Chapter 5 - The Sweet Taste of RuinThe fourth and fifth courses arrived together—a decadent dark chocolate lava cake and a plate of artisan cheeses. But this time, Elias didn't stand by the wall like a servant. He pulled out the chair next to Maddie and sat down.
“Eat,” Elias commanded gently, sliding the cake toward her. “You’ll need the sugar. Adrenaline crashes are brutal.”
As Maddie took a bite of the rich chocolate, Elias’s phone buzzed on the table. He put it on speaker.
“Mr. Sterling,” a gruff voice echoed into the quiet ballroom. “We have them.”
Maddie stopped chewing. Frank leaned over the table.
“Status, Marcus?” Elias asked, leaning back in his chair.
“A male and female matching the descriptions attempted to board a charter to Cancun using passports under the names David and Sarah Miller,” the security chief reported. “We cross-referenced the facial recognition with the photos you sent from the venue’s welcome table. It’s a 100% match. The FBI was already actively pinging his cell phone. We detained them in the VIP lounge and handed them over to federal agents three minutes ago.”
Maddie closed her eyes, a massive, crushing weight lifting off her chest.
“Did he say anything?” Maddie asked, leaning closer to the phone.
There was a pause on the line. “He was screaming that he had paid for the flight. The woman, Jessica, immediately turned on him. Told the feds she had no idea the money was stolen and offered to testify against him for immunity.”
A ruthless smile crossed Maddie’s face. Tyler’s perfect escape had imploded in less than three hours.
“Thank you, Marcus. Excellent work,” Elias said, ending the call.
He turned to Frank. “Mr. Price, the authorities will freeze Tyler’s assets by morning. Since he used stolen funds to pay for this venue, Sterling Hospitality will fully refund your payments for tonight. Consider this wedding on the house.”
Frank covered his face with his calloused hands, openly weeping. “Thank you. My God, son, thank you. You didn't have to do any of this.”
“I despise bullies,” Elias said quietly, his eyes fixed on Maddie. “And I despise men who don't recognize the value of what’s sitting right in front of them.”
Maddie felt a sudden, intense flush rise to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the wine. She looked at Elias—really looked at him. Without the waiter's apron, he exuded a quiet, dangerous confidence. He had stepped into her darkest moment and turned it into an absolute victory.
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“You saved us,” Maddie whispered.
“You saved yourself, Maddie,” Elias corrected softly. “Ninety-nine percent of brides would have run out the back door in tears. You sat down and demanded your dinner. I just made sure the check went to the right person.”
