Chapter 2 - The Dressing Room Trap
The peaceful conservatory erupted into chaotic muttering as guests leaned in to whisper behind silk fans and champagne flutes. Adrian guided Clara and little Maisie into the venue's private holding suite, while Helena followed closely behind, her cheeks flushed with defensive rage.
"Adrian, listen to me!" Helena demanded, slamming the suite door shut behind them. "That paper is a protective instrument! The Winslow family business is drowning in debt, and I was merely protecting our family trust from being dragged into bankruptcy!"
Clara stood frozen, her platinum-blonde hair framing a face pale with shock. "My father's real estate firm is completely solvent, Mrs. Vale! We don't owe a single dime to anyone!"
"Then why did your father sign an emergency buyout deed with Harrison Financial three days ago?" Helena sneered, pulling her phone from her beaded clutch.
Little Maisie squeezed behind Clara, holding up her small tablet. "Because Mrs. Helena paid the notary to fake my uncle's signature! I saw her in the dressing room before the ceremony! She tore Clara's glove on purpose while helping her zip her dress so she could sew the fake paper inside!"
Adrian’s eyes narrowed into slits of ice. He reached out and took Maisie’s tablet, where a short background video recorded by the flower girl's mother showed Helena covertly sliding the folded paper into the delicate lace lining while Clara was facing the mirror.
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"You didn't just write a prenuptial clause, Mother," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet register. "You committed grand forgery."
👉 Read PART 3 to see what secret Clara's father was hiding from the entire family!
