Revenge at the AltarChapter 3

“Isn’t that the patent that won an international gaming technology award?”

“Carter is giving the bride the income from that technology?”

“That’s one of the most important technologies in their next-generation products.”

Camera flashes went off around Ethan and Chloe.

Chloe covered her mouth and stared at him, her eyes red.

Ethan lowered his gaze with a smile.

“With the income from this technology in your name, you’ll be able to support yourself no matter what happens.”

“Ethan...”

Chloe’s voice trembled.

“No one has ever given me anything this valuable.”

Ethan handed her the document.

“You deserve it.”

“Ethan Carter!”

My voice drew everyone’s attention.

He froze.

I strode forward.

Chloe looked frightened at once.

“Claire, why did you come out here?”

Diane frowned.

“Claire, don’t make a scene.”

I ignored her.

I looked only at Ethan.

“That patent doesn’t belong to Carter, does it?”

“I already took care of the assignment for you.”

“I never agreed to it.”

I stared at him coldly.

“Adaptive Motion Response System belongs to Bennett IP Holdings.”

“Without formal company approval, no one has the authority to transfer it.”

Chloe clutched the agreement and instinctively moved behind Ethan.

“Really?”

Ethan pulled out a tablet.

A patent assignment agreement appeared on the screen.

At the bottom was my electronic signature.

I stared at the document.

Then I looked up, unable to believe what I was seeing.

“You used the authorization for my digital signature?”

“I used the authorization we had on file from our previous joint projects.”

Ethan’s tone remained calm.

“I just made the process more efficient.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“You used my electronic signature without permission?”

“It was just an authorization document.”

“You never asked me!”

I stared at him.

“That patent was my mother’s.”

Diane’s expression changed at the mention of my mother.

Ethan only frowned.

“Why do you have to make this sound so serious?”

“Chloe’s father tricked her into co-signing several loans and used her information to open credit accounts.”

“The debts in her name still haven’t been paid off.”

“If we don’t do something...”

“She could spend years trying to crawl out of that hole.”

“Then use your own money to help her.”

“Claire...”

Ethan looked disappointed.

“Do you really have to count every penny?”

“She’s your best friend.”

“She’s going through all this, and you still want to keep score?”

Chloe’s eyes grew red too.

Her voice shook with hurt.

“Claire...”

“If Aunt Eleanor were still alive, I’m sure she would’ve helped me too.”

“Excuse me!”

A reporter below the stage finally spoke up.

“What exactly is happening here?”

The reporters were too far from the stage to hear our argument.

All they could see was Chloe in a wedding dress with tears in her eyes.

Ethan stood protectively in front of her.

And then I had stormed onto the stage.

Someone recognized me as the woman who had demanded a delay earlier.

“I remember her.”

“She’s the one who insisted on delaying the wedding until another dress arrived.”

“Then who is she?”

“Why is she stopping Mr. Carter from giving the bride a gift now?”

“Wait. Did she just say the patent belonged to her mother?”

Every camera swung toward me.

People started searching on their phones.

Others pushed closer to the stage.

“Ma’am, may we have your name?”

“What is your relationship with Mr. Carter?”

“Is the woman onstage actually Claire Bennett?”

Diane glanced toward the security team.

Carter’s private security, which had been keeping the press back, stepped aside as if on cue.

Photographers and reporters immediately crowded around me.

Microphones were thrust almost into my face.

Camera flashes were so bright I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Do you have a personal relationship with Mr. Carter?”

“Why were you trying to stop the ceremony before it began?”

“What did you mean when you said the patent belonged to your family?”

I raised an arm to shield my face as the crowd forced me backward.

Someone blocked my path.

In the chaos, someone slammed into my shoulder.

I had no choice but to retreat into the side lounge.

Before the door shut, Ethan’s voice carried in from outside.

“Please don’t let a minor interruption spoil today’s wedding.”

“This agreement will not change.”

“Once the paperwork is complete...”

“Chloe will receive the royalties from this patent.”

I locked myself in the room.

I listened to the voices and camera shutters outside and slowly clenched my fists.

I opened my phone.

Typed a message.

And sent it.

Soon, every media outlet and industry subscriber at the wedding received an emergency statement from Bennett Technologies.

[BENNETT TECHNOLOGIES STATEMENT—]

[Bennett Technologies has never approved any transfer of rights associated with the Adaptive Motion Response System or any related patents.]

[The assignment agreement presented today was not signed with company authorization.]

[The credentials used to apply Claire Bennett’s electronic signature were accessed without authorization. The relevant permissions have been frozen, and outside counsel has been retained to investigate.]

[Any transfer of patent rights not formally approved by the company’s directors and authorized representatives does not reflect the intent of Bennett IP Holdings.]

[The company reserves the right to pursue legal action against any person responsible for the unauthorized use of electronic signatures and related documents.]