Victoria: Mark, darling! What are you doing in here before the ceremony?
Victoria turned around from the vanity mirror, her long white designer gown trailing behind her across the plush carpet. Her diamond tiara caught the light, and her face was painted with flawless bridal makeup.
Mark: We need to talk, Victoria. Privately.
Victoria: Sweetheart, it's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before walking down the aisle!
Mark: Bad luck is the least of my concerns today.
Mark stepped into the spacious suite, closing the heavy wooden door firmly behind him. The two burly security guards standing by the window looked at each other nervously.
Victoria: Boys, give us a moment, please.
Guard 1: We're under strict instructions to stay in the room, ma'am.
Mark: Instructions from whom? This is my house.
Guard 1: Instructions from Mr. Julian, sir.
Mark chuckled coldly, leaning his back against the closed door while locking eyes with his bride.
Mark: So it's true. Julian is running the show now?
Victoria: Mark, don't be silly. Julian is just helping coordinate security for the high-profile guests.
Mark: Tell me about your father, Victoria.
Victoria’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she adjusted her delicate lace veil.
Victoria: You know my father. He's currently finalizing a corporate deal in Zurich.
Mark: Zurich? That’s strange. My grandmother said he was in a federal correctional facility in Pennsylvania.
The room went dead silent. The sound of the wedding organ playing soft music in the distance seemed to fade away completely.
Victoria: Your grandmother is seventy-two years old, Mark. Her mind isn't as sharp as it used to be.
Mark: Her eyes work just fine, Victoria. She found the briefcase in the private office.
Victoria sighed slowly, setting her bouquet of white orchids down on the dressing table.
Victoria: She was snooping through my personal legal documents?
Mark: You brought forged land deeds into my home on our wedding day, and you're upset that she found them?
Victoria: Mark, listen to me very carefully. You don't understand the big picture here.
Mark: Explain it to me then. Explain why my cousin's notary stamp is on a contract transferring my trust fund to your name.
Victoria: Your family owes money, Mark! Your father’s company was going under before I stepped in!
Mark: My father’s company is worth eighty million dollars!
Victoria: On paper, maybe! But Julian spent the last two years draining the reserve accounts to cover his gambling debts in Las Vegas!
Mark took a step toward her, his jaw clenching tightly as the truth began to piece itself together.
Mark: Julian drained the accounts?
Victoria: Yes! He came to me six months ago begging for help! He said if the bank audited the family firm, he would spend twenty years in prison!
Mark: So you offered to marry me to cover his tracks?
Victoria: I offered to restructure the assets so the federal government wouldn't seize this mansion!
Mark: By stealing everything for yourself?!
Victoria: By protecting it from Julian's creditors! I was going to give it back to you after the audit cleared!
Mark let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as he looked at the woman he was supposed to marry in less than ten minutes.
Mark: You expect me to believe you were doing this out of the goodness of your heart?
Victoria: I love you, Mark!
Mark: You love control, Victoria. And you picked the wrong family to scam.