Chapter 3
Estate security found something strange in the bridal suite.
The camera.
Victor knew the wedding videographer had placed small cameras throughout the ceremonial areas.
Ballroom.
Terrace.
Main staircase.
Garden.
He did not know one had been installed inside Serena’s private preparation suite.
Neither did Nora.
The unit was positioned high inside a decorative bookcase.
Its lens covered three things remarkably well:
The bridal vanity.
The flower-girl chair.
And the suite entrance.
Victor looked at his security director, Owen Mercer.
“Who requested this?”
“Serena.”
“Wedding videographer?”
“Yes.”
“Standard?”
“No.”
“Audio?”
Owen nodded.
“Continuous.”
Victor’s expression hardened.
“She wanted continuous audio inside a private dressing room?”
“She signed a separate release.”
“Did I?”
“No.”
Rebecca joined them.
“When was it installed?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“Who knew?”
“Serena, the videographer, and his assistant.”
“Anyone else?”
“No.”
Victor looked toward the vanity stool.
The exact location where he had forced Serena down.
The entire event had been recorded from a nearly perfect angle.
That did not make the camera sinister by itself.
Brides documented private preparations all the time.
But Serena had requested something else.
Owen showed Victor an email.
Do not stop recording if family enters unexpectedly. Natural moments matter most.
Rebecca read it twice.
“Odd wording.”
“Not proof of anything.”
“No.”
Victor appreciated that she kept saying that.
He did not need anger assembled into certainty.
Then the videographer provided another email.
Serena had specifically asked that the camera remain running even during a twenty-minute privacy period when bridesmaids, stylists, and staff were scheduled to leave the suite.
That privacy period began at 3:10.
Victor had entered at 3:17.
Nora had remained because Lily refused to let her leave.
The ceremony was supposed to start at four.
Victor’s council meeting downstairs had been scheduled to end at 3:15.
The timing was close enough to notice.
Not enough to accuse.
May you like
Clue number one remained quietly in place.
Serena had created unusually complete video coverage of the exact room where Victor later lost control.
