3. Conflict Development: The Long Con
The silence that followed was absolute. The wind outside seemed to stop. Even the sea held its breath.
“Liam?” Vanessa whispered, her voice trembling. She reached for his hand, but he took a sharp step back.
“Don’t touch me,” he said. The loathing in his voice was so potent it was almost physical.
“What are you doing? Is this a joke?” Vanessa’s smile was a terrifying rictus of panic. “Baby, everyone is watching.”
“I know,” Liam said. “That’s the point.”
He reached into the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket. He didn’t pull out a ring box. He pulled out a black USB drive. He turned to the audio-visual technician at the side of the stage—a man Clara recognized as an old friend of Liam’s from his days in the intelligence sector.
“Play it,” Liam commanded.
“Liam, stop!” Marcus Sterling barked from the front row. “You’re having cold feet. We can discuss this in private—”
“Sit down, Marcus,” Liam snapped. The authority in his voice stunned the older man into silence. “You wanted a show. You’re getting one.”
A large projection screen descended behind the altar, obscuring the view of the ocean. The projector hummed to life.
