Chapter 4 - The Video That Made Everyone Laugh
By eight the next morning, the wedding video had been viewed more than a million times.
The clip began with Chloe flinging cake and ended with Emma losing her job in front of a ballroom filled with wealthy guests.
Some captions mocked Liam's inexpensive clothes while others praised the waitress who stepped between him and the bride.
The footage had been edited to make the crowd's laughter sound even louder.
Accounts associated with Brandon's friends described the incident as a hilarious encounter between a successful bride and an unwanted ex-boyfriend.
But other viewers noticed how frightened Emma looked when Diane Mercer ordered her to hand over her badge.
One comment asked why an employee had been fired for requesting basic respect.
Another asked whether the hotel endorsed humiliating guests.
The Grand Royale's online reviews began filling with demands for an explanation.
Liam watched the clip in his quiet apartment above the Hudson River, his coffee untouched.
He resisted the urge to respond publicly.
A dramatic revelation might satisfy the internet, but it would not correct a payroll system, protect a frightened employee, or uncover a suspicious financing pitch.
He telephoned Henry Collins before sunrise.
"I want the facts," he said.
"Not a performance."
Henry had already assembled preliminary staff rosters, incident reports, and the security recordings.
"There are discrepancies," Henry admitted.
"Diane certified every break on the wedding schedule, but camera records suggest several servers remained on duty continuously."
"Get independent auditors involved."
"Already arranged, sir."
"And notify counsel that no records may be deleted."
Henry paused.
"What about Emma?"
"Tell her the dismissal is being reviewed, that she will be paid all earned wages, and that she has a choice about whether to participate."
He added that her identity was not to be used in publicity without permission.
At the Grand Royale, employees arrived for their morning shifts to discover the video playing on dozens of phones.
Diane ordered them to stop discussing it.
She told the banquet team that Emma had violated guest-service rules and that the dismissal was final.
When a cook asked why a guest could throw food while a server could not object, Diane wrote down his name.
Henry witnessed that exchange from the corridor.
He asked Diane to meet him in his office immediately.
She walked in expecting support.
Instead, the hotel's outside employment lawyer was seated beside Henry with several records on the table.
"Why was Emma Carter terminated?" Henry asked.
"She disrespected a client."
"Which written policy did she violate?"
Diane's expression tightened.
"She challenged the bride publicly."
"I asked about a policy."
Diane replied that managers needed discretion during important events.
Henry placed a time sheet beside the wedding program.
"Why does this show a break Emma did not take?"
"An administrative mistake."
"There are eleven similar mistakes."
Diane stared at the documents.
"Are you accusing me of fraud?"
"I'm asking questions," Henry said.
"And you must not contact witnesses or alter records while the review proceeds."
Her access to scheduling and payroll approvals was temporarily restricted pending investigation, with the process documented and a chance to respond.
Diane left in angry silence.
Across the city, Chloe woke in the Grand Royale's penthouse bridal suite to find dozens of congratulatory messages.
She smiled at the clip of Liam covered in cake.
Brandon, however, sat by the window studying his own phone.
"You should stop sharing it," he muttered.
"Why? Everyone thinks it's funny."
"Not everyone."
He showed her a growing discussion about the fired waitress.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
"People love pretending to be outraged."
Brandon was not worried about public sympathy.
He was worried because a prospective investor had asked his office to clarify its relationship with the Grand Royale.
The man's email referred to language in an investor presentation suggesting that Price Hospitality possessed rights involving the property.
Brandon had expected no one to scrutinize those claims before financing closed.
He had imagined the Grand Royale's prestige would persuade investors to provide capital for projects his family could not otherwise afford.
Now questions were arriving too early.
He called his chief financial officer, Victor Sloan, and asked whether the presentation had been changed.
Victor answered carefully.
"The deck uses 'strategic access' and 'anchor property.' You approved both phrases."
"I asked if it was changed."
"No."
"Then find out who's asking questions."
Victor hesitated.
"Brandon, we should correct the language before this becomes serious."
Brandon ended the call.
He had grown accustomed to solving discomfort by raising his voice and demanding obedience.
For the first time, he was discovering that money raised on uncertain promises required answers that intimidation could not supply.
At eleven, Liam met Henry and independent counsel in a private conference room.
They reviewed the security footage frame by frame.
Emma never touched Chloe, threatened her, or raised her voice.
Diane's account of the incident did not match the recording.
Liam instructed them to begin a documented process for correcting Emma's termination and making employees whole for verified unpaid time.
He also demanded a company-wide review rather than treating Diane as a convenient scapegoat.
"If our systems rewarded this behavior," he said, "we need to fix the systems."
The lawyer nodded and explained how workers could report information without going through Diane or her allies.
A secure channel would be established, with nonretaliation protections and outside oversight.
Near the end of the meeting, Henry handed Liam a printed promotional brochure.
Across the cover, beside a photograph of the Grand Royale's lobby, were the words PRICE HOSPITALITY: MANHATTAN'S NEXT LUXURY EMPIRE.
Liam examined the fine print.
It was just ambiguous enough to tempt an investor into the wrong conclusion.
"Did anyone authorize use of our hotel as an anchor asset?" he asked.
Henry shook his head.
"Not from our side."
Liam closed the brochure.
The humiliating wedding video had attracted the world's attention.
The brochure suggested something far more dangerous was hiding behind it.
Before leaving the room, Liam received a message from an unknown number.
It contained a screenshot of a private group chat where Diane had instructed supervisors to keep certain workers off the schedule until they learned to be grateful.
May you like
Below the screenshot was one sentence.
If you want the truth, check the invoices for the wedding itself.
