Chapter 9 - The Marriage Schedule
The police separated everyone.
A female officer photographed Madison’s injuries and requested medical assistance.
Ryan insisted he had never touched her.
Madison looked at him.
“You held me.”
“I was stopping you from hurting yourself.”
“You locked the door.”
“For privacy.”
“Your cousins grabbed me.”
“They were protecting my mother.”
Every answer was ready.
Every lie redirected blame.
Then one officer found a folded schedule inside Gloria’s folder.
It listed the wedding timeline.
Ceremony.
Reception.
Private signing.
Witness confirmation.
Asset filing.
Departure.
The “private signing” had been scheduled for 8:45 P.M.
The asset filing was scheduled for 9:15.
A courier had been booked to deliver the documents before midnight.
Madison stared at the page.
“You timed it.”
Gloria said nothing.
The officer asked, “Who prepared this?”
Ryan answered too quickly.
“The wedding planner.”
The officer looked at the notes.
Next to “private signing” was a handwritten instruction.
Do not allow bride to contact Nora or Daniel until complete.
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
They had deliberately isolated Madison from both parents.
Ryan looked toward Gloria.
For the first time, anger passed between them.
He had not known every page was still inside the folder.
Gloria had planned the operation.
Ryan had executed it.
But someone else had prepared the legal structure.
A law firm name appeared at the bottom.
Whitmore, Vale and Pierce.
May you like
Madison knew the name.
Ryan’s former fiancée worked there.
