Chapter 2 - The Groom's Defection
"Clara."
The voice was ragged, breathless. I didn't even look up from the linen napkin I was placing on Leo's lap.
Julian had crossed the massive lawn in record time. He stood over our table, his chest heaving, ignoring the frantic whispers of the four hundred guests watching us. Beatrice was sobbing at the altar, her political dynasty parents looking ready to wage war.
"Hello, Julian," I said coolly, finally meeting his gaze. "Congratulations on the nuptials. Though I must say, the caviar at this table is a bit warm."
Julian ignored my barb. His eyes were glued to the triplets. Silas was busy examining a silver butter knife, Miles was adjusting his perfectly tailored cuffs, and Leo, my fiercely protective oldest, was staring his father down with a coldness that rivaled Victoria’s.
"Are they...?" Julian choked on the words. He reached out a trembling hand toward Leo.
"Don't touch me," Leo said sharply. The five-year-old’s voice was polite but coated in absolute ice. "My mother didn't give you permission."
Julian flinched as if he had been physically struck. "Clara, please. Tell me."
Before I could answer, a screech broke the tension. Victoria Sterling, flanked by four burly security guards, stormed through the crowd. Her designer mother-of-the-groom dress looked suddenly entirely inappropriate for a woman losing her mind.
"Get her out of here!" Victoria shrieked, pointing a shaking, jewel-encrusted finger at me. "Security! Remove this trash and those... those bastards from my property immediately!"
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The guards stepped forward, but before they could even reach for me, a line of men in dark suits stepped seamlessly from the shadows of the catering tent. My private security detail. Highly paid, highly trained, and deeply intimidating. They formed a human wall between my table and Victoria.
"I wouldn't do that, Victoria," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Unless you want me to buy this estate out from under you and turn it into a public parking lot. The paperwork is already in my car."
