security feed.
"Your husband left the venue twenty minutes ago with two men carrying a very large duffel bag," Marcus explained, turning the screen toward her. "And Richard didn't just plant a phone to frame your daughter for theft."
Marcus’s voice dropped to a terrifying whisper.
"He planted that phone to act as a GPS tracker. They aren't trying to humiliate you, ma'am. They are trying to take her."
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Before Victoria could process the horrifying revelation, a loud, metallic crash echoed from the far end of the corridor. The heavy fire doors swung open, and three men in dark suits stepped into the hallway, their eyes locking immediately onto Lily.
Victoria's breath hitched. The war wasn't over. It had only just begun.
