I Exposed My Cheating Groom, Then Married a Prince

"Oh my God, a red diamond! He must be crazy about her!" Applause erupted around us. Alex Moran knelt in the middle of the flower-lined aisle, gazing up at me with love in his eyes. Beneath my bouquet, my fingers tightened around my phone. The screen still showed the video Vivian Moran had sent me. He had just kissed her, yet here he was on one knee, asking me to be his wife. I wanted to shove the phone in his face and demand to know how long everyone around us had been laughing behind my back. But that would have let them off too easily. "Leah, will you marry me?" he prompted. I looked up, smiled, and placed my left hand in his. "I will." The cheers rose to a roar. He slipped the ring onto my finger and pulled me into his arms. The scent of gardenias filled the air. It was Vivian's favorite perfume. I fought the urge to shove him away, digging my nails into my palm instead. Five years earlier, he had trudged through a blizzard to bring me hot soup. He'd hidden his red, freezing hands behind his back, and promised to treat me well for the rest of his life. Apparently, he could promise that life to two women at once. The wedding was next week. The hotel had been booked and the invitations sent long ago. This public proposal was the "surprise" he had prepared especially for me. For the next two days, he personally checked every detail, even the color of the wedding napkins. If not for Vivian's relentless stream of messages, he would have seemed like the perfect fiancé. Vivian: He came to stay with me again last night. Don't tell me you're petty enough to care about that too. Vivian: Some things can't be won with a ring. I saved every message and went with him to a jewelry store on Kingsley Avenue. The moment a necklace was placed in front of us, his phone lit up. His fingers flew across the screen, and the smile on his lips cut into me. "What do you think of this one?" I asked. "Beautiful. It suits you." He didn't even look up. A moment later, he stood. "Honey, there's a problem at the wedding venue. I need to take care of it." "I'll come with you." "No." He answered too quickly, then kissed my forehead. "It's too far, and I don't want you tiring yourself out. Just pick whatever you like. Put it on my account." I smiled as I watched him leave. A screenshot arrived on my phone at once. Vivian: I miss you so much it hurts. Alex: Wait for me. I'm on my way. She followed it with another message. Vivian: Thanks for letting me have him. My vision blurred. I had to grip the counter to keep from losing my composure. After leaving the store, I finally called my father and asked for the livestream crew. "Leah." Lorenzo Vitale's voice held no warmth. "In what capacity are you asking the head of the Vitale crime family for help?" "As your most capable heir." Silence stretched across the line for several seconds. "Then prove it. I'll give you the crew, but you'll also undergo the family's test." I agreed. The instant I hung up, Vivian sent me an audio recording. "Don't you need to keep your fiancée company?" Alex laughed before answering. "Weren't you the one who said you missed me?" The sounds of kissing that followed turned my stomach. I grabbed the side of my car as tears ran down my face. Five years of love had become nothing more than something for them to laugh about. An unfamiliar number called me then. "Miss Vitale, this is Luca Romano. The livestream crew is ready. When will you need us?" I wiped away my tears and enunciated every word. "Next week. At my wedding."