Hushed murmurs spread through the church like wildfire as Georgie stood up and called out to her sister. Every guest stared in our direction. Every expression was scandalized.

Margaret narrowed her eyes from where she stood up at the altar. “Georgina! What on earth do you think you’re doing?” she said sharply as Georgie stepped out from our pew and into the aisle.

As her mother spoke, I picked up Georgie’s phone from the pew to see what caused her outburst.

Holy shit…

My whole world seemed to tilt on its axis as I took in the CCTV still images she’d just received from her friend. He’d managed to track down footage from two separate sources—one apartment home security camera which happened to be almost directly across the road from the CryptX office’s main entrance, and another town house camera about a mile down the road.

The first still image set showed not one, but two people stepping into the office at 2:58 A.M. on the day of the theft. It also showed them leaving at 3:20. They were both dressed in dark clothing with balaclavas covering their faces, but it was clear that one of the people was a petite female and the other a tall bulky male.

The second set was far more illuminating. It showed the two people getting into a car that they’d parked a safe distance down the street (or so they thought). Judging by the next few images, they’d sat in it for several minutes, ostensibly talking about the heist they’d just pulled off. In two of the stills, they were wearing their balaclavas, but in the next few, they’d removed them, probably thinking they were safe in their car and out of reach of any surveillance.

The man was a stranger to me. Short spiked blond hair, heavy brow and a prominent jawline. The woman, however, was immediately recognizable, even in the grainy black and white stills. Fair hair and an aquiline nose. Wide expressive eyes.

Holy fuck. No way.

I looked up, my stomach coiling into knots. My heart thumped so loud I wondered if anyone else in the church could hear it. I’d only looked at the CCTV images for a few seconds, but even so, the whole world already felt dramatically different. Everything I believed, everything I thought I knew… it was all shifting, fracturing, crashing down around me.

Not Bobby. Never Bobby.

All along, it was her—the woman my brother was about to marry.

Libby fucking Miller.

Georgie didn’t seem to have listened to her mother at all. She kept walking slowly up the aisle, her jaw set with determination as she stared directly at her sister. “You don’t deserve him.” Her words came out in a low hiss, but anyone within a ten foot radius could still hear what she said. “You lying, two-faced bitch. I can’t believe we all fell for yo—”

Margaret interrupted, holding up a hand. “Shut up! How dare you speak to your sister like that on her wedding day?”

Georgie ignored her and took another two steps forward. I noticed her legs were trembling, so I stood up and strode straight over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder as I seethed inwardly.

“What was the plan, huh?” she bit out. “Stay married for a year or so, just long enough to convince everyone you gave it a real shot, then claim it didn’t work out and sail off into the sunset with Justin and all that sweet cash you stole?”

Libby’s expression remained neutral. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said smoothly. Then she glanced at Margaret. “Mom, you were right all along… she came here to try and ruin my wedding!”

Georgie rolled her eyes. “Oh, give it up. I have proof. My friend just sent me the photos.”

“I saw them too,” I said quietly, shooting a death glare at Libby. If I said any more than that or raised my voice by even half an octave, I might just explode. I had to resist that urge, even though the need to take over and demand answers was forcing my blood to boiling point. This was Georgie’s time to confront her sociopathic sister, not mine. I could wait.

“What photos?” Libby shrugged, then turned to Bobby. “I think she’s having some sort of psychotic breakdown. Obviously she’s somehow roped Nate into her delusions,” she said in a saccharine-sweet stage whisper.

For once, Bobby didn’t immediately defer to her. He stared at Georgie, his eyes wide. “What are you talking about? What photos? Who’s Justin?”

“The man my sister has apparently been working with to fleece Nate out of his money, using you as the golden ticket to do so. Pinning you as the scapegoat, too.”

“What?” Margaret finally spoke up again, waving both hands around in an attempt to get Georgie’s attention. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Georgie kept her eyes on Bobby. “My sister used your keycard and passwords to get into the office that night. She’s the one who hacked Nate’s laptop and transferred his money to god knows where.”

Libby’s eyes glittered with malice. “Bullshit!” She stepped forward, hands on her hips.

