My father-in-law slammed a $120 million check onto the table between us.

Julian’s breath left his body in a single, broken exhale.

“Nora…” he whispered, barely audible.

I stopped ten feet from the altar.

In my hand wasn’t an invitation.

It was a thin, understated folder.

The IPO filing of AstraCore Technologies.

Valuation: $1 trillion.

I smiled.

The Silence That Followed

The bride—young, beautiful, carefully chosen—gripped her bouquet like it might save her. Her smile froze, brittle and strained.