Chapter 5 - The Reckoning at the Altar
I stopped at the front of the altar. Leo, Christian, and Evelyn stood perfectly still beside me, their striking hazel eyes looking up at the man who had abandoned their mother.
"Mariana?" Ryan’s voice was a pathetic, choked gasp. "What... what is the meaning of this? Who allowed you in here? Whose children are these?"
Vanessa marched down the altar, her face contorted in pure rage, her bridal veil shaking. "Get this woman out of here! Security! This is my wedding day! Who does she think she is?!"
The four church security guards stepped forward, but before they could even reach the aisle, my father, Arthur Sterling, stepped out from the shadow of the rear pillars. The moment the guards saw the billionaire chairman, they froze in their tracks, bowing their heads in immediate deference.
"She is Mariana Sterling," Arthur’s voice boomed through the cathedral, carrying an authority that made the stained-glass windows seem to vibrate. "And those three children are Leo, Christian, and Evelyn Montgomery. Your biological triplets, Ryan."
"Triplets?" Ryan stammered, his knees buckling so badly he had to catch himself on the wooden altar rail. "No... no, that's impossible. She's barren! We tried for eleven years!"
"I wasn't barren, Ryan," I said, my voice calm, clear, and perfectly steady. "I had untreated endometriosis, which your mother’s hand-picked doctors conveniently ignored to blame me. The very morning you handed me divorce papers to bring Vanessa into my house, I was coming home to tell you I was pregnant."
Vanessa turned to Ryan, her eyes wide with horror. "Ryan? What is she talking about? You told me she was a broke, useless failure!"
"She's lying!" Rebecca shrieked, stepping forward, her face twisted in desperation. "She’s just trying to extort us! Ryan, call the police!"
I pulled a black leather folder from my security chief's hand and tossed it onto the altar.
"You don't have a company to protect you anymore, Ryan," I said softly. "Vance Capital has officially foreclosed on Montgomery Architecture as of 9:00 a.m. today due to non-payment. The Beverly Hills mansion is back in my name. Your bank accounts are frozen. The very tuxedo you are wearing today was paid for with a credit card that has just been deactivated."
Vanessa looked at the legal documents on the altar, then at Ryan’s pale, trembling face. The reality hit her like a physical blow.
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"You're bankrupt?" Vanessa screamed, her voice cracking. "You lied to me! You told me you were a billionaire!"
Without a second thought, Vanessa tore her veil off, threw it directly into Ryan’s face, and sprinted down the aisle, her bridesmaids chasing after her in absolute chaos.
