Chapter 6 - The Paperwork of Ruin
Victoria took two stumbling steps backward, her hand clutching her diamond necklace as if she were suffocating.
"Marcus?" Victoria gasped, her aristocratic composure beginning to crack like dry paint. "What kind of cheap circus stunt is this? My lawyers probated Claire's estate twelve years ago! The property was liquidated!"
"Your lawyers probated a fraudulent draft, Victoria," Marcus replied smoothly, handing a certified copy of the Chancery decree directly to Madison. "The actual trust was unsealed yesterday afternoon. The court verified that Allison Vance is the sole equitable titleholder of every square foot of Gull's Rest."
Madison ripped open the blue folder, her eyes darting across the judicial injunction, her lower lip trembling with mounting panic.
"Mom... what is this?" Madison cried, her voice rising into an hysterical screech. "Why does this say Allison owns the house? What about the venue permit for Tyler's family? His father is a state senator! We promised them an oceanfront family estate!"
"Shut up, Madison!" Victoria snapped, lunging forward to snatch the folder from her daughter's hands.
Her eyes scanned the bold, unambiguous text:
Emergency Injunction: Occupancy Permitted Solely at the Discretion of the Property Owner, Allison Claire Vance. All Prior Commercial Leases Declared Null and Void for Fraudulent Inducement.
Victoria looked up at me, her skin turning an ugly, mottled gray beneath her expensive foundation.
"Allison... darling," Victoria whispered, trying desperately to summon an ounce of maternal warmth, though her voice shook with venomous humiliation. "We are family. We had a minor communication breakdown about the invitation, but of course we wanted you here! Madison was just so stressed with planning!"
"A minor communication breakdown?" I laughed, a sharp, cold sound that echoed off the columns. "On Tuesday, you told me I wasn't invited because I 'know how I get.' You told me I made everything about myself."
"I was under immense pressure!" Victoria pleaded, taking a tentative step toward me with outstretched, manicured hands. "Please, Ally. Don't do this to your cousin. Two hundred prominent Charleston families are arriving in four hours! Tyler's political career depends on this society presentation!"
I walked over to the front door, looking out at the sprawling white marquee tents, the imported hydrangeas, and the sparkling Atlantic surf.
"The wedding will proceed, Victoria," I said without looking back at her.
May you like
Madison let out a shuddering sob of relief, clutching her chest. "Oh, thank God! Thank you, Allison!"
"However," I added, turning back to face them with eyes as cold as deep ocean water. "The terms of occupancy have changed."
