CHAPTER FOUR
1451 Words
Amelia’s POV
I stared at the hand stretched toward me.
Strong.
Steady.
Certain.
For a second, the entire cathedral fell silent.
No whispers.
No cameras clicking.
Nothing.
Just Lucien… waiting.
I looked up into his dark eyes.
There was no pity in them.
Only resolve.
“Lucien…” My voice cracked. “What are you doing?”
“I’m giving you a choice.”
His answer was calm.
“So choose.”
A nervous laugh escaped me.
“A choice?”
I gestured toward the hundreds of guests staring at us.
“My fiancé just humiliated me in front of everyone.”
“My cousin stole the man I was supposed to marry.”
“My life is falling apart…”
“And you’re talking about choices?”
Lucien didn’t flinch.
“Yes.”
“Because the next decision you make will define the rest of your life.”
Behind us, Scarlett scoffed.
“Seriously?”
She folded her arms.
“Lucien, don’t tell me you’re actually defending her.”
Ethan stepped forward, his face darkening.
“Cousin.”
“This doesn’t concern you.”
Lucien slowly turned to face him.
His expression remained unreadable.
“I disagree.”
“You humiliated a woman who did nothing but love you.”
“You invited hundreds of people here…”
“…only to break her.”
Every word landed like a slap.
Ethan clenched his jaw.
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“No.”
Lucien nodded once.
“You owe Amelia one.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“You actually want my leftovers?”
Gasps swept through the church.
My heart sank.
Even after everything…
He still wanted to humiliate me.
Lucien’s eyes turned ice cold.
Without warning…
He stepped forward.
Bang!
His fist slammed into Ethan’s jaw.
The sound echoed through the cathedral.
Scarlett screamed.
Guests shot to their feet.
Ethan staggered backward before crashing into the front pew.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
No one moved.
No one dared.
Lucien adjusted the cuff of his suit as though nothing had happened.
Then he looked at Ethan.
His voice was quiet.
Deadly.
“Call her a leftover again…”
“…and you won’t leave this church standing.”
I forgot how to breathe.
This was the first time anyone…
Anyone…
Had stood up for me.
Lucien turned back toward me.
He held out his hand once more.
“Amelia.”
“I’ll ask only one last time.”
His eyes never left mine.
“Will you come with me…”
“…or will you keep crying over a man who never deserved you?”
My fingers trembled.
Behind me…
The guests waited.
Ahead of me…
Stood a man I barely knew.
A man who had just risked everything to defend me.
I slowly lifted my hand.
Just before our fingers touched…
The church doors burst open.
A frantic voice echoed through the cathedral.
“Mr. Lucien!”
Everyone turned.
The man’s face was pale with panic.
“You can’t marry her!”
Chapter Five
Amelia’s POV
“You can’t marry her!”
The terrified voice echoed through the cathedral.
Every head turned toward the entrance.
A middle-aged man in a gray suit rushed inside, breathing heavily.
His forehead glistened with sweat.
He stopped a few feet away from Lucien, lowering his voice.
“Mr. Vale…”
“We have a problem.”
Lucien’s expression didn’t change.
“What is it?”
The man hesitated.
His eyes briefly met mine before returning to Lucien.
“It’s urgent.”
“Now.”
A tense silence settled over the church.
I slowly withdrew my hand.
Of course.
What had I been thinking?
Lucien was one of the most powerful men in the country.
Men like him didn’t marry women like me.
Not broken women.
Not women abandoned at the altar.
Not women whose lives had fallen apart in front of hundreds of guests.
I forced a smile.
It hurt.
“I understand.”
Lucien frowned.
“Amelia…”
“It’s okay.”
I bent down and picked up my bouquet from the floor.
Several white roses had been crushed beneath the guests’ shoes.
Just like my heart.
“I’ve already embarrassed myself enough today.”
I turned to leave.
One step.
Then another.
Before I reached the church doors…
A warm hand wrapped gently around my wrist.
I froze.
“Look at me.”
Lucien’s deep voice was calm.
Firm.
Almost commanding.
Slowly…
I turned around.
He was standing closer than before.
Close enough that I could see the faint scar above his right eyebrow.
Close enough to notice the anger still burning in his eyes.
“I never said I changed my mind.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“The interruption has nothing to do with you.”
He looked directly into my eyes.
“My offer still stands.”
A gasp swept through the cathedral.
Scarlett’s face turned pale.
Ethan took a step forward.
“Lucien, have you lost your mind?”
Lucien didn’t even spare him a glance.
Instead…
He reached into the inner pocket of his suit.
The room held its breath.
He pulled out a small black velvet box.
My heart stopped.
He slowly opened it.
Inside lay a flawless diamond ring that caught the light from the chandeliers.
Then, in front of everyone…
Lucien lowered himself onto one knee.
“I don’t repeat myself, Amelia.”
His voice was steady.
“So I’ll ask you one final time.”
He held out the ring.
“Will you marry me?”
The cathedral fell silent.
Every camera turned toward us.
Every guest waited for my answer.
And I realized…
Whatever I said next…
Would change my life forever.
Chapter Six
Amelia’s POV
“Will you marry me?”
The question echoed through the cathedral.
Every eye was on me.
My lips parted, but no words came out.
Marry him?
I barely knew Lucien.
We had only met a handful of times during Ethan’s family gatherings.
He was always quiet.
Always distant.
The kind of man everyone respected…
And feared.
Yet here he was.
On one knee.
Holding out a diamond ring.
“Lucien…” My voice shook. “Why?”
A faint smile touched his lips.
“I’ll answer every question you have.”
“But not here.”
Not here?
I looked around.
Hundreds of guests were recording us with their phones.
Journalists whispered excitedly among themselves.
My humiliation had become tomorrow’s headline.
Scarlett folded her arms.
“Oh, please.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
“She’s just playing hard to get.”
Ethan let out a cold laugh.
“Cousin, this is beneath you.”
Lucien rose to his feet.
His gaze never left mine.
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“The only thing beneath me…”
“…is a man who cheats on the woman who loved him.”
A ripple of shocked murmurs swept through the crowd.
Ethan’s face darkened.
“You think she’s innocent?”
“You don’t even know who she really is.”
The smile faded from Lucien’s face.
“What does that mean?”
For a brief second…
A smug smile crossed Ethan’s lips.
Then it disappeared.
“Nothing.”
He straightened his jacket.
“I’ve already thrown away my trash.”
“You can keep it.”
The words hadn’t fully left his mouth…
Before Lucien grabbed him by the collar.
The cathedral erupted.
“Take it back.”
Lucien’s voice was low.
Dangerously low.
Ethan smirked.
“Or what?”
Lucien leaned closer.
“So help me, Ethan…”
“If you insult her one more time…”
“I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life regretting this day.”
For the first time…
I saw fear flash across Ethan’s face.
Not anger.
Fear.
Lucien released him with a shove.
He turned back to me.
His eyes softened.
He held out the ring once more.
“I won’t force you.”
“If you say no…”
“I’ll walk away.”
“But if you take my hand…”
“No one in this room will ever humiliate you again.”
My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
I looked at Ethan.
He was watching me with a mocking smile, convinced I’d walk away in tears.
Then I looked at Scarlett.
She clung to his arm, her eyes full of triumph.
They wanted me broken.
They wanted this day to define the rest of my life.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
I was done letting them decide my story.
With trembling fingers…
I reached toward Lucien.
The cathedral held its breath.
My fingertips brushed against his.
- Writer
