Tyler’s palm cracked across my cheek before the wedding photographer had even lowered his camera, and for one stunned second all three hundred guests seemed to forget how to breathe.
Chapter 2
Julian Hayes had a reputation in our industry that bordered on myth.
He was fifty-two, controlled a luxury group with offices from New York to Paris, and had personally turned several unknown designers into international names. He did not attend ordinary weddings, and he certainly did not walk into them accompanied by corporate security.
Yet there he was.
Chloe moved toward him immediately.
“Mr. Hayes, thank God. I’m Chloe White.”
Julian kept walking.
She followed him.
“There’s been a terrible misunderstanding.”
He stopped in front of me.
For several seconds, he simply looked at my face.
His gaze settled on the reddening mark left by Tyler’s hand.
Then he extended his hand.
“Summer Vance.”
The room became perfectly still.
I took it.
He said, “I’ve been trying to find you for three months.”
Behind him, Chloe made a small choking sound.
Julian turned.
“You claim Miss Vance fabricated the files shown on that screen?”
“Yes.”
“And you claim Nirvana is your design?”
“Yes.”
“Then perhaps you can explain something.”
He glanced toward the display.
“Three months ago, I received the original technical package for Nirvana through my private review portal. The sender used the initials S.V.”
Chloe blinked.
Julian continued.
“I responded with concerns regarding the titanium support structure. Four hours later, the designer corrected an error in my own thermal-expansion calculation.”
A few people laughed nervously.
Julian did not.
“What is the coefficient of thermal expansion for the grade-five titanium used in the setting?”
Chloe stared.
“I don’t memorize workshop numbers.”
“A jewelry designer who builds a tension-mounted twelve-carat stone should.”
Tyler moved forward.
“Mr. Hayes, I think I can explain.”
Julian looked at him.
Tyler adjusted his jacket.
“I’m Tyler Reed. Managing director at Reed Logistics. My company handles some regional transportation for Pinnacle.”
“I know.”
Tyler relaxed slightly.
“Then you understand how damaging this misunderstanding could be.”
“Yes.”
Julian turned toward one of his aides.
“Marcus, notify procurement that all pending contracts with Reed Logistics are suspended effective immediately. Have legal review the termination provisions.”
Tyler’s mouth fell open.
“What?”
“You assaulted a woman in front of witnesses while participating in an effort to coerce her into surrendering intellectual property.”
“Wait.”
“That does not meet our ethical standards.”
“My company has millions tied up in those contracts.”
“That sounds like a matter for your board.”
Tyler went gray.
My father rushed toward me.
“Summer, fix this.”
Marcus stepped between us.
Dad stopped.
“This is a family dispute.”
Julian glanced at the torn waiver.
“No, sir. This appears to involve fraud, coercion and intellectual-property theft.”
Then he looked at me.
“The police are downstairs.”
Chloe’s face collapsed.
“What?”
“Maya contacted my office earlier today,” Julian said. “She had reason to believe Miss Vance might be pressured to surrender copyrighted material. My attorneys notified the appropriate authorities.”
Maya lifted her phone.
“I’ve also recorded everything since the staircase.”
Chloe grabbed Tyler.
“You said she’d sign.”
Tyler looked at her.
“What?”
“You told me not to worry. You said once everyone pressured her, she’d sign.”
A collective gasp moved through the ballroom.
Chloe realized what she had said.
Too late.
Tyler pulled away.
“You told me this was your design.”
“It is.”
“You just said we were going to make Summer sign it over.”
“I meant—”
“You lied to me.”
“Oh, don’t you dare.”
Her grief vanished instantly.
“You were perfectly happy when you thought you were marrying Summer and sleeping with me.”
Tyler stared at her.
Now it was my turn to feel nothing.
The ballroom doors opened again.
Two uniformed officers entered with a pair of detectives.
The lead detective approached us.
“Summer Vance?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Elena Morales. We’ve reviewed the preliminary copyright documentation and the hotel video. We’ll need statements from everyone involved.”
Chloe backed away.
“This is ridiculous.”
Detective Morales looked at her.
“Are you Chloe White?”
“My attorney will speak for me.”
“That’s probably wise.”
Aunt Brenda began yelling that nobody could arrest her daughter at a wedding.
Detective Morales gave her a tired look.
“Ma’am, nobody said anything about an arrest yet. But if you interfere with this investigation, I can promise your afternoon will become more complicated.”
Brenda stopped.
Tyler came toward me.
“Summer.”
I stepped back.
His face crumpled.
“I made a mistake.”
“You slapped me.”
“I thought you pushed her.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I saw her bleeding.”
“You believed her because you wanted to.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You had an affair with her.”
He looked toward the floor.
“I was confused.”
I removed my veil.
For years, Tyler had told me my ambition made him nervous. He said he wanted a simple life, a wife who wasn’t constantly chasing the next professional milestone. Slowly, almost without noticing, I had begun reducing myself to fit what he called our future.
I handed him the veil.
“No, Tyler. You weren’t confused.”
He looked up.
“You just liked being admired more than you liked being loyal.”
“Please.”
“You told me this morning not to outshine Chloe because her confidence was fragile.”
His eyes closed.
“You asked the bride not to outshine her cousin at her own wedding.”
“I was trying to keep the peace.”
“So was everyone else.”
I looked at my parents.
“That’s how people like Chloe win. Everybody keeps the peace for them.”
Mom cried harder.
“Summer, don’t walk away from us.”
“You already walked away from me.”
I turned toward Julian.
He watched me without pity.
I appreciated that.
“What happens to Nirvana?” I asked.
His expression changed.
“Whatever you want.”
“Can Pinnacle manufacture it?”
A faint smile appeared.
“Yes.”
“Then I think we have work to do.”
