“That money is committed.”

I opened another file on my phone. “Committed, or imaginary?”

His eyes snapped toward me.

For months, while reviewing vendor insurance, my lawyers had discovered that Adrian’s company used photos of properties it did not own. Its official headquarters was a mailbox store. Several investors had contacted my legal team after seeing his name on the wedding announcement.

I had planned to warn Vanessa privately after the honeymoon.

Then she ordered security to remove me from the wedding I financed.

I projected the corporate records onto the ballroom screen. Empty subsidiaries. Late filings. Lawsuits. A fraud judgment.

Adrian lunged toward the control table, but two guards stopped him.

“You hacked me!” he shouted.

“No,” I said. “Public records are free. Good lawyers are not.”

One investor stood. “You told us that judgment was dismissed.”

Another looked at his phone. “And Riverside isn’t your property.”

Vanessa turned to Adrian. “What did you do?”

He grabbed her arm and hissed, “Smile. We can still control this.”

That was when everything changed.

Mom pointed at me, furious. “This is your fault. Fix it.”

I looked at the stage where they had mocked me minutes earlier.

“No,” I said. “You attacked the only person here who could have saved you.”

Part 3

Vanessa’s wedding did not fall apart all at once. It collapsed piece by piece, bill by bill, which made it even more humiliating.

The orchestra stopped as soon as its prepaid set ended. The bartenders closed the bar. The florist refused to move the centerpieces for the brunch. The transportation company canceled the getaway cars, and the travel agency placed the Santorini reservations on hold.

Marisol approached Vanessa with her tablet. “The reception can continue if someone signs a new agreement and pays the remaining balance.”

Mom shoved the tablet at Adrian. “Sign it.”

He signed, then tried three different cards.

All declined.

Vanessa turned to me, mascara gathering beneath her eyes. “Claire, please. We’re sisters.”

“Ten minutes ago, I was your useless sister.”

“I was emotional.”

“No. You were comfortable.”