Chapter 3 - The Bride Who Walked Away With Nothing|
I left the church wearing my wedding dress.
Not because I wanted to make a statement.
Not because I imagined the photographs would be dramatic.
Because I couldn't bear the thought of spending another minute in a room where everyone knew I'd been betrayed.
My father walked beside me.
He had gone very quiet.
That frightened me more than if he'd shouted.
Dad had always been the calm one in our family.
When my mother died, he made breakfast the next morning because he knew I would forget to eat.
When our roof leaked, he climbed into the attic himself.
When my grandmother passed away, he held my hand through the funeral.
Now he walked me down the church steps without saying a word.
At the bottom, he stopped.
"Ren."
I turned.
His eyes were wet.
"Yes, Dad?"
"Are you certain you don't want to speak to Derek?"
I looked toward the church doors.
Derek was standing inside, arguing with Roman Valenti.
Cassandra hovered nearby.
I remembered the laugh I'd heard outside the linen closet.
The belt buckle striking the shelves.
The casual certainty in Derek's voice.
We have time.
I turned back.
"No."
Dad nodded.
"Then we go home."
I almost cried.
There was no lecture.
No suggestion that we discuss it later.
No reminder of the money spent on flowers and catering.
Just my father.
Choosing me.
We were halfway to his car when someone called my name.
"Ren."
Roman Valenti.
He approached alone.
The three men who had accompanied him remained near the church entrance.
Up close, he looked even more imposing.
His black suit fit perfectly across his shoulders.
The scar along his jaw was pale against his skin.
But his expression wasn't threatening.
It was careful.
"Miss Whitaker."
I stared at him.
"What now?"
He accepted the sharpness without complaint.
"I wanted to tell you that my attorneys will preserve the property documents and provide them to your counsel."
My father stepped forward.
"Are you saying Derek forged something?"
Roman looked at him.
"We have concerns about the signatures and authorization. I don't want to make claims before they're examined."
Dad's expression darkened.
"My daughter's house."
Roman nodded.
"Yes."
I felt my chest tighten.
"Why would you tell me this at my wedding?"
For the first time, Roman looked uncomfortable.
"Because I learned this morning that the transaction was scheduled around today's marriage."
I stared.
"So you decided to interrupt my wedding?"
"I came prepared to stop the transaction and speak with Derek."
He paused.
"Your announcement happened before I could explain anything."
I looked down at my dress.
A bead had loosened near the waist.
It seemed absurdly important.
Four months of careful saving.
Three fittings.
A dress I had imagined wearing when I became someone's wife.
Now I was standing outside a church with no wedding and a possible financial disaster attached to my name.
"Mr. Valenti," I whispered, "I don't know what you want from me."
His expression softened.
"Nothing."
I laughed bitterly.
"Men keep telling me that right before they take something."
Roman didn't flinch.
"Then you have every reason to be cautious."
I looked at him.
He continued.
"You don't owe me a conversation. I only wanted you to know my company won't proceed with the disputed arrangement."
Dad nodded slowly.
"That's appreciated."
Roman handed him a business card.
"My attorney's contact information."
Then he stepped back.
I watched him.
Something about his restraint surprised me.
I'd expected someone like Roman Valenti to give orders.
Instead, he was leaving.
Just like that.
"Wait," I said.
He turned.
"Yes?"
"How much money did Derek borrow?"
Roman hesitated.
"Approximately two million dollars."
My stomach dropped.
Two million.
I could barely afford the property taxes on my grandmother's house.
Derek had borrowed enough money to destroy my life.
I swallowed.
"And he used my house?"
Roman's expression darkened.
"He attempted to."
I stared toward the church.
Derek was now speaking urgently into his phone.
Cassandra stood beside him.
For a moment, he looked like a stranger.
Then Roman said quietly:
"Miss Whitaker, there's something else."
I looked back.
"What?"
"The lender received a message yesterday."
My heart tightened.
"What message?"
Roman studied me.
"It said Derek intended to transfer the property after the wedding."
I stared.
"And?"
He hesitated.
"The message came from Cassandra's phone."
The world seemed to tilt.
My maid of honor.
My oldest friend.
The woman who had helped me choose the wedding dress.
The woman who had stood beside me while I cried after my mother's death.
She hadn't simply been sleeping with my fiancé.
She might have been helping him steal my home.
I covered my mouth.
My father reached for me.
"Ren."
I shook my head.
"I need to get out of here."
He nodded.
We climbed into his car.
As he drove away, I looked back once.
Roman Valenti stood alone on the church steps.
May you like
Watching the car disappear.
And for reasons I couldn't explain, I had the strangest feeling that the most dangerous man in Chicago might have been the only stranger that morning who hadn't lied to me.
Related Stories
