The room went completely still.
Vanessa’s tears stopped instantly.
Patricia’s face turned ghostly white.
George slowly clenched both fists.
Ethan closed his eyes.
I watched the realization settle over him.
It wasn’t just heartbreak.
It was humiliation.
He had defended this woman.
Introduced her to his family.
Placed a ring on her finger.
Dismissed my concerns more than once because he believed love deserved trust.
Now he realized he’d almost handed his entire future to someone who had been calculating profits instead of planning a marriage.
“That recording was edited,” Vanessa whispered.
Margaret calmly slid another folder across the table.
“A forensic audio specialist examined it this morning.”
“If necessary, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation can perform its own independent analysis.”
She tapped the screen again.
“There’s more.”
The security footage from the engagement party appeared.
There I was…
Kneeling in the wet grass.
Completely soaked.
