A Wedding Without a Groom
Chapter 06 - A Wedding Without a Groom
Eight hundred guests waited at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral.
The orchestra played the processional twice. The floral arch wilted beneath the summer heat. Reporters gathered outside after rumors spread that the groom had assaulted an elderly worker.
Victor Cross arrived at the service bay in a charcoal suit, still wearing the white rose prepared for the ceremony.
He ignored Dominic and went directly to Sofia.
“Whatever Elias told you, he has spent years blaming this family for his own failures.”
Sofia opened Daniel’s envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter, but several pages were missing.
The remaining page contained one clear warning:
Victor will tell you the company survived because he was ruthless. He will never tell you how many people he made pay for his survival.
Victor’s face remained composed.
“Your father was ill when he wrote that.”
“He died in a car crash three weeks later.”
“A tragic accident.”
Elias looked at him. “You arranged the route.”
Dominic stepped between them. “Enough with the accusations.”
Sofia turned to the cameras.
“The wedding is canceled.”
The sentence traveled through the live stream before anyone in the room fully reacted.
Dominic seized her arm.
“You will not humiliate me like this.”
She looked at his hand until he released her.
“You humiliated yourself.”
Victor tried to soften his voice.
“Sofia, emotions are high. Come to the cathedral. We can discuss business afterward.”
“This is not business.”
“Everything becomes business when enough money is involved.”
The honesty of the statement silenced even Dominic.
Sofia lifted the metal case.
“I will not marry into a family that treats truth as an accounting problem.”
She walked out beside Elias and Maya.
The mechanics followed.
By the time she reached the courtyard, wedding guests had begun leaving the cathedral. Some watched the live stream on their phones. Others called assistants to remove gifts before their names became associated with the scandal.
Dominic remained beside the limousine in his red suit, surrounded by soap water, security men, and cameras.
He had spent months designing the perfect image of power.
Now the entire country watched him standing alone beside a ring no one wanted.
Victor moved close to his son.
“You let her leave with the case.”
Dominic looked at him, expecting comfort.
May you like
Instead, Victor slapped him once across the face.
“The old man was right,” Victor said. “Pity made you weak.”
