Chapter 14 - SATURDAY
Brooke walked into the Mercer mansion at noon on Saturday as if she owned the weather.
Guests had already arrived.
Politicians.
Judges.
Business owners.
Men whose names appeared in newspapers and others who preferred not to.
Dominic waited at the end of the main hall.
"You're still marrying me?"
"You came back."
"So did you."
Then Brooke whispered, "Where is Natalie?"
"Safe."
"And Noah?"
"Don't ask about him again."
The ceremony began at six.
Federal agents were hidden among catering staff, drivers, and guests.
Emma carried champagne she had been instructed not to let anyone drink.
Natalie watched from a secure room by video.
Sarah monitored trust systems.
At 6:42, Brooke walked down the aisle.
At 6:58, the officiant asked for vows.
Maybe fear.
Maybe guilt.
Maybe both.
When the officiant reached the legal declaration, Sarah sent the signal.
The ceremony continued, but the marriage license had been replaced with an invalid training copy.
No legal marriage occurred.
Brooke believed it had.
At 7:14, she kissed Dominic.
At 7:16, she went to the powder room and sent one text.
DONE.
Federal monitoring captured it.
Recipient: Preston Hale.
Preston replied:
MIDNIGHT. EAST COTTAGE FIRST.
Then Malcolm Harrington sent:
MAKE SURE DOMINIC DRINKS.
Brooke stared at the message for a long time.
Emma, hidden in a service alcove, saw her delete it.
At dinner Brooke carried Dominic's whiskey herself.
The glass shook slightly.
"For us," she said.
He set the glass down untouched.
"You first."
Her face went white.
Then every light in the ballroom went out.
A gunshot cracked upstairs.
May you like
Natalie's secure-room camera went black.
And Noah, who was supposed to be miles away with federal protection, appeared on a hallway camera running toward the east cottage.
