Daniel Ended His Wedding After Vanessa Humiliated Emily, Then One Guest’s Recording Revealed Why His Sister Had Been Targeted Earlier

Vanessa looked like a ghost of the glamorous, arrogant socialite who had sneered at Emily across the rehearsal dinner table just days before.

Her designer silk blouse was ripped and soaked in sweat; her pristine blonde hair was matted with grime and blood from a gash on her temple; her heavy makeup was smeared across her tear-stained, pale face. She curled into a fetal position, shivering uncontrollably, her hands clutching a shredded velvet pillow as if it could shield her from reality.

When she looked up and saw Daniel standing over her, holding a smoking weapon, her eyes dilated in pure, disbelieving terror.

"Daniel?" she choked out, her voice cracking. "You... you came to save me?"

Daniel’s expression remained stone cold, devoid of even an ounce of pity. He lowered his weapon slightly, but kept it trained within inches of her center mass.

"I didn't come to save you, Vanessa," Daniel said, his voice terrifying in its quiet intensity. "I came to collect an asset before your employers erased you from the ledger."

Footsteps pounded down the hallway. Emily entered the room, flanked by Cross.

When Vanessa saw Emily, a frantic, hysterical look crossed her eyes. She scrambled forward on her hands and knees, grabbing desperately toward the hem of Daniel’s slacks.

"Daniel, you have to protect me! They're going to kill me! Julian lied to me—he said Eleanor was in control! He said all I had to do was make Emily look unstable at the dinner so the board would force you to step down as trustee! I didn't know they were going to murder people! I swear to God I didn't know!"

Emily stepped forward, looking down at the woman who had sought to destroy her life with nothing but disgust.

"You poured wine over my mother’s vintage dress, Vanessa," Emily said, her tone razor-sharp. "You laughed while your friends mocked me. You signed legal riders meant to strip Daniel of everything our parents built. You don't get to play the victim now."

"It wasn't my idea!" Vanessa shrieked, tears cascading down her cheeks. "Eleanor had a contact in London! A man named Sterling—another Sterling!"

Daniel froze.

He reached down, grabbed Vanessa by the collar of her ruined blouse, and dragged her up to eye level with such sudden force that she gasped for air.

"What did you just say?" Daniel demanded, his voice shaking with restrained fury. "Who in London?"

"Arthur's brother... Thomas Sterling!" Vanessa sobbed, clutching Daniel’s wrists in desperation. "Everyone thought Thomas died thirty years ago in the Hong Kong market crash! But he's the one who runs the Vanguard Syndicate! Julian answered directly to him! Eleanor answered to him!"

Cross stepped forward, his face turning an ashen gray. "My God... Thomas Sterling. It can't be."

"He's alive," Vanessa wept, shaking violently. "And he's not just coming for Daniel's company. He's coming for Arthur. He said the Ares Project was stolen from him in 1994, and he’s going to trigger the global crash tonight at midnight using the master cipher!"