Chapter 6 - THE ALTAR OF LIES
The cathedral was packed with four hundred of the wealthiest, most powerful people in New York. The vaulted ceilings echoed with the sound of a string quartet playing a hauntingly beautiful symphony.
I stood at the altar in a dry, freshly pressed tuxedo my assistant had brought to the venue.
I watched Eleanor walk down the aisle. The cameras flashed. My mother sat in the front row, dabbing at fake tears with a lace handkerchief. It was the perfect picture of corporate royalty.
But my phone was vibrating continuously in my inside pocket.
Marcus had found it.
The priest began to speak, his voice echoing through the massive stone cathedral. He talked about loyalty, about truth, about building a future on a foundation of trust. Every word made my stomach turn.
“Julian,” the priest prompted gently. “Your vows.”
I looked at Eleanor. She smiled up at me, waiting for me to recite the lines we had rehearsed.
I reached into my pocket, but I didn't pull out the velvet box. I pulled out my phone.
I swiped the screen and looked at the message Marcus had just sent.
Got it. The forged signature wasn't generated by your mother, Julian. The IP address traces back to Eleanor’s father’s private estate. They planned this merger four years ago.
I looked up from the screen.
Eleanor’s smile faltered. “Julian? The ring.”
“You knew,” I said. The microphone clipped to my lapel caught my voice, amplifying it through the entire cathedral.
A murmur rippled through the pews.
“Julian, stop,” Eleanor whispered, her eyes widening in panic.
“You knew about Clara four years ago,” I said, my voice echoing off the stained glass windows. I looked directly at Eleanor’s father in the front row. “You forged my signature to drive the mother of my children away, just to force this merger.”
My mother stood up instantly. “Cut the microphone!” she hissed at the sound technician in the back.
But it was too late.
“I’m not marrying you, Eleanor,” I said loudly, stepping back from the altar. “And your father’s company isn’t getting the Vance tech infrastructure. In fact, I’ve just forwarded the metadata of his felony forgery to the SEC and the District Attorney.”
Eleanor’s father went pale. He pulled out his phone, likely seeing the barrage of alerts already hitting his inbox.
I didn't wait for the screaming to start. I didn't wait for my mother’s fury.
I unclipped the microphone, dropped it on the marble floor, and ran down the center aisle. I pushed past the shocked guests, bursting out the heavy wooden doors of the cathedral and into the pouring rain.
I flagged down a taxi.
“Institute for Pediatric Cardiology,” I shouted, slamming the door. “Now!”
My phone buzzed. It was Clara.
I answered it immediately. “Clara, I’m on my way. I broke the trust. The board is neutralized.”
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But Clara wasn't cheering. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
“Julian,” she sobbed, the sound of blaring medical alarms echoing in the background. “Julian, the valve… Leo’s body is rejecting the anesthesia. His heart is stopping.”
