The Confession at the Altar
Chapter 04 - The Confession at the Altar
Mason stared at the phone in Richard’s hand and realized his father had confessed in front of the entire wedding party. The livestream showed the ballroom filled with shocked guests, employees, reporters, and federal agents watching every movement.
Richard blamed his son, and Mason blamed Natalie. Their alliance collapsed in seconds.
Mason held the wedding contract over the lighter and warned Olivia that burning it would erase the only proof connecting him to the takeover. Natalie told him copies already existed with the court, but Mason did not believe her.
He ordered Olivia to follow him to a waiting helicopter. She stepped forward, then threw her bridal veil across his arm. The flame died beneath the fabric as Natalie pulled her away and Mercer’s team rushed in.
Richard’s guards surrendered. Mason ran through the service corridor toward the ballroom.
He reached the altar and grabbed a microphone, claiming the Cross sisters had staged the scandal to avoid responsibility for Crosswell’s missing money. Some guests hesitated because the forged records still carried Natalie’s signature.
Then Samuel Price walked onto the stage.
He revealed that Mason had forced him to create a digital copy of Natalie’s credentials. Crosswell’s cybersecurity director confirmed that the stolen twelve million dollars had been routed to a Vale Meridian account minutes before the ceremony. The recovered audio file played through the ballroom speakers. Mason’s voice described the marriage as “the cleanest acquisition no regulator will ever question.”
Olivia stood in front of the man she had almost married.
“Did you ever love me?” she asked.
Mason answered too quickly. “Everything I did was for our future.”
“That isn’t love,” she said. “That is ownership.”
Federal agents arrested Mason and Richard for conspiracy, fraud, kidnapping, and evidence tampering. The missing research funds were frozen before leaving the country. Investigators also recovered the red case from a Vale storage facility, clearing Natalie and reopening the inquiry into their father’s accident.
Reporters recorded Olivia removing her engagement ring and placing it on the unsigned contract.
Natalie apologized for protecting her with secrets rather than trust. Olivia admitted she had mistaken Mason’s attention for respect because she was tired of feeling like the younger sister who needed permission.
They embraced beneath the chandeliers as the guests applauded.
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But Crosswell was still frozen, hundreds of employees were terrified, and the company might not survive the scandal.
Olivia looked at Natalie and made a decision neither sister expected.
