CHAPTER 3
A wave of pure horror swept through the ballroom like wildfire, unleashing a flurry of sharp, gasping breaths and furious whispers among the elite guests.
Natalie slammed her champagne glass onto the linen tablecloth, the expensive crystal shattering into dozens of sharp fragments as dark red wine spilled across her white silk dress.
"That's a lie!" Natalie shrieked, jumping to her feet, her face contorting into an ugly mask of pure rage as her mother desperately tried to pull her back down. "She's insane! Jackson, do something! Your mother has lost her mind!"
Jackson leaped from his chair, his face red with sudden embarrassment as he marched toward the stage to grab the microphone from my hands.
"Mom, stop this right now!" Jackson shouted, his voice cracking with desperation as he reached for my arm. "You're embarrassing yourself and destroying my wedding!"
I stepped back gracefully, avoiding his reach while my younger sister, Judith, stepped directly onto the stage, placing herself firmly between Jackson and me.
"Don't you dare touch your mother, Jackson," Judith commanded, her sharp eyes locking onto him with a fierce protectiveness that made him pause in his tracks. "You have been blind to that monster's cruelty for eighteen months, but today your mother is opening your eyes."
I held up the second document—a certified high-resolution report from the leading forensic handwriting analyst in the state of Illinois.
"This afternoon," I announced calmly into the microphone, "the Chicago Police Department verified the fingerprints on this note, matching them directly to Natalie’s recent passport application."
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Two uniformed officers from the Chicago Police Department stepped through the double mahogany doors at the back of the ballroom, accompanied by my private security team.
Natalie backed away from her table, her eyes darting frantically toward the exit doors as the entire room watched her fairytale empire crumble into dust in real time.
