Chapter 4: The Witness and the Verdict
The confrontation was brutal in its simplicity. Arthur walked to the center of the floor, not as a victim, but as a ghost returning to reclaim his soul. He didn't look at his brother; he looked at the guests, the men and women who had profited from his disappearance. He began to recount the names of the board members who had signed off on his "disappearance," effectively turning the wedding into an impromptu grand jury hearing.
Clara stood by his side, her torn dress now a badge of defiance. The senator was no longer the most powerful man in the room; he was a frantic, cornered rat. He signaled to his security detail, but the guards stood down. They had seen the screens; they had seen the evidence of the pensions he had promised them being diverted into the same offshore accounts he used to pay them. Loyalty, in the face of absolute exposure, evaporated.
"The wedding is over, Senator," Arthur said, his voice echoing with finality. "But the sentencing has just begun."
