Chapter 2 The Wedding
1046 Words
At Eaton Estate.
"Ahem." Selena and Alexander stood up while raising their glasses. "Thank you all for coming to my wedding with Alex..."
Selena started her rehearsed speech, but she noticed the guests were all staring wide-eyed behind her.
Sensing something was off, she turned around.
Behind her, the screen that should have been displaying sweet photos of her and Alexander was now showing a series of explicit pictures.
Each photo featured a different woman, but the man was always the same—Selena's husband, Alexander.
"No!!!"
Selena broke down, covering her face as a piercing scream escaped her lips.
The photos hit her like a punch, shattering her dreams of happiness.
Today was her wedding day! The day she had been looking forward to for three whole years!
Who ruined her wedding?
She had to find out who did this!
Alexander stood awkwardly, not knowing where to put his hands. Desperately, he glanced at his mother for help.
"Security! Lock down the venue!" Dana Carter's face was grim.
The wedding descended into chaos, with the Carters looking stern and guests whispering, occasionally casting pitying glances at the bride.
In a corner, a woman smiled with satisfaction.
Taking a deep breath, she savored the sweet air of revenge.
She had been planning this moment for three years, and this was just the beginning.
Next, she would make Selena return everything she had stolen from her, piece by piece!
The woman wore a black and white uniform paired with a plain hat, her attire marking her as a staff member of the estate and allowing her to blend discreetly into the crowd.
But she forgot that even a dusty pearl remains eye-catching.
The fitted uniform highlighted her curves, and her brown hair shimmered under the sun, peeking out from beneath her hat. Her full, red lips were striking, adding to her allure. The brim of her hat cast a shadow over her eyes, lending her an air of mystery like a veiled dancer.
"Hey, gorgeous." A man approached her with a flirty tone. "May I invite you to the party after the wedding?"
"Sorry, I have work after the wedding," she replied curtly.
It was only then that the man noticed she was wearing the staff uniform.
"You're not a staff member here; you can't fool me," the man said confidently.
The woman frowned, about to retort, but then she recognized him as John, the estate owner's son.
'Oh no! I have to leave immediately!'
"Wait... you're not our staff, but you're wearing a uniform to sneak in here..."
"You did those photos, didn't you?" His voice was excited. "Look what I found!"
John shouted while dragging her towards the Carters.
She struggled desperately, but his grip was too strong to break free, and she stumbled along behind him.
"Who is she? We didn't invite her." Dana Carter eyed the woman.
Selena marched forward, yanking off the woman's hat roughly.
Instantly, her hidden beauty was revealed to everyone.
The crowd exclaimed in unison as they saw her face.
Selena stood frozen. She didn't know the woman, yet she felt oddly familiar with her.
"Who are you? Are you one of Alex's women?" Selena snarled, her eyes burning with jealousy and fury.
There was something perversely satisfying about watching Selena's face contort with rage up close.
Even with her arms pinned and unable to escape, the woman's lips carried a faint smile.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alexander cowering aside, yet he still had that look of amazement in his eyes when he saw her.
'Oh, gross! Even in this situation, he can't hide his lust for a beautiful woman.'
"Who sent you?" Dana asked.
Alexander had disgraced the family today, and Dana suspected some scheming relative was behind this mess.
Several cousins around his age were all vying to be the heir of the Carter family, after all.
"I'm..."
The woman's brain raced, and she tried to find the perfect excuse to get out of this mess.
Her heart pounded, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
'Alexander's lover? No, that can easily be disproven...'
"She's my plus-one."
Just as she was thinking, a deep and steady voice interrupted her thoughts.
She looked back, only to find the voice belonged to Nicholas Carter.
'Nicholas is Alexander's uncle. Why would he help me?'
"Your plus-one? Then why is she wearing a uniform?"
Selena was dumbfounded. How could this woman be Nicholas' plus-one? Alex always said Nicholas never had women around him.
"She spilled something on her dress and borrowed a uniform from a staff member," Nicholas replied coolly, as if it were the absolute truth.
Standing over six and a half feet tall with a perfect shape, Nicholas towered over John, casting him in shadow.
He stared down at John without saying a word until John, sensing the danger, released the woman's arm.
Nicholas snorted softly, wrapping an arm around her waist while his other hand gently rubbed the red marks on her arm. His gaze was as soft as moonlight.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice tender and full of concern.
His slightly calloused fingertips brushed her arm, making her shiver.
A blush crept up her cheeks, but she quickly composed herself, leaning into Nicholas' shoulder with a hint of distress in her expression.
"No, dear. It's just that your family doesn't seem very friendly."
She had no idea why Nicholas was helping her, but getting out of there was her top priority.
Nicholas played along perfectly, a flicker of anger crossing his face as he glanced around the bewildered crowd before guiding her towards the exit.
"Seems like none of you welcome my plus-one. We'll be leaving now."
As they walked out of the hall, she glanced back to see the stunned expressions on the faces of the Carters—regret, surprise...
She couldn't help but smile.
Once getting out of the banquet hall, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey, thanks," she said, looking at Nicholas and gripping the hand still around her waist. "And do you mind letting go now?"
But Nicholas showed no intention of releasing her. Instead, he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered softly, "Isabelle, you've got some nerve."
- Writer
