The ballroom's heavy carved doors burst inward with a deafening crash that drowned out the wedding march.
The newcomers weren't guests arriving to offer congratulations. More than a dozen armed financial-crimes officers entered first. A crowd of contractors and building-material suppliers followed them, carrying protest signs with bold black lettering demanding repayment.
They raised bullhorns and began chanting the moment they rushed inside.
"Pay us what you owe! The Mercer family committed fraud! Horizon Heights is an abandoned development!"
"Give us back the money we worked for, you bloodsucking profiteers!"
The lavish ballroom descended into chaos. Guests screamed and scattered while every reporter swung a camera toward the doors and began recording.
Every shred of decorum vanish
