Chapter 3
By the following morning, the viral video had accumulated over forty million views and dominated every major morning news broadcast. Cable news networks dissected the bride's designer dress, her public meltdown, and the shocking revelation of unpaid venue rent.
Inside her parents' sprawling estate in the Hamptons, Victoria sat staring blankly at a television screen reporting her ruin. Her diamond necklace lay discarded on the coffee table beside an empty glass of expensive champagne that tasted like dust.
Her father, a prominent Wall Street investor, paced frantically across the Persian rug while screaming into his encrypted satellite phone. "What do you mean her accounts are frozen? She was supposed to inherit the primary trust fund yesterday!" he yelled.
The voice on the other end of the line delivered the fatal blow without an ounce of professional sympathy. "Federal investigators seized all familial holding accounts under suspicion of multi-million-dollar wire fraud and shell company laundering," the lawyer replied.
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Victoria covered her face with her shaking hands as the terrifying magnitude of her new reality settled over her. The luxurious lifestyle, the high-society invitations, and the untouchable social status had vanished overnight like morning mist.
She was no longer the queen of Manhattan society; she was the primary subject of a massive federal financial investigation.
