My Groom Mocked My Poverty at the Altar Until My Billionaire Father Walked In — Part 2

Previously: When Mia's groom whispered cruel words of betrayal at the altar, he thought she was just a penniless orphan—until her powerful father made a dramatic entrance.

The Falling Mask

The silence in the church was deafening as Richard stepped up to the altar, his eyes narrowing as he looked between his weeping daughter and her trembling groom. Jackson, a junior analyst at Richard's multi-billion-dollar investment firm, looked as if he had just seen a ghost. He had spent the last six months desperately trying to catch Richard's eye at the office, hoping for a promotion that would secure his social status. He had never once connected the modest, quiet Mia with the legendary, reclusive CEO who shared her last name.

"Sir... Mr. Vance... I didn't know," Jackson stammered, taking a panicked step back. "I mean, Mia never told me! This is all a misunderstanding. I love Mia, I really do!"

Mia wiped her tears, her sadness hardening into a cold, sharp anger. "You just told me you only used me, Jackson. You called me a poor girl. You laughed in my face."

Richard’s face darkened, a dangerous aura settling over him. He stepped directly between Jackson and Mia, his towering frame casting a shadow over the younger man. "You dared to insult my daughter? In God's house, on her wedding day?" Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing a number without taking his eyes off Jackson. "Fire Jackson Miller immediately. Blacklist him from every financial institution in the country. And cancel the acquisition of Miller Enterprises."

Jackson gasped, clutching his chest. Miller Enterprises was his family's struggling business, and the acquisition by Richard's firm was the only thing saving them from bankruptcy. Before Jackson could beg, his mother, Beatrice, rushed up the aisle. Unaware of Richard's true identity and only seeing a man ruining her son's wedding, she pointed a manicured finger at Richard.

"Who do you think you are, disrupting my son's wedding?" Beatrice shrieked. "My son is a genius, and your daughter is a penniless nobody! Get out of here before I have you arrested!"

Richard turned slowly to face her, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "I am Richard Vance, madam. And I own the bank that is foreclosing on your home tomorrow morning."