Part 5 — The Frame-Up

The next morning, the story broke. A society gossip page ran an article at 8:03 a.m.: Wedding Night Meltdown: Heiress Bride Flees After Alleged Family Dispute.

It painted Chloe as unstable, spoiled, drunk, and violent, claiming she had attacked Lewis’s mother. There was even a reception photo of Chloe smiling with champagne, captioned: Moments before the bride’s shocking breakdown.

Chloe read it and went numb. “She’s winning.”

Evelyn was already dialing. “No. She’s overreaching.”

At 9:00 a.m., Evelyn filed the protective order with the sealed medical evidence. By 10:15, Robert’s team sent preservation letters to the hotel, the Dudley family, Lewis’s law firm, and the locksmith company.

At 11:00, Lewis called again. This time Chloe answered, her voice shaking but clear. “What do you want?”