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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nClose behind her were two financial investigation agents and a marked patrol car from the local authorities, their presence turning the festive garden into a crime scene.<\/p>\n
The violinist stopped playing mid-note, and the civil judge who had been standing by the arch took three hurried steps backward as if to distance himself from the scene.<\/p>\n
Gregory tried to pull a sheepish smile, but it broke halfway across his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, this is all just a misunderstanding,\u201d Gregory stammered, his eyes darting between Katherine and the officers.<\/p>\n
Katherine moved with purpose, stopping directly next to Wendy and standing like a shield.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sure we can clarify things,\u201d Katherine said, her voice cool and professional. \u201cWe can start with the forged legal signatures, the attempted fraudulent mortgage, the unauthorized transfer of eight million dollars, and the malicious request to have my client declared mentally incapacitated.\u201d<\/p>\n
A collective gasp swept through the garden, and the guests began to shuffle uncomfortably.<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s mother clutched her designer handbag as if it were a life raft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is nothing but baseless slander and lies!\u201d she cried out.<\/p>\n
The lead investigator, a man with a sharp, no-nonsense demeanor named Detective Fletcher, stepped forward and held up his identification.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have more than enough evidence,\u201d Fletcher said, looking directly at Gregory. \u201cWe have bank applications, time-stamped emails, digital access logs, and documents that were sent directly from your home computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregory turned to look at Wendy, his expression shifting from panic to pure, unfiltered hatred.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have been planning this trap for a long time, haven\u2019t you?\u201d he spat.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Wendy said, her voice devoid of emotion. \u201cI was simply paying attention to your actions while you thought I was too weak to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
For months, Gregory had insisted that his own firm was facing a massive financial crisis and that Wendy needed to sell off her assets and trust his judgment to save them.<\/p>\n
Wendy hadn\u2019t been fooled, though; she had quietly secured a private investment worth over forty million dollars and kept the details completely hidden from her husband because her intuition told her something was fundamentally wrong.<\/p>\n
Gregory had found a draft of that agreement in her office and decided, along with Isabella, that the money should be his.<\/p>\n
Isabella, who worked as a paralegal at a high-end firm in the city, had used her access to obtain sensitive forms and helped forge old signatures to set up a shell company to siphon the funds.<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s mother had even contacted a physician willing to testify that Wendy suffered from mental instability, while Gregory\u2019s father had used his connections to find a bank executive who would push the loan through without proper vetting.<\/p>\n
Everything was scheduled to be finalized on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
The wedding dinner was meant to be their pre-celebration for a robbery they thought was already successful.<\/p>\n
Katherine opened the beige folder on the table and checked the first page with a cynical smirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow interesting,\u201d Katherine said, turning the page toward the crowd.<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s father tried to push forward, attempting to salvage his image.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat document is legally binding, and Gregory has rights to this house,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n
Katherine looked up, her expression mocking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis document is clearly intended to transfer a property belonging to a firm called Lira Consultores, but it is not valid here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is exactly what we intended,\u201d Isabella chimed in, sounding desperate.<\/p>\n
Katherine smiled, a sharp, dangerous look.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see, this house has never belonged to that company; it is held in a private family trust that Gregory could not touch even if he forged a thousand signatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The silence in the garden became heavy, almost suffocating, as the implications settled over the guests.<\/p>\n
Wendy took a deep, steadying breath for the first time in an hour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house is protected by a trust established by my grandmother,\u201d Wendy said, her voice clear. \u201cNo one here had the power to sign it away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Isabella turned to Gregory, her eyes wide with betrayal.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me you had verified the ownership documents!\u201d she hissed at him.<\/p>\n
Gregory gritted his teeth, his face turning bright red.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust be quiet!\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n
Detective Fletcher took the folder from Katherine, bagging it as evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cFurthermore, the wire transfer for eight million dollars was flagged and frozen this morning due to a bank alert,\u201d Fletcher said, looking at Gregory. \u201cMrs. Lira didn\u2019t call the bank. She called our department.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s mother started to tremble, her composure crumbling into a series of jagged sobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWendy, you know he loves you, he was just confused, and that woman manipulated him!\u201d she cried, pointing a shaking finger at Isabella.<\/p>\n
Isabella let out a sharp, bitter laugh, her eyes flashing with anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe? You were the one who kept saying Wendy was too fragile and weak to ever defend herself!\u201d she shouted back.<\/p>\n
The guests began to scramble toward the gate, eager to distance themselves from the unfolding disaster.<\/p>\n
One of the business partners frantically removed his blazer and hurried to his car, while an aunt murmured that she didn\u2019t want her face to appear in any legal records or news videos.<\/p>\n
The caterers began to dismantle the buffet as quietly as they could, looking for an exit.<\/p>\n
Gregory grabbed Wendy by the arm, trying to force her to listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is enough, Wendy! Tell them to leave right now!\u201d he barked.<\/p>\n
An officer immediately stepped in, pulling Gregory away from her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not put your hands on her,\u201d the officer warned.<\/p>\n
Isabella saw the opportunity and tried to sneak toward the back exit.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t go anywhere, Isabella,\u201d Wendy said, her voice stopping the other woman in her tracks.<\/p>\n
Wendy pulled out her phone again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still have a few things to hear,\u201d she said, her finger hovering over the screen.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 3: THE FINAL LOCK<\/h3>\n
The speakers placed around the garden crackled, first emitting a dry, static noise, and then a clear, crisp audio file began to play.<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s voice was unmistakable: \u201cOnce the money comes in, I\u2019m marrying Isabella. Wendy will be away on her trip, and she won\u2019t even realize what happened until it\u2019s far too late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then came the sound of Isabella\u2019s high-pitched, mocking laughter. \u201cAnd what if she decides to come back and make a scene when she finds out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, the voice of Gregory\u2019s mother cut through the air, sharp and unrepentant: \u201cThat is what the doctor is for. Nobody is going to believe a hysterical woman who claims her house was stolen on her own anniversary night.\u201d<\/p>\n
The guests were frozen, the warm garden lights now looking like nothing more than harsh interrogation lamps.<\/p>\n
Wendy looked at Gregory, the man she had loved for four years, and felt absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n
She had spent years believing his fatigue, his empty promises about their future, and his comforting hugs that were nothing more than a disguise for his next deception.<\/p>\n
Now, his face was just a mask of pure, selfish fury because he hadn\u2019t managed to get his way.<\/p>\n
The recording continued to play, revealing every vile detail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am going to keep her pearl earrings,\u201d Isabella\u2019s voice said, sounding pleased with herself. \u201cIt\u2019s not like she even appreciates them enough to wear them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gregory\u2019s response was even colder: \u201cTake whatever you want, sweetheart. Once you sign the transfer, everything she owns will be under my control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then came the voice of Gregory\u2019s father: \u201cThe loan must be finalized before the week is over. If the girl suspects anything, use emotional manipulation. Just tell her that a single woman cannot manage such wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
An elderly lady in the back of the crowd crossed herself, looking horrified.<\/p>\n