The chatter around us softened as nearby guests sensed tension. I kept my tone even. “The ranch stays where it is. We will discuss inheritance when I choose to do so.”
Kyle’s smile cracked. “You are old. You are slowing down. You cannot manage this place much longer. Brianna deserves better than waiting for you to die.”
A hush fell. I saw shock flicker across faces, heard a chair scrape, felt my heart hammer in my chest.
“I said no,” I repeated.
Something dark ignited behind his eyes. He stepped closer, his voice rising, “You will regret standing in my way.”
Before I could react, his hand struck my face with brutal force. I stumbled backward, slipping on the polished floor. Pain burst through my hip and shoulder as I hit the ground. Warm blood filled my mouth. Gasps erupted around us. Someone screamed. Brianna stood frozen, hands over her mouth, eyes wide with terror not for me but for the man she had just married.
I pushed myself up, humiliation burning hotter than the pain. “This celebration is finished,” I said, my voice shaking yet firm.
I walked out of my own daughter’s wedding with blood on my collar and fury in my veins.