Security rushed in as Richard finally dropped the centerpiece. My mother tried to comfort me, but I pushed her away. She had watched everything happen and still expected me to protect the family. At the hospital, doctors treated my concussion and stitched the wound on my temple. The next morning, Harrison arrived and took me home. Soon, Victoria sent investigators the messages she had discovered between Tristan and Richard.

They showed that my father had planned to obtain my house after I refused to transfer it voluntarily. One message said, “Then we need to stop treating this as a request.” Another discussed the loan papers and getting them submitted before I understood what was happening. My attorney confirmed the property remained legally mine. The investigation also uncovered that Richard had paid someone to damage parts of the house, hoping to pressure me into giving up. For the first time, I realized the attack at the wedding wasn’t an accident. It was the final step in a plan.