The next day, I sent Marcus a perfectly timed text message:

"Congratulations on your wedding."

At the lavishly decorated venue, Marcus kept glancing towards the entrance, his brow furrowed with impatience. He turned to his best man. "Why isn't Sophia here yet? She was supposed to give a public apology to Mrs. Williams today."

The best man was scrolling through his phone, his face pale. "I… I don't think she's coming, Marcus. She's a little busy with her own wedding right now."

Hearing this, Marcus froze in the center of the grand ballroom.

The venue was a fairytale of champagne roses, Diana's favorite. Guests mingled, champagne flutes in hand. Everything was perfect.

But Marcus's hand tightened around his phone, his knuckles white as he stared at the headline dominating the news feeds: "Quinn Family Heir Marries Blackwood Syndicate Don in Shocking Alliance; 'True Vows' Collection Launches."

A cold sweat broke out on his palms. He frantically dialed the number he knew by heart, but the call went straight to voicemail.

"How is this possible?" he whispered.

Diana rushed to his side, taking his icy hand. "Marcus, what is it? Your hands are freezing."

He gripped her hand tightly. "Sophia… she married someone else!"

Diana took his phone, glanced at the screen, and frowned before forcing a smile. "Darling, that's impossible. Sophia adores you. This must be some kind of power play, a business stunt. These family heads will do anything for money, even stage a fake marriage."

"A fake marriage?" Marcus's panic subsided slightly, clinging to the explanation.

"Come on, Marcus. It's time," Diana urged, pulling him toward the altar. "Let's go."

The officiant began the ceremony. Marcus forced a smile, exchanged rings with Diana, and kissed her.

Just as the applause began, the ballroom doors burst open with a resounding bang.

A procession of men in dark suits walked in, their movements precise and orderly.

Marcus’s first thought was that Sophia had come to make a scene. He was about to smile condescendingly when he froze.

The men weren't his or Sophia's. They were federal agents.

Panic seized him. "Officers, we're all law-abiding citizens here. Is there a problem?"

The lead agent ignored him, unfolding a warrant. "We have a complaint filed by Ms. Sophia Quinn against one Diana Williams for felony theft and fraud involving the misappropriation of assets. The evidence is conclusive. Please come with us."

Marcus was completely stunned. "Officers, what theft? The dowry… Sophia gave it to me. It was mine to give to Diana. It's all legal."

The agent's eyes were like steel. "Your supposed legal claim is not recognized by the complainant, Ms. Sophia Quinn. And frankly, sir, it doesn't hold up."

"It's a trick!" Marcus argued desperately. "Sophia is doing this to ruin my wedding! She's trying to force me back to her!"

The agent stared at him coldly. "Sir, do not interfere with a federal investigation. Take her away."

As Diana was led away in handcuffs, the wedding dissolved into chaos. Her relatives started whispering loudly about the shame of her dowry being stolen property. Marcus's parents, their faces ashen, cornered him.

"What have you done, you fool?!" his father hissed.

"You threw away the Quinn fortune for a nobody, and now look!" his mother cried. "You're left with nothing!"

Marcus took a deep breath, calming himself. "Mom, this is just Sophia's way of getting me back. She's pressuring me. I'll go to her right now and sort this out. I'll save Diana."

Just as he took a step, a man in a Quinn family suit blocked his path.

"Mr. Richardson. A wedding gift from Ms. Quinn."

The man plugged a phone into the ballroom's massive projection system.

The screen flickered to life, and the room was filled with the sordid details of an affair. It was a complete record of Marcus and Diana's texts from the past year.

And then came the videos. Intimate, graphic, and undeniable.

Marcus's face drained of all color. How could she have this? She knew. She knew everything.

He looked at the sender information on the text threads displayed on screen. His blood ran cold.

Diana.

For the past year, Diana had been secretly forwarding their conversations to Sophia, a slow, steady campaign to drive a wedge between them.

No wonder Sophia hadn't kissed him in a year. No wonder she had grown so cold.

The obscene sounds from the videos finally broke through his shock. He lunged at the screen. "Turn it off! Don't look! It's all fake!"

He fumbled with the controls, his trembling fingers only managing to turn the volume up louder.

The wedding ended in absolute disgrace.

When my assistant texted me the details, I had just arrived at the Blackwood estate with Sebastian.

Seeing the message, a slow smile spread across my face. "Good. Well done."

Then I switched off my phone, decisively erasing Marcus Richardson from my life.