Chapter 24 - Chloe’s Nightmare Honeymoon
Thousands of miles away in a secluded overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, the turquoise waves lapped gently against the wooden stilts, creating a soundtrack of paradise that Chloe Vance could no longer hear over the sound of her own panic. She sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, her silk honeymoon robe clutched tightly around her trembling frame, staring at her phone as text messages from her mother poured in like a relentless digital avalanche. *We lost the house, Chloe. Everything is gone. The cards are blocked. Your father had a minor panic attack and the front desk is threatening to lock us out of the room.* Chloe let out a high-pitched gasp, her manicured fingers flying across the screen to dial her new husband, Brandon, who had been down at the resort bar for the last two hours. When he walked through the sliding glass door with a tropical cocktail in his hand, his expression was carefree and relaxed—until he saw the look of absolute horror frozen on his bride's face. "What is it now?" Brandon sighed, setting his drink down on the bamboo nightstand. "Did the spa appointment get canceled?" Chloe looked up at him, her eyes wide with a terrifying realization that was only now sinking into her bones. Her dream wedding—funded by the illegal liquidation of her older sister’s $425,000 condo while Elena lay paralyzed under a surgeon's knife—hadn't been a victory. It had been the bait on a trap, and the jaws had just slammed shut on both of their families simultaneously. "We can't pay the resort bill," Chloe whispered, her voice cracking as a single tear traced down her cheek. "Brandon... our return flights were booked on your father's corporate card, and he just texted. He says we're cut off."
