He instantly softened his expression. “Honey, I want to gouge his eyes out.”
Looping my arm through his, I smiled at the arriving guests while whispering a warning,” Hold back. Don’t ruin the bigger plan.
I knew Julian had come to stir up trouble. That was fine by me–I planned to use his antics to turn the tables in a big way.
So, I let them sit in the front row and didn’t stop Averil from livestreaming the event on her phone.
What I hadn’t anticipated was Julian shoving Averil forward to be the one to blow the lid off ⚫ everything.
Just as Norman and I were about to exchange rings, Averil suddenly stood up, her voice cutting through the ceremony like a knife, “To all the guests here today and everyone watching on my livestream, I have a bombshell announcement to make!
“The bride, the renowned dancer Victoria Dean, has a hidden identity she’s been too afraid to admit. Her parents were the masterminds behind the scandal that killed over twenty patients! Her real name is Violet Rivers.”
Her words hit like an explosive, sending shockwaves through the crowd. The once–celebratory atmosphere instantly erupted into chaos.
Julian’s gaze locked onto me, burning with a strange intensity–filled with an insatiable. hunger.
What was he hoping for?
To tear apart my dignity or revel in my humiliation? Did that truly bring
I stared back at him, refusing to waver.
In the long moment of silence, his eyes finally broke away from mine.
But not once did I see even a flicker of guilt on his face.
such joy?
The last remnants of my lingering feelings for him dissipated into nothingness.
I calmly picked up the microphone. “That’s right I am Violet Rivers. Today is my wedding day -the most important day of my life. And I’ve decided to take this opportunity to do something just as important.”
Clasping Norman’s hand tightly, I signaled to the assistant at the side of the stage. “Go ahead. Play it.”
The wedding montage abruptly cut to a different video–a thirty–minute exposé filled with hard evidence.
The footage played boldly on the screen, its stark truths impossible to ignore.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 29
I could hear gasps and angry murmurs spreading through the crowd.
Guests whispered and shouted accusations, their outrage palpable.”
On the other side of the room, I saw Averil clutch Julian’s arm in panic, her composure crumbling.
And at the heart of it all, the instigator–the one responsible for everything–Julian stood amidst the chaos.
Through the crowd, his gaze met mine, fractured and undone.
After today, our roles would be reversed.
I wondered fleetingly if he was feeling regret.
“Stop looking,” Norman murmured, gently placing his hand over my eyes. “Don’t forget that
this is still our wedding day.”
