Chapter 6 - THE SHATTERED GLASS
The morning of the wedding was a masterpiece of orchestrated chaos. My event production team, blindly following my strict, bizarre instructions, had rigged the grand ballroom of the Four Seasons with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. "For a surprise montage for the groom," I had told them.
I sat in the bridal suite, staring at myself in the mirror. I wore a stunning Vera Wang gown, my hair swept up in an elegant chignon. I looked like a princess. I felt like an executioner.
At 1:15 PM, there was a heavy knock on the door. Before I could answer, it swung open. Elijah Herndon stepped in, locking the door behind him. The buttery charm was gone from his face, replaced by a dark, terrifying fury. He held his phone tightly in his hand.
“What did you do?” he snarled, advancing toward me.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I remained seated, calmly adjusting my diamond earrings. “I’m not sure what you mean, Elijah. The wedding starts in forty-five minutes.”
He slammed his hands down on my vanity, shattering a perfume bottle. The scent of jasmine and alcohol filled the room. “My bank just called me, you stupid bitch! They froze my accounts. They said an external entity initiated a total collateral seizure based on the contracts signed last night. Who the hell do you think you’re playing with?”
He reached out and grabbed me by the throat, pulling me up from the chair. His grip was like iron, cutting off my air. The polished, cultured businessman was gone; the violent thug beneath was finally exposed.
“You’re going to call your rat lawyer right now, and you’re going to reverse it, or you are never walking out of this room,” he hissed, his spit hitting my face.
I clawed at his hands, struggling to breathe. My vision blurred around the edges. Just as I thought I might pass out, the door to the adjoining bathroom burst open.
Brianna flew across the room. She was holding a heavy bronze lamp, and with a feral scream, she swung it as hard as she could. It connected with the side of Elijah’s head with a sickening crack.
Elijah roared in pain, dropping me and stumbling backward, clutching a gash above his ear. I fell to the floor, gasping for air, clutching my bruised throat.
“Don’t you ever touch her!” Brianna screamed, standing between me and the monster who had terrorized her for years. She was shaking, terrified, but she didn’t back down.
Before Elijah could recover and lunge at her, the suite door was kicked open. Two massive men in dark suits—my private security detail—stormed in, tackling Elijah to the ground and pinning his arms behind his back.
I slowly stood up, smoothing down the skirts of my wedding dress. I looked down at Elijah, who was thrashing and cursing on the carpet.
May you like
“Keep him here,” I rasped to the security guards. I turned to Brianna and held out my hand. “Come with me. It’s time to get married.”
Brianna took my hand, her eyes wide. We walked out of the suite, leaving Elijah screaming on the floor, and headed toward the grand ballroom. The final act was about to begin.
