Laurent scoffed loudly, attempting a mocking laugh that sounded hollow in the vast banquet hall.
Laurent: You've been watching too many courtroom dramas, Claire. You're losing your sanity.
Claire: Am I? Let's talk about the offshore bank account in the Cayman Islands registered under your private LLC.
Laurent froze, his smirking face turning rigid in a split second.
Laurent: I don't know what you're talking about.
Claire: You thought Thomas didn't keep backup files of the corporate accounts before he passed away, didn't you?
Laurent: Thomas was sick for two years! He didn't know what he was doing!
Claire: Thomas was smarter than you could ever dream to be, Laurent. He knew you were draining the family estate.
Sophie: Mommy... my face hurts so much...
Claire quickly knelt back down, pulling a soft silk handkerchief from her clutch and pressing it gently against Sophie's red, swollen cheek.
Claire: I know, sweetie. We're going to put some ice on it right away. Just hold my hand.
Laurent: Take your little thief and get out of this banquet hall before I call the city police myself!
Claire: Go ahead, Laurent. Call them. I've been waiting for you to call the police all morning.
Laurent: You think I'm bluffing?!
Claire: I know you aren't going to call them, because the moment the police arrive, they will ask to see the security camera footage from the lobby ceiling.
Laurent glanced up toward the high white corners of the banquet hall, where dark glass domes were mounted near the crystal chandeliers.
Laurent: Those cameras are offline for the wedding setup!
Claire: The building security system was updated last week, Laurent. The motion sensors are active twenty-four hours a day.
Laurent: You're lying. The head of security told me the system was down until two PM!
Claire: The head of security works for the estate, Laurent. Not for you.
Sophie: Mommy, the lady in the blue dress is coming over here.
A woman in a sharp dark blazer walked briskly across the marble floor, holding a tablet computer in her hands.
Sarah: Mrs. Vance, I have the footage ready on the secure server.
Claire: Thank you, Sarah. Play the clip from ten-fifteen AM near the executive cloakroom.
Laurent: Sarah! You work for Vance Global Corporation! Step away from that woman immediately!
Sarah: My contract is with the trust board, Mr. Vance. And Mrs. Vance is the primary trustee.