Vanessa felt irritated by the way she was being looked at. Although she was not properly dressed, it was not her fault."Do I look like I'm here to joke? Lord Cloud invited me himself."The woman raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.She glanced behind Vanessa and noticed the scooter parked off to the side. Her expression of disbelief immediately turned into one of disgust."You arrived here on that piece of trash?" the woman asked, pointing at the scooter with a much more disgusted look."Yes," Vanessa replied firmly, refusing to be intimidated.The woman scoffed loudly, drawing the attention of a few nearby guests who began to murmur among themselves. "Well, I don't know what kind of places you're used to, but this is a prestigious event.""We don’t just let anyone in, especially someone who smells like..." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well, like they’ve been dragged through the mud."Vanessa’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she stood her ground. "I was in an accident
Vanessa’s heart pounded in her chest. She was on the verge of breaking, and her body was still sore from the accident.But she stayed strong; she could not let them see any signs of weakness in her.“I’m not leaving,” Vanessa repeated, her voice firm despite the tremor in her chest. “I was invited to the event like everyone else, and I’m not going anywhere.”But the crowd’s jeers and mocking insults grew louder.One woman in line sneered, “She probably stole that dress too. It’s ruined anyway, just like her.”The insults did not stop as some of them even tried to harm her.Just when it seemed like the situation couldn’t get any worse, a woman from behind the line, one of the loudest, took a step closer to Vanessa, her voice dripping with venom. “You really think Lord Cloud would waste his time with someone like you? You’re a joke. A filthy, desperate joke.”Vanessa’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure.The wom
The organizer frowned at the crowd.On one hand, he knew how important it was to respect Lord Cloud's guest; whoever disrespected Lord Cloud's guest would face severe consequences. On the other hand, the crowd was becoming increasingly restless, clamoring for Vanessa's identity to be confirmed.He knew he had to manage the situation carefully. The last thing he wanted was a full-blown scene that could disrupt this prestigious event.But if Vanessa was telling the truth, she would certainly have her ID on her, and all this would be over.He turned to Vanessa, his expression regretful. “Miss Vanessa, I’m really sorry, but given the circumstances, I’ll need to verify your identity. Do you have any sort of identification with you?”Vanessa’s heart sank. She had been so focused on getting to the event and surviving the accident that she hadn’t even thought about her belongings.The car fire had destroyed everything—her purse, her ID, and everything she could use to prove her identity, inc
Nathan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman. The coldness in his gaze was enough to make her tremble, but she stubbornly held her ground, thinking she was doing the right thing by reporting the situation to him.Nathan’s gaze darkened, the weight of his displeasure pressing down on the entire gathering.The crowd, once buzzing with scorn and ridicule, now stood in absolute silence, the tension almost suffocating. His eyes, like icy daggers, locked onto the defiant woman who had dared to insult Vanessa.She could feel the intensity of his stare, and though she tried to maintain her defiant posture, her confidence still wavered. She began to panic. Had she...Nathan’s voice, when he spoke, was low and lethal, each word cutting through the air like a blade. “Do you know who you’re talking about?” he asked with a very icy tone.The woman began to tremble. “She’s just some beggar...” the woman murmured, but Nathan’s sharp command silenced her instantly.“That ‘beggar,’ as you so dare
As Vanessa reentered the hall, all eyes turned to her, but this time, their gaze was filled with admiration and awe. The crowd could not help but murmur. "Was this not the woman that looked like a street beggar a few minutes ago?""Wow! She looks so stunning!"Nathan, who had been waiting for her, smiled softly as Vanessa came closer. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, giving her a tender kiss. Vanessa looked like a queen while Nathan looked like her king. "Wow, they look so perfect!" someone from the crowd murmured. "I wish I had a man as rich and powerful as Lord Cloud," another said. “You look breathtaking,” Nathan said quietly, his eyes filled with affection. This was his woman, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew that. The admiration and astonishment from the crowd only made him more proud.Vanessa blushed at Nathan's words. Just a few moments ago, she was like a plague the crowd wanted to get rid of, but now their eyes were worshipping her. “Thank you, Nathan
The cathedral, once filled with joyful applause, now fell into an uneasy silence.All eyes were on the man who had just burst through the grand doors, clapping slowly and mockingly. The atmosphere shifted from joy to sudden tension as everyone was trying to understand what was going on.Vanessa's face, once glowing with happiness, twisted into a deep frown. Her heart sank as she recognized the man standing before her; it was her brother Darius.The very person she had hoped to keep far from her life, especially her new life with Nathan.But there he was again, showing up to try and ruin everything for her.Her grip on Nathan’s hand tightened, her knuckles turning white.Nathan, still holding Vanessa’s hand, was taken aback. His eyes darted between Vanessa and the man approaching the altar.His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.Vanessa had never mentioned a brother, and he wondered why.Why did she not invite him to her own wedding?Unbeknownst to him, he was soon about to find out. The
The murmur of the crowd continued to grow louder, as people shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Some exchanged uneasy glances.What the hell was her brother talking about?Some of the others leaned in closer, eager to hear the rest of Darius’s story, as if they were in a movie theatre and not at a wedding.Nathan’s fists clenched at his sides, as he was brimming with anger. He wanted to drag Darius out of the cathedral, to throw him out and end this nonsense.But he knew that would only give Darius more ammunition, more for him to fuel his twisted narrative. He needed to find a way to deal with him as soon as possible.Vanessa, meanwhile, felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead.She had to stop this, had to shut Darius up before he ruins everything for her. But how?Darius began pacing slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. “You see, when Vanessa found out that she was on the brink of losing everything, her company, her position, her entire empire, she had to act fast.""Yo
Darius wore a twisted smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a document.“But wait, there’s more. You see, my dear sister didn’t just stop at manipulating her way into this marriage.""Oh no, she had bigger plans. Plans that involved taking everything from Nathan.”Nathan’s face twisted into a scowl as Darius continued. He could sense that whatever Darius was about to reveal would be far worse than anything he had said so far.The crowd, who had not recovered from the things Darius had said earlier, leaned in closer, eager and yet fearful of whatever Darius was about to say.Darius was enjoying the suspense and the attention. He made sure everyone could see what he was holding by waving the document in the air before unfolding it. “What I have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a signed agreement between Vanessa and Henry Smith.""It’s not just any agreement; it's a plan to drain Nathan of his wealth, siphon off his assets, and then run away with Henry, leaving Nathan with no