The Wedding Planner's Revenge

In the opulent world of Charleston weddings, Elizabeth Ashford reigns supreme.  Her impeccable taste and flawless execution make her the city's most sought-after planner, crafting dreams for the elite. But her carefully constructed world shatters when Melanie Vance, a demanding heiress, accuses her of stealing a priceless family heirloom.  The humiliation is a prelude to a far greater nightmare: Melanie is found dead, and Elizabeth becomes the prime suspect.
Suddenly, the architect of perfect days is trapped in a real-life murder mystery. Desperate to clear her name, Elizabeth plunges into the murky depths of Melanie’s life, uncovering a tangled web of secrets: a fiancé drowning in gambling debts, a clandestine affair with a renowned artist, and whispers of embezzlement from the Vance family fortune.  Charleston's cobblestone streets and antebellum mansions, once a source of inspiration, now feel oppressive, each a potential hiding place for a killer.
With the help of Ingrid Kepler, a sharp-witted private investigator, Elizabeth races against time to unravel the truth.  Their investigation leads them into the opulent world of Charleston's elite, a world of veiled secrets and simmering resentments, where a shadowy organization known as the Carolina Collective wields a dangerous influence. A coded message, a hidden symbol, and a figure from Elizabeth’s past converge, revealing a conspiracy far more intricate and deadly than she could have imagined.
As Elizabeth and Ingrid get closer to the truth, they become targets, their every move shadowed by an unseen enemy.  Cryptic warnings escalate to outright threats, making it clear that someone is desperate to silence them.  Elizabeth realizes she's been framed, a pawn in a deadly game orchestrated by a master manipulator. The stolen brooch, the catalyst for the tragedy, becomes a chilling symbol of deception, its true significance shrouded in darkness.
In a final, heart-pounding confrontation at a lavish masquerade ball, the truth explodes into the open, exposing a betrayal that cuts deeper than Elizabeth ever thought possible.  The scent of magnolias and jasmine, once synonymous with Charleston's charm, now carries the bitter aroma of treachery. Elizabeth must confront a ghost from her past, a man who holds the key to Melanie’s murder and the terrifying secret of the Carolina Collective.  Can she expose the killer and reclaim her life before she becomes the next victim?