Chapter 13 - The Chandelier Witness.
The wedding reception became a boardroom at 11:49 p.m.
Victor ordered the remaining executives among the guests into a private dining salon while police secured Celeste and Owen downstairs.
Samuel was kept under supervision in the ballroom.
Adrian sat with ice against his jaw and shame written across his face.
"Can we revoke the proxy?" Claire asked.
Victor's general counsel, Helen Cho, had arrived after the first police call and was already reading the scanned document.
"Maybe."
"Maybe isn't enough."
"It is if the signature was obtained by fraud."
Adrian looked up.
"I signed it willingly."
Helen stared at him.
"Did you know what it was?"
"No."
"Then we challenge it."
Victor checked the time.
11:52.
Marcus entered carrying a photographer's camera.
"We found something."
Claire looked up.
"What?"
"A backup none of them knew existed."
The wedding photographer, Lena Ortiz, followed him.
She looked terrified and furious.
"My main cameras upload wirelessly to my studio every thirty seconds."
Victor frowned.
"The signal jammer should have blocked that."
"It did after seven twelve."
Lena held up the camera.
"But this body stores a local duplicate."
Claire's pulse quickened.
"Did you photograph the bridal corridor?"
"Better."
Lena opened a video file.
She had been filming decorative footage of the chandelier from an upper balcony when Celeste and Samuel had spoken below, unaware the camera microphone was running.
The image mostly showed crystal light.
The audio was clear.
Samuel's voice came first.
"Adrian hasn't read the proxy."
Celeste answered.
"He never reads anything when I put my hand on his shoulder."
Samuel sounded nervous.
"If Claire interferes?"
"Then Claire becomes the unstable sister who attacked a bride on her wedding day."
"And if she has evidence?"
A pause.
Then Celeste laughed.
"Owen will handle it."
The room went silent.
Adrian lowered the ice pack.
Helen looked at the time stamp.
5:41 p.m.
Before the ceremony.
"This proves premeditated fraud."
Victor looked at Adrian.
"Can we stop the proxy?"
Helen was already typing.
"I can send notice to the board, the transfer agent, and our outside counsel that the proxy is disputed and obtained through fraud."
"Do it."
11:55.
Claire looked at Lena.
"Do you have anything from the bridal suite?"
Lena hesitated.
"Not inside."
"Then the assault still becomes her word against mine."
Lena shook her head.
"Not exactly."
She found another clip.
It showed Celeste leaving the bridal suite alone.
Her face was flushed.
In her right hand was the silver hairbrush.
Dark green thread was caught in its decorative edge.
Thirty seconds later, Claire emerged bent forward, holding her back.
It was not the assault itself.
But it was evidence.
Claire stared at the screen.
Her hands began to shake.
Victor touched her shoulder carefully.
"You don't have to watch."
"Yes, I do."
She looked at Adrian.
"He does too."
Adrian watched the entire clip.
When it ended, he closed his eyes.
"I am going to tell them everything."
Victor did not praise him.
"You should have done that hours ago."
"I know."
11:58.
Helen hit SEND.
The formal notice went to every director and custodian involved in Monday's vote.
One minute remained.
Then Victor's phone rang.
It was the chairman of Northridge Medical Systems.
Victor answered.
The voice on the other end spoke for less than ten seconds.
Victor's expression changed.
He ended the call.
Claire stepped closer.
"What happened?"
Victor looked at the room.
"Northridge just withdrew from the deal."
Adrian exhaled in relief.
Victor did not.
"They didn't withdraw because of our notice."
He looked toward the ballroom.
"Someone sent them the abuse footage twenty minutes ago."
Claire frowned.
"What abuse footage?"
May you like
Victor's eyes turned toward the chandelier.
"The footage we thought had been deleted."
