Chapter 4 - The Wedding Bill
Victor refused to answer questions until his attorney arrived.
Isabella did not wait.
She found him in the cathedral office, loosening his tie.
"Did you take money from the children's wing?"
"Lower your voice."
"Did you?"
"Foundation money moves through many entities. You wouldn't understand the structure."
"Try me."
"Today is not the day for this."
"There is no wedding today. I have time."
For once, Victor had no quick answer.
Isabella looked at the invoices Rachel had photographed.
One vendor name caught her eye.
"They handled the donor gala."
"They also handled parts of my wedding."
"Isabella, enough."
"Did foundation money pay for my wedding?"
"No," Claudia said.
Isabella looked at her father.
Victor rubbed his forehead.
"Some costs were classified as donor cultivation because many major donors were attending."
"Flowers?"
"The orchestra?"
"The rehearsal dinner?"
Claudia snapped:
"You were marrying Charles Bennett. Half the room was business."
Isabella took one step back.
For the first time, the beautiful wedding around her looked dirty.
Meanwhile, Charles and Eleanor left through a side door to avoid reporters.
In the parking lot, Eleanor stopped him.
"You need to think about what you did."
"I ended a wedding to a woman who insulted you."
"You ended it in anger."
"She deserved it."
"Maybe. But you still need to own your part."
"You always do this."
"Do what?"
"Make me be reasonable when I want to be furious."
"Your father hated that too."
"Charles, we found a payment tied directly to the wedding."
"How much?"
"Two hundred sixty thousand dollars."
He stopped walking.
"From the children's fund?"
"Yes."
May you like
Rachel paused.
"And Isabella signed the reimbursement form."
