Chapter 3: The Groom Who Lost Everything

The news spread faster than fire.

Before anyone could leave the church...

Phones started ringing.

Charles answered his first.

His expression collapsed.

"Our credit lines have been frozen."

Another call.

"The banks?"

A third.

"The board resigned?"

His knees almost gave out.

Madison grabbed Ethan's arm.

"Ethan..."

"Do something."

He couldn't.

His own phone vibrated.

The message came from the investment firm where he worked.

Employment Terminated. Effective Immediately.

Reason:

Failure to disclose conflict of interest involving Blackwell Developments.

His career ended in one sentence.

Madison looked at him in horror.

"What does that mean?"

"It means..."

His voice cracked.

"I don't have a job."

She slowly removed his hand from her waist.

"You told me we'd inherit everything."

Ethan stared helplessly at Charles.

Charles couldn't even look back.

Within minutes reporters flooded outside the church.

Breaking News.

Alexander Ashford secretly acquires Blackwell empire.

The billionaire everyone ignored.

The mechanic who became America's richest hidden investor.

Madison took one slow step backward.

Then another.

Finally she looked Ethan straight in the eyes.

"I made a mistake."

"You were supposed to marry money."

Then she walked away.

Without another word.

Without looking back.

Exactly the way Ethan had left me.

For the first time that day...

He understood what abandonment felt like.

He called after her.

She never turned around.