Chapter 2 - The Silent Transaction
The silence in the ballroom was so heavy that the quiet hum of the laptop fan was audible to the guests sitting in the front row.
Daniel’s face flickered from humiliation to deep, clawing panic. "Claire, stop... please, let's talk about this in private!" he pleaded, reaching out a trembling hand toward her lace sleeve. "We're in front of everyone! My boss is sitting at table four!"
Claire ignored his outstretched hand completely. On the bright screen of her laptop, an active banking portal displayed a pending wire transfer of $11,200 labeled Spring Semester Tuition - St. Jude College.
Melissa pushed past two groomsmen, her face flushed red with rage as she pointed a French-manicured fingernail at Claire. "You promised! You signed the pledge last month! My son spent three years getting into that engineering program, and you're going to ruin his future over a wedding disagreement?!"
Claire looked up from the screen, her brown eyes completely devoid of warmth.
"I promised to support my husband's family when I believed my husband was honest," Claire stated coldly. "I didn't promise to fund a criminal enterprise built on my stolen bank accounts."
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Without missing a beat, Claire brought her index finger down on the glowing trackpad, clicking the bright red button labeled 'Cancel Wire Transfer'.
👉 Click to continue reading and see Daniel's reaction as his sister's financial lifeline evaporates.
