Marrying My Ex's Ruthless Uncle

Ervin stood at the microphone. His hand was resting on the small of Kailee's back. It felt heavy, warm, a brand of ownership. He was speaking about synergy, about the future of the two conglomerates.

The ballroom doors flew open.

Julian stood there. He was panting, his tie was crooked.

"Stop!" Julian pointed a shaking finger at the stage. "It's a lie! She's lying!"

The crowd gasped.

Julian ran down the aisle, he scrambled up the stairs to the stage, he reached for Kailee.

"You bitch!"

Viktor materialized from the shadows. He didn't use a weapon, he stepped in front of Julian and put a hand on his chest.

"Mr. Julian," Viktor said. "Step down."

Julian shoved Viktor's hand away, looked past the bodyguard at his uncle.

"She's using you, Uncle Ervin! She's doing this to hide the money laundering! The Feds are about to indict her! She's a criminal! She needs your protection to stay out of jail!"

The room went silent. Kailee's face paled slightly.

Ervin didn't flinch. He moved his hand from Kailee's back to her shoulder, pulling her slightly closer.

"I proposed to Ms. Lynn," Ervin said. His voice was calm, deadly, "Do you have an objection to my judgment?"

Julian froze. "You... you proposed?"

"Yes," Ervin lied. Smoothly, "Where were you, Julian? You were the original groom."

"I... traffic," Julian stammered. "I got stuck."

Chaya walked onto the stage, she held the tablet high, it was connected to the AV system now.

"Traffic?" Chaya said into a handheld mic. "Was the traffic in the Presidential Suite upstairs?"

Julian's eyes bulged, he lunged for Chaya.

Viktor moved. He didn't push this time, he kicked. A sharp, calculated strike to the back of Julian's knee.

Julian's leg buckled, hit the floor hard.

He landed on his knees, directly in front of Kailee and Ervin.

The visual was striking, the nephew bowing to the new power couple.

Ervin looked down at him, "You come into my engagement party, looking like a drunk, and insult my fiancée?"

"She's dirty!" Julian wheezed, holding his knee. "She's not who you think she is!"

Kailee laughed, it was a soft sound, but the microphone picked it up.

She bent down. She leaned close to Julian's ear.

"Julian," she whispered. "Look at the screen."

Julian turned his head, the massive LED screen behind them flickered. The "Lynn-Hendricks Merger" logo disappeared.

A loading bar appeared.

Julian's heart hammered against his ribs. He knew, deep down, in the sick pit of his stomach, he knew what was coming.

"No!"

The scream came from the side entrance.

Annabelle ran into the room. She was crying. Mascara ran down her cheeks in black rivers. She looked fragile, broken.

She threw herself into the arms of Gordon Lynn, who was standing at the foot of the stage, his face purple with rage.

"Daddy! Kailee is trying to ruin me!" Annabelle sobbed.

Gordon Lynn snapped. He marched up the stairs. He ignored Ervin. He went straight for Kailee.

"Turn that off!" Gordon roared. "You ungrateful child! Haven't you embarrassed this family enough?"

Kailee's finger hovered over the 'Play' button on the tablet Chaya had handed her. She looked at her father, "I'm not the one who is embarrassing the family."

Gordon raised his hand, he swung.

Kailee didn't flinch, she didn't close her eyes.

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the room but the slap never landed.

Viktor moved with impossible speed. He caught Gordon's wrist in a grip of steel, stopping it mid-air. Ervin hadn't moved a muscle, but his voice, low and cold, cut through the silence.

"Mr. Lynn," Ervin said. His gaze was flat, devoid of emotion, making the threat even more terrifying. "That is my property you're attempting to damage."

Gordon looked at Viktor's unyielding grip, then at Ervin's eyes. He saw his business empire crumbling in those black irises. He lowered his hand. He stepped back.

Annabelle grabbed the microphone stand. "She's just jealous! Julian and I are in love! True love doesn't care about rules!"

The crowd murmured, some people nodded. The narrative was shifting, poor lovers, cruel sister.

Julian scrambled up. "Yes! We love each other! Kailee is cold! She's a robot!"

Kailee looked at them. Her father, her sister, her ex. A tableau of dysfunction.

She looked at Ervin. A silent question.

Ervin nodded. A barely perceptible dip of his chin. Finish them.

Kailee spoke into the mic. "True love? Is that what you call it? Ten minutes before the ceremony?"

She pressed play.

The screen exploded with light.

The video played. High definition. The sound of Julian's drunken slur filled the ballroom.

"Screw the family merger! Tonight is for the boys!"

"Say hi to my boring sister! Old maid Kailee!"

The crowd gasped. It wasn't a romantic elopement, it was trashy, it was mean. It was a groom mocking his bride while sleeping with her sister in the same hotel.

Annabelle stopped crying, her face went red.

Gordon stared at the screen, he saw the timestamp, saw the location tag.

"This is your love?" Kailee asked. Her voice was steady, "Built on humiliation?"

Julian tried to jump up to block the screen, Viktor grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and threw him back down.

Kailee stood there, the video looped behind her. She looked like a goddess of vengeance.