Chapter 3: The Million-Dollar Invoice
Moving with a slow, deliberate precision, Richard walked over to his Italian leather briefcase sitting on the marble kitchen island. He opened it, reaching inside to grab a massive, three-inch-thick stack of legal wedding invoices, corporate catering binders, and master venue contracts.
SLAM!
The heavy stack hit the glass coffee table with a deafening, echoing thud that made Regina and her mother jump.
Thomas looked down, startled by the aggressive motion, his smug grin faltering as his eyes scanned the top page. Within seconds, his face drained of all color, turning an asymmetric shade of ghostly white. His body went completely, deathly paralyzed.
"What... what is this?" Thomas stammered, his voice cracking into a panicked, high-pitched whisper.
"Those are the binding guarantor contracts for Regina’s perfect fairy tale," Richard explained smoothly, crossing his arms as he stood tall in his navy suit. "The cathedral rental, the five-star catering, the imported floral arrangements, the live international orchestra, and that custom white lace dress she is currently wearing. Total cost: 1.2 million dollars."
Regina laughed nervously, stepping forward. "So what? You already paid for it, Richard. You signed the checks last month!"
"I authorized the payments as her father, Regina," Richard countered, his gray eyes flashing with a lethal, victorious brilliance. "But since I am officially an 'outsider' who isn't invited to the wedding, I have just spent the last twenty minutes on the phone with my legal team and the master vendors. As the sole financial guarantor, I have officially withdrawn my capital and cancelled every single authorization."
Helen dropped her champagne glass, the crystal shattering violently on the hardwood floor as she let out a horrified shriek. "Richard, you can't do that! The wedding is tomorrow! The entire high-society crowd is flying in!"
"Oh, the wedding can still happen, Helen," Richard whispered with a razor-sharp, chilling smile. "But since Thomas is her real dad, I have legally transferred the primary billing liability to the bride's immediate biological lineage. See that clause right there, Thomas?"
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Richard pointed a cold finger at the contract. Because Thomas had signed a secondary "guest of honor identity confirmation" waiver upon entering the bridal suite to secure his VIP badge, Richard's corporate lawyers had successfully executed a subrogation clause.
"If the 1.2 million dollars isn't paid in full via certified wire transfer by 5:00 p.m. today, the vendors will not open the cathedral doors," Richard announced, his voice echoing through the penthouse like a terminal judgment. "And per the cancellation penalty, a immediate five-hundred-thousand-dollar breach of contract debt will be levied directly against you, Thomas. You wanted his spot? You inherit his liability."
