Chapter 30
Derek’s POV
The wedding stress had reached a fever pitch in the apartment.
The dining table was buried under a mountain of brochures, sample flower arrangements that filled the air with sweet, cloying scents, printed contracts, and half-finished seating charts.
Mom moved through the chaos with radiant energy, humming softly as she reviewed the guest list one more time, her pen tapping rhythmically against the paper.
“This is really happening,” she said with a bright, genuine smile, reaching for Marcus’s hand across the table. “Our family is starting fresh. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
Marcus squeezed her hand, the picture of calm support, his thumb stroking the back of her hand gently.
But his dark eyes flicked to me across the table, holding that heated, possessi
