Chapter 17 - The Video Played
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Celeste stepped around her son, her face contorted with a desperate, aristocratic fury. She pointed a trembling, manicured finger directly at me.
"Do not listen to her!" Celeste demanded of the silent board members. "She is a vindictive, unstable girl! She abandoned her own wedding and humiliated our family. She is trying to ruin my son over a lover's quarrel!"
I didn't argue with her. I didn't raise my voice or defend my character. I simply picked up a small silver remote from the table and pressed a single button.
The large, opaque glass wall at the end of the boardroom instantly transformed into a high-definition digital screen. The footage I had captured with the hidden camera and microphone in my bridal bouquet began to play.
The audio was pristine. The room filled with the echo of the cathedral. Everyone watched as Adrian’s hand flew across the screen, striking my face with brutal, undeniable force. The sickening crack made one of the bank representatives physically flinch. Then, Adrian’s voice followed, cold, clear, and dripping with malicious intent: Don’t embarrass me again. Sign it now, or I will teach you what obedience means.
The video looped, playing Celeste's satisfied, cruel laughter as I held my bleeding cheek.
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When the recording finally ended, the screen went black. No one in the boardroom moved. The silence was absolute, suffocating, and dripping with judgment. The board members stared at Adrian with open disgust.
Naomi Chen stood up, breaking the silence. She projected a series of documents onto the screen. "In addition to felony assault, we have compiled definitive proof of systemic fraud. Mr. Vale has fabricated emails, forged Miss Ward's signature, and diverted nine million dollars of investor capital."
