The Charismatic Lucas Gray

Chapter 5

The priest's expression was calm as he stared at the crowd, waiting for someone to step forward and verify the document for themselves. But even after waiting for five minutes, no one stepped forward.

Everyone just silently gaped at him.

"Perhaps, they need time to take it in." With that thought, the priest decided to wait another five minutes. But even after then, no one still stepped forward.

No one even say a word. The whole cathedral remained silent.

The priest couldn't help but frown. He had other matters to attend to. He couldn't possibly stay here forever.

"It seems no one doubts you, Father. Thank you for coming," Lucas suddenly said, a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth.

"In that case, I'll take my leave now," the priest replied softly.

His stern expression eased into a small, warm smile as he turned to Lucas and Ariadne. "These belong to you two. I wish you both a happy married life." He handed them the rings and marriage certificate.

Then, he bowed to the bishop once more before turning to leave. But he had barely taken a step when a loud shout rang out.

"Wait there! Did I say you could leave?" Seth bellowed, his expression as frosty as ice.

The priest's eyes narrowed. He turned to Seth. "Any problem, Mr. Miller?"

"You dare ask me that? How bold of you!" Seth laughed self-deprecatingly.

The smile was so unnerving that the priest couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. He unconsciously took a step backward.

"If there's any problem, you can just say it, Mr. Miller," he said gloomily.

"Hah!" Seth chuckled coldly. "It seems I've been gentle for so long that anyone dares to act however they please in front of me! How audacious!" His expression suddenly hardened, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. "How dare you collude with that loser to lie in front of me? Are you tired of living?"

Cold sweat broke out on the priest's forehead, but gritting his teeth, he forced himself to speak. "Mr. Miller, I colluded with no one! I am a man of the cloth! How can I tell lies? Besides, my Lord Bishop is here today. How could I dare lie in his presence? If you doubt my words, you are free to verify the document yourself!"

"Seth, the priest is saying the truth!" Ariadne yelled exasperatedly.

"Shut up!" Atticus bellowed. "If you say one more word, I'll have you disowned!"

Ariadne's face instantly paled. "Grandpa... you..." she stammered in shock.

Atticus ignored her. He shifted his gaze to Seth. "Continue, Seth."

Seth smiled and nodded to him. Then, turning to the priest, he scoffed, "Hmph! What ridiculous document? Any paper can look official if forged properly. Even I could have something like this made in a second!

"And as for not lying in front of the bishop—that's nonsense. There are so many parishes under the diocese. Without proper verification, how can he possibly recognize what parish you are coming from?

"So even if you lie and achieve what you want, can't you just disappear from the county afterward before he's done with the verification? Anyway, it's not like you're even from any parish. You're nothing but a con artist!"

"I respect you because of your status, but please, don't insult me, Mr. Miller!" The priest was furious. His face instantly darkened. "If you're used to lying your way through things, that doesn't mean everyone else does. Most of us live honest lives!

"I am Father Alexander McKenzie, the Parish Priest of St. Mary's Parish. I'm sure many of you have friends or relatives who worship there—you can easily verify whether I'm telling the truth or not!

"Additionally," he reached into his pocket and pulled out an identification card. "This is my clergy ID. My ordination certificate, signed and stamped by my Lord Bishop, Most Reverend Bishop Julian Kingsley, is in my car. If you want to see it, I can bring it as well!"

"Are you trying to scare me with these claims and the ID in your hand?" Seth snorted derisively. "Anyone can prepare those. It doesn't mean they're real!"

Father Alexander ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Even with all these evidence, Seth has refused to believe him! What else was he supposed to say?

"Seth, you really need to stop this. Father Alexander is only speaking the truth. Why are you being so stubborn?" Ariadne snapped, her jaw tight with frustration.

"Ariadne Brook, are you testing me? Do you want to see if I'll really disown you?" Atticus roared, his anger boiling over.

"Ariadne, why are you provoking your grandfather like this? Do you really want to be disowned? We both know that loser and this priest are lying! Just stop already!" Linda said anxiously, tugging at Ariadne's arm.

"Uh, Mr. Miller, I just spoke to my cousin, and he confirmed that Father Alexander McKenzie has been serving at St. Mary's Parish for the past eight years. He's not lying about his identity. But don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the certificate in his hand is genuine." One of the attendees, a young beautiful lady suddenly spoke up.

Instantly, tension spiked in the cathedral. All eyes darted between the young lady who dared to verify the information and Seth, waiting to see his reaction.

He'd been doubting the priest all this time. What would he say now that the priest's identity was confirmed?

"Mr. Miller, I believe it's wrong to accuse our clergy of being a con artist and a liar—especially in my presence. It seems you don't take me or my faith seriously."

The crowd was still waiting for Seth's response when the bishop suddenly said, his words directed against Seth.

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

What was going on? Were these people not afraid of the Millers' retaliation?

Seth's face darkened like a storm cloud. "What are you trying to say?"

The bishop didn't reply immediately. He simply walked over to Father Alexander, took the document from him, and gave it a quick glance. Then, in a calm yet firm voice, he declared, "This certificate is genuine."

BOOM!

It was like a bomb had just gone off. The attendees froze, wide-eyed.

Some of the more dramatic ones even slipped from their seats in shock.

Even if the certificate was genuine, everyone knew the Millers would never accept it. They would rather try everything to invalidate it, as they would never want anything to tarnish their reputation or embarrass them. But by declaring this, the bishop was openly doing so, which could be seen as him going against them.

Was he tired of living?

The bishop's face was gloomy. Of course, he knew this, which was why he hadn't said anything at first, but after thinking long and hard, between offending the Millers and protecting the reputation of his faith, he ended up choosing the latter.

"Michael, you are at the peak of your career. Be careful not to cut it short. Check the document again. Surely, you've made an error." A cold, gruff voice suddenly rang out.

The crowd shifted their gaze to the speaker. One look at him, and their faces changed.

It was the Patriarch of the Millers—Seth's grandfather. He had been silent all this time, merely observing. And now, he finally spoke up! The message in his statement was clear. While he seemed to be offering Bishop Michael a way out, he was also indirectly warning him not to go against the Millers and risk his life. He even went as far as to remind him that he was at the peak of his career—implying just how much he stood to lose if he dared to cross them.

How terrifying!

Bishop Michael's jaw tightened, his heart pounding. In the face of life and death, he found his resolve wavering.

But in the end, after a long, heavy pause, he gritted his teeth and said with great difficulty, "I made no mistake. The document is authentic. And with that being the case, this wedding cannot proceed."

The face of the Patriarch of the Millers grew cold. He gave Bishop Michael a long, meaningful stare before shifting his gaze to the Patriarch of the Brooks.

"Hah!" he chuckled bitterly. "The Brooks are truly something. What a fine daughter you’ve raised." With that, he rose to his feet and strode out of the cathedral.

One by one, the rest of the Millers followed, each casting a dark glare at the Brooks before leaving.

In the end, only Seth remained, seething with rage. "Hah!" he let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head. Then, gazing at the Brooks, he said coldly, "You lots can just wait to hear from my family!" With that threat hanging in the air, he stormed out.

BAM!

Atticus Brook slammed his hand on the desk, his face a furious shade of red. He jabbed a finger at Reginald Brook, Ariadne's father and his son.

"Look at the daughter you've raised—what a disgrace!" he thundered. "If the Millers retaliate against us, I'll disown your family, kick you out of the family company, seize all your shares, revoke your inheritances, and throw you onto the streets!" With that, he stood up and stormed out.