Georgie sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. “I told you to give it up! I have proof, and now the cops do too, because you weren’t as careful as you thought you were. You forgot to account for private home security systems.”

“What?” Libby’s face blanched, and she seemed to shrink several inches as her shoulders sagged. “I… I don’t…” Her voice came out in a ragged whisper now.

Georgie took another step forward and sniffed derisively. “You know, as messed up as it is, your plan was pretty ingenious. I can’t imagine how long it took to figure out and pull off. But you always were the smart one, weren’t you? You sure as hell tricked me that day when I caught you texting Justin, after all.” She went on, her voice breezy now, as if she’d already processed and accepted everything. “And it doesn’t hurt that Justin’s a forensic accountant, does it? I’m sure between the two of you, you thought you’d be able to hide that money and get away with it forever.”

“Wait, you mean Justin Byford? Her ex?” Bianca widened her eyes and stepped away from the head of the bridesmaid lineup.

“Yup.” Georgie nodded. At the same time, Libby tried to make a break for it, but she only made it half a step before her maid of honor stopped her.

“You fucking bitch!” Bianca screeched, swinging the bouquet at her head. “He’s mine!”

“What? You’ve been sleeping with him?” Libby shouted, rubbing her head and ducking as Bianca swung at her again. “What the fuck?”

Oh, Christ. This was a real clusterfuck. Truth grenades were being launched from all directions, worsening the situation with every word and every second that passed.

I glanced back down at the photos on Georgie’s phone, which was still clutched in my free hand. I figured the blond man was Justin Byford, whoever the fuck he was. Libby's lover, apparently, and partner in crime. My hands clenched into fists at the thought of the smarmy prick sitting on my stolen fortune, patting himself on the back for pulling off such an imaginative heist.

Guilt roiled in my guts as I thought of all the times I’d blamed my brother for the missing money over the last five months. All the times I’d made him feel like shit when he was innocent the whole time. I might’ve won some sort of victory today, because I’d probably be able to get every last cent of my money back soon, but I’d never felt so fucking low.

I shook my head and took a deep breath. I couldn’t think of myself right now. I had to be strong for Georgie, and I had to be strong for my brother.

I slipped the phone into my pocket and squeezed Georgie’s shoulder, stepping even closer to her as chaos erupted before us. Bianca was still shrieking and swatting Libby with the bouquet, and Libby lunged at her, clawing at her dress. Margaret screeched hysterically, begging the women to stop, and the priest looked dismayed, shaking his head as he watched the madness unfold. The groomsmen and other bridesmaids hung around the altar staring uncertainly like confused cattle. The rest of the wedding guests did much the same.

Bobby simply stood frozen and stiff, watching the scene unfold as he processed what he’d just been told. “I don’t understand,” I finally heard him mutter. He reached out and tentatively touched his hand to Libby’s shoulder as she drew back from Bianca. “This was all fake… just to get to Nate’s money? You never really wanted me?”

She turned and stared at him with her mouth open. She looked like she was about to say something, but Bianca clocked her in the face with the bouquet again, and she spluttered and stumbled backwards before resuming the catfight.

I stared at Bobby, my heart breaking in two as I saw the expression on his face. This was so horribly ironic. Georgie and I came here as a fake couple, only to wind up together, and my brother came here with Libby as a real engaged couple, only to have it all exposed as a fraud.

Things didn’t get more fucked up than that.

Bobby’s face suddenly paled, as if the new reality had finally sunk in. “Fuck.” He shook his head and stumbled forward, clutching at his forehead. “Fuck, I can’t do this…”

I pulled my hand away from Georgie’s shoulder. She looked at my brother, then back at me with a nod. That was all I needed to know she’d be okay for the next few minutes without me.

I strode toward my brother. His legs were wobbling, and his face was stark white. He tried to take a step backward, but his knees finally buckled, and I reached him just in time to grab hold of him in my arms before he collapsed from sheer shock.

“Nate,” he whimpered as he fell against me.

“I’ve got you, Bobby,” I said, holding him close. “I’ve got you.”

I fucking meant it.