Chapter 5
Wesley had protected Garrett since he was twenty-one.
He knew the difference between a scandal and a threat.
This was both.
He stood several steps behind the confrontation, black suit buttoned, earpiece active, eyes scanning the garden paths.
Guests were whispering.
Phones were rising.
Coraline’s relatives were shifting toward the front row.
Garrett’s family had begun arriving from the estate house.
That was dangerous.
Not because of violence.
Because secrets become unpredictable when exposed in public.
Garrett did not look at Wesley when he gave the order.
“Wesley, close the gates.”
Wesley moved immediately.
One touch to the earpiece.
Two security men redirected guests near the driveway.
Another blocked the side path with polite firmness.
No one was arrested.
No one was grabbed.
But the estate changed.
The wedding was no longer a celebration.
It was a contained scene.
Coraline realized it first.
“You can’t do this,” she whispered.
Garrett finally looked at her.
“I just did.”
Mave pulled Posie closer, unsure whether closed gates meant protection or danger.
Garrett noticed and softened his voice.
“Not for you,” he said. “For them.”
Mave did not trust him yet.
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But for the first time, she looked like she wanted to.
Read the full story 👉 Garrett closed the gates not to trap Mave, but to stop the people who had hidden her from escaping the truth.
