Chapter 13 - The Bridal Suite Search
No one was allowed to remove phones, documents, or luggage until royal security completed an evidence review.
Madison protested that the King had no authority in Ohio.
A county security liaison calmly explained that forged documents, identity fraud, and possible interference with military proceedings had already been reported to American authorities.
The wedding had become a crime scene without a single police officer entering the ballroom.
Royal guards searched only areas controlled by their delegation.
In Madison’s bridal suite, they found three folders.
The first contained printed articles about Avery’s military decorations.
The second held copies of Julian’s private correspondence with his father.
The third contained drafts of the false obituary.
Each version became more heroic.
One stated Avery had died rescuing civilians.
Another claimed her final words had been about Madison.
Avery read that line twice.
“She wrote my final words?”
Nora put an arm around her.
A laptop contained searches for military death-notification procedures and questions about whether foreign royal families could verify classified casualties.
Madison had researched exactly how far the lie could travel before someone checked it.
There were also messages to a public-relations consultant.
The strongest one read:
The dead-sister story makes the King emotional. Keep Avery’s real first name out of every briefing.
Julian turned away in disgust.
King Edmund closed the laptop.
Avery looked toward Madison.
“How long did you plan this?”
Madison’s answer came as a whisper.
May you like
“Since Julian told me his father was searching for Harbor Seven.”
👉 But another message revealed that Madison had originally planned for Avery to attend the wedding—so she could publicly destroy her before the royal family.
