Part 2: The Core Asset Liquidation

“The core institutional ledger cannot process an emergency administrative override at this hour, Thomas!” my sister’s voice completely lost its cheerful, triumphant cadence, her frantic tone bleeding through the quiet…

I walked down the aisle with a split lip and a torn veil. My groom smirked at his friends. “She needed a reminder of who’s boss before we sign the papers,” he laughed loudly. The entire congregation, including his mother, chuckled. At the altar, he handed me a gold pen, expecting me to quietly sign away my late father’s $50M company. I didn’t cry. I calmly looked him in the eye, snapped the expensive pen in half, and reached deep into my bridal bouquet. The item I pulled out made his smug face go deathly pale.

The dried blood marked the corner of my mouth, poorly hidden beneath a thick layer of translucent powder and expensive setting spray. The heavy pearls embroidered onto my silk gown…
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