Chapter 10 - The Approaching Hour
Downstairs in the grand ballroom, the atmosphere was reaching a crescendo of joyous anticipation. The orchestra transitioned from classical background music to the elegant, stirring opening notes of the bridal march preamble. The guests, numbering over three hundred of the city’s most influential figures, began taking their designated seats on either side of the long, white silk runner that served as the aisle.
Adrian Vance stood at the altar, waiting beneath an archway of thousands of cascading white orchids. His best man, Thomas, stood beside him, offering a reassuring clap on the shoulder.
"You ready for this, man?" Thomas whispered, adjusting his own tie. "No backing out now. She's a catch."
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," Adrian replied, a genuine, warm smile illuminating his usually stoic face. He looked down at his silver watch. The ceremony was scheduled to begin in exactly five minutes.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Claudia re-entered the bridal suite, slightly breathless but completely composed. She quickly smoothed the skirts of her gown and checked her reflection in the gilded mirror. Her hair was still perfect. Her makeup was unsmudged. She carefully tucked the leather portfolio containing the stolen documents into her bridal emergency bag, handing it off to her maid of honor with strict instructions to keep it safe.
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"It's time, Claudia," the wedding planner announced, popping her head into the suite with a frantic, excited smile. "They are waiting for you at the top of the stairs."
"I'm ready," Claudia said softly. She took a deep, centering breath, instantly transforming her expression from that of a ruthless schemer into the radiant, blushing bride. The ultimate performance was about to begin, and she was confident that she had silenced the only witness to her treachery.
