Chapter 4 - THE PRICE OF CRUELTY
I signaled to Arthur,
who was standing near the pillars.
He stepped forward immediately,
his face an expressionless mask of service.
“Arthur,”
I said,
my voice carrying across the nearby tables.
“Please inform the manager that Table One is no longer authorized for family service.”
“What?”
Vivian shrieked,
her voice hitting a high,
unpleasant note.
“We are the Ashfords!”
“We are the hosts of this wedding!”
Arthur bowed his head slightly,
but his voice was firm.
“Actually,
Ma’am,”
“the Ashford family has not paid the final deposit for the Magnolia House usage.”
“The payment was declined this morning.”
Nathan turned a dark,
angry shade of red.
“That’s a lie!”
“I authorized that wire transfer weeks ago!”
“The wire transfer was blocked,”
I said,
crossing my arms.
“Because the bank that handles your family’s trust is also owned by the Brooks Foundation.”
“I put a hold on it.”
Nathan’s jaw dropped.
The silence in the room was no longer polite.
It was predatory.
The guests were leaning in,
their faces filled with the kind of hunger that only social destruction can feed.
Vivian staggered back,
reaching for the edge of a table for support.
“You... you blocked our money?”
“Why?”
“Because Nathan told me I was too poor to sit at your table,”
I replied.
“And I figured,
if I’m too poor to sit with you,”
“you’re too poor to use my house.”
Sloane stepped forward,
her diamonds sparkling mockingly in the light.
“Your house?”
“Madison,
you’re delusional.”
“This is a historic landmark.”
“It’s owned by a private group in New York.”
I looked at her,
feeling a surge of pity for her ignorance.
“I am that private group,
Sloane.”
“I am the majority shareholder.”
“And as of five minutes ago,”
“I’ve decided that the Ashford family is no longer welcome on the premises.”
Nathan grabbed my arm,
his grip tight and desperate.
“Madison,
don't do this.”
“You're embarrassing me.”
“No,
Nathan,”
I said,
prying his fingers off my skin.
May you like
“I’m finally seeing you clearly.”
“And you look exactly like the man I should have left years ago.”
