Chapter 7 - Handcuffs in the Chapel
Ethan raised his arm, his fingers reaching out to grab the microphone from my hand.
He never touched it.
Before he could bridge the gap, the heavy double doors at the main entrance of the chapel slammed open with a concussive thud that rattled the stained-glass windows. Four uniformed officers from the metropolitan police department marched down the center aisle, led directly by two plainclothes special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
""Ethan Cole!"" the lead agent barked, his badge gleaming under the sanctuary chandeliers. ""Step away from the altar and put your hands behind your back!""
Ethan froze mid-stride, his face draining of all color until he looked like a walking corpse. ""What is the meaning of this? This is a private religious ceremony! You have no right to interrupt my wedding!""
""We have a federal warrant for your arrest, Mr. Cole,"" the agent replied coldly, climbing the altar steps without breaking stride. ""Wire fraud, corporate identity theft, securities manipulation, and grand larceny across multiple financial jurisdictions. Furthermore, the district attorney has just signed a felony warrant for aggravated assault based on the medical reports filed from the Grand Plaza Hotel less than two hours ago.""
Carter tried to slip past the officers through the side vestry door, but two additional state troopers blocked the exit, pinning him against the wood paneling and demanding his identification.
Ethan looked wildly around the room, searching for an ally. He looked toward his business partners, who immediately looked down at the floor, pretending not to see him. He looked toward his mother, who had collapsed back into her pew, hyperventilating as her silver clutch purse slipped from her lap and spilled across the red carpet.
""Lauren, please!"" Ethan stammered, his arrogant composure completely shattering into pathetic desperation. He fell to his knees on the marble floor, looking up at me with tears of terror welling in his eyes. ""Tell them it was a misunderstanding! We can fix this! We can renegotiate the terms of the merger! Think of the company stock! If I get arrested here, the market will crash tomorrow morning!""
I looked down at the man who had shoved me into a mirror three hours earlier, the man who had laughed about putting me in my place in front of two hundred people.
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""The market won't crash, Ethan,"" I said, my voice echoing through the microphone for the entire room to hear. ""Because thirty minutes ago, our board of directors released a public statement confirming that Hartwell Medical Systems has severed all financial and personal associations with Cole Meridian Capital. You are no longer our partner. You are merely our bankrupt debtor.""
The lead agent grabbed Ethan by the shoulders, yanked him roughly to his feet, and forced his hands behind his back. The sharp, mechanical click of the steel handcuffs echoed across the silent sanctuary with absolute finality.
