Chapter 1 - THE CALL THAT ENDED THE WEDDING
The music stopped so suddenly that hundreds of conversations died with it.
One second, the beach had been glowing beneath thousands of warm lights.
The next, there was nothing but the sound of waves crashing against the reef.
Sarah stood frozen in the middle of the reception.
Her ruined wedding dress dragged behind her.
Her champagne glass trembled in her hand.
“What did you do?”
I looked at her.
“I told them to cancel everything.”
Greg stepped forward.
His confident smile had disappeared.
“Elena, this is not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
My eight-year-old daughter, Mia, was still holding my hand.
Her shoulder was beginning to swell where she had fallen.
She looked frightened.
“Mommy, are we going home?”
I knelt beside her.
“Yes.”
Sarah stared at us.
“You cannot cancel my wedding.”
I stood again.
“Actually, I can.”
My father laughed nervously.
“Enough, Elena.”
He lowered his voice.
“You've embarrassed yourself enough.”
I looked at him.
“You still don't understand.”
My mother stepped closer.
“Understand what?”
I pulled out my phone.
On the screen was the master reservation account.
Every villa.
Every yacht.
Every helicopter.
Every catering contract.
Every wedding vendor.
Every payment.
All of them carried the same authorization.
Mine.
Mom stared at the screen.
Then she laughed.
“That doesn't prove anything.”
“It proves everything.”
Greg snatched the phone from my hand.
His eyes moved rapidly across the screen.
His face changed.
I watched the color drain from his cheeks.
Sarah noticed.
“Greg?”
He didn't answer.
“Greg, what's wrong?”
He finally looked at me.
“You own this island?”
Nobody spoke.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Dad's champagne glass slipped from his fingers.
It shattered against the stone.
Mom stared at me as if she had never seen me before.
Sarah whispered:
“You're lying.”
“I've never lied to you about anything.”
“But Greg paid for this!”
“No.”
I looked directly at her.
“I did.”
Sarah's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Then Mia tugged at my dress.
“Mommy?”
I looked down.
Her eyes were wet.
“Can we leave?”
I wrapped my arm around her.
“Yes.”
And we walked away.
Behind us, the wedding that my family had spent three days bragging about began disappearing piece by piece.
But I didn't know yet that canceling the wedding would only be the beginning.
Because the moment I stepped into the private villa, my phone rang.
The caller ID made my stomach tighten.
It was the chief security officer of the island.
I answered.
“What happened?”
His voice was low.
“Ms. Carter, you need to come back immediately.”
“Why?”
“There is something you need to see.”
I looked at Mia.
“What is it?”
A pause.
Then he said:
“We found a second contract.”
My heart stopped.
May you like
“What contract?”
“The one your sister signed.”
