Chapter 3 - The Forensic Audit
A collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the Carrasco camp. Loretta smoothed down the front of her designer dress, her smug expression returning in full force as she accepted congratulations from a nearby relative who assumed the drama was over. Julian smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at Evelyn with undisguised contempt. "See? Was that really so hard?" Julian muttered loudly enough for the front tables to hear. "Always making a mountain out of a molehill. Go swipe your card with the manager and let’s get back to cutting the cake."
Evelyn remained completely calm, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the podium. She didn't move to reach for her purse or her phone. Instead, she tapped the microphone once more, the sharp sound drawing every eye back to her. "Oh, don't worry, Julian. I fully intend to settle every single financial obligation associated with this entire engagement tonight," Evelyn announced, her voice ringing with crystal clarity. "In fact, I’ve decided to go a step further. Since Loretta was so kind as to organize this magnificent expansion, I took the liberty this afternoon of having my corporate legal team and forensic accountant conduct a complete financial review of all joint accounts and wedding deposits."
Loretta’s smug smile faltered, a sudden twitch appearing near her left eye. "What... what are you talking about? What audit?"
"I'm glad you asked, Loretta," Evelyn said sweetly, clicking a small remote in her hand. Instantly, the massive projector screen behind the head table flickered to life, illuminating the entire ballroom with a brightly colored, highly detailed spreadsheet. "Ten days ago, I wired thirty thousand dollars from my business account into what I was told was a secure escrow account managed by your family’s legal counsel for this venue. But when my forensic accountant traced the routing numbers this morning, guess where that money actually went?"
The ballroom fell dead silent. On the screen, a glaring red arrow pointed directly to a personal offshore account registered under Loretta Carrasco’s maiden name—and immediately beneath it, records of a massive wire transfer paying off high-stakes private poker debts.
"Mom?" Julian turned sharply toward his mother, his face draining of all color. "What is that? What did you do with the thirty grand?" Loretta stammered, her hands flying to her throat. "It's—it's a lie! She's photoshopping documents! That's corporate espionage!"
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"It gets better," Evelyn continued smoothly, stepping out from behind the podium and walking slowly toward them like a predator closing in on its prey. "Not only did you embezzle my initial deposit to cover your gambling losses, Loretta, but you also attempted to saddle me with a fraudulent forty-thousand-dollar banquet bill by forging my initials on the layout expansion addendum." Evelyn pulled a crisp, folded piece of paper from her blazer pocket and held it up for the room to see. "I had the hotel's original sign-in sheet and security camera footage pulled from the front desk. The handwriting analysis matching the forged signature on the diamond-tier upgrade doesn't belong to me, Loretta. It belongs to you."
Gasps erupted across the room. Several of Loretta’s closest friends visibly recoiled, whispering frantically among themselves. Julian grabbed his mother’s arm, shaking her slightly. "Tell me she's lying! Tell me you didn't forge her signature!" Loretta burst into loud, theatrical tears, realizing the trap had completely snapped shut.
