Chapter 5 - The Saboteur in White
Z
The Cathedral of Saint Jude was a towering gothic monument of marble, stained glass, and silver arches—the premier wedding location in the state, booked nearly two years in advance. Outside, the courtyard was bustling with luxury vehicles, caterers, and arriving guests dressed in high-fashion attire.
Inside the bride's private holding room, however, the atmosphere was chaotic.
Danielle was standing in front of the vanity mirror, her lace veil half-pinned into her hair, wildly gesturing at her maid of honor. "I don't care if the flowers aren't the exact shade of blush! If Brandon doesn't fix his family’s disaster in the next twenty minutes, there isn't going to be a reception!"
The room door clicked open, and Brandon stepped inside, looking disheveled, his bow tie slightly crooked.
"Did you talk to her?!" Danielle snapped, turning on her heel to glare at him. "Did Eleanor get Hannah to fix the debt issue?!"
Brandon swallowed hard, closing the door behind him. "My mother... my mother and Aunt Carol just came back from the hotel. It... it didn't go well, Danielle."
"What do you mean it didn't go well?!" Danielle shrieked, throwing her bouquet onto the makeup table, crushing several white roses. "Brandon, your father told my parents last night that Ward Global might foreclose on your family home on Monday! My father spent fifty thousand dollars on this catering! If your family goes broke, my father will disown me for dragging our name into this disaster!"
"Just keep your voice down!" Brandon pleaded, holding his hands up. "We just need to get through the ceremony! Once we're married, Nathaniel won't ruin the family publicly while everyone is watching! He’s a high-profile billionaire; he cares about his public image! He won't make a scene during the vows!"
Danielle stared at Brandon, her mind racing. She looked at his pale, sweating face, his desperation, and realized with sickening clarity that the wealthy, secure future she had envisioned with the "rising tech star" was an absolute illusion. Brandon wasn't a visionary; he was a fragile child clinging to his father's failing bank account.
"Get out," Danielle said, her voice turning eerily cold.
"Danielle, babe—"
"I said get out! I need to finish my makeup!"
Once Brandon hastily retreated from the room, Danielle grabbed her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. She pulled up a contact card she had secretly acquired months ago through her high-society event planning network—the direct line for Nathaniel Ward’s executive assistant.
Two minutes later, Nathaniel was standing near the cathedral’s side courtyard, away from the bustling crowd of guests, enjoying a moment of quiet before the ceremony began. His phone buzzed in his hand.
He answered it calmly. "Ward."
"Nathaniel... Mr. Ward?" Danielle’s voice came through the speaker, breathless, melodic, and deliberately pathetic. "It’s... it’s Danielle. Brandon’s fiancee."
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you get this number, Danielle?"
"That doesn't matter," she said quickly, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "Look, I’m in the bride's room right now, and... I need to tell you the truth. I can't go through with this wedding knowing what Brandon and his family have done to Hannah."
Nathaniel didn't respond, letting the silence stretch, waiting for the hook.
"I didn't know how terrible they were to her, I swear!" Danielle continued desperately. "Brandon lied to me about everything. He told me Hannah was a bitter, toxic person who hated her family. But after seeing how they acted yesterday... and seeing how much you love her... I realize I’m marrying into a family of monsters."
"What is your point, Danielle?" Nathaniel asked, his tone flat and unreadable.
"My point is... I want out," she murmured softly. "I know you hold Brandon’s debt and the house lien. If... if I help you completely expose Brandon’s financial fraud to the press... if I give you all his private emails and company records that I saved on my laptop... will you protect me? Will you make sure my family isn't dragged down in the lawsuit?"
She paused, taking a soft, theatrical breath before adding, "And maybe... maybe we could discuss a private business settlement for my cooperation? I’ve always admired men who know how to handle real power, Nathaniel. Brandon is nothing compared to you."
Nathaniel stared out at the cathedral gardens, a dark, dismissive smile playing on his lips.
"Danielle," Nathaniel said, his voice dropping into a chillingly quiet register. "Do you know what my favorite feature of modern smartphone technology is?"
There was a brief pause on the line. "What?"
"The automatic call recorder connected to my security server," Nathaniel replied smoothly. "Every word you just said—offering to betray your groom fifteen minutes before your wedding in exchange for protection and cash—has been saved to a cloud drive."
Danielle froze on the other end of the line, the sound of her rapid breathing suddenly cutting off.
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"I have no interest in your petty deals," Nathaniel continued coldly. "And my wife doesn't need your fake sympathy. Walk down that aisle, or don't. It makes no difference to me. But if you call this line again, I’ll send this audio file directly to your father and every guest in that sanctuary."
Nathaniel ended the call without waiting for a response, wiped his phone screen on his suit sleeve, and walked back into the cathedral to find me.
