Chapter 23 - BENNETT CREST’S NEW WEDDING RULES
The company eventually adopted policies banning family-beneficiary discounts unless disclosed and independently approved.
It sounded absurdly specific.
That was because decades of “family courtesy” had hidden enormous spending.
Wedding deposits.
Rooms.
Food.
Wine.
Travel.
All needed accounting.
The venue where Brenda married became the company’s strongest property again.
Couples still loved the stone patio.
The dessert table moved indoors after a renovation.
Not because of Leo.
Because rain repeatedly ruined frosting.
I appreciated that life continued without arranging architecture around our trauma.
One summer, Bennett Crest invited Leo to photograph a public vineyard event through an open competition.
He declined.
“Too weird.”
Years later, he accepted a different commission after conflict review.
No family premium.
No trust pressure.
He photographed staff, kitchens, vineyard workers, couples dancing.
No staged heir portraits.
One image showed a four-year-old girl reaching for a cupcake.
Nobody slapped her.
Leo almost deleted it because the symbolism felt obvious.
May you like
He kept it because the photograph was good.
Art did not need to fear resemblance.
