Diane's malicious smile vanished almost immediately upon hearing Ryder's voice."Oh, Ryder, I think I should get going," she feigned a smile as Ryder approached them."No, not yet. We're just getting started," he countered, moving forward with a basket full of invitation cards.At the sight of the invitation cards, a satisfied grin crept across Diane's lips. She slowly sank onto the couch, reclining against it as if she had intention of leaving.Scarlet's gaze followed the basket of cards as Ryder placed it to the glass table in front of her."Hey, Scarlet, these are our invitation cards. What do you think?" he asked, fixing his smiling gaze on her."Does it match your taste?" he added, inquiring about her opinion.His care for Scarlet's acknowledgment of the invitations made Diane roll her eyes in jealousy. "Oh, they look so good!" she remarked, moving from her spot to grab one."Ryder, seriously?" Scarlet raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're marrying her this quickly? Within days
Scarlet sped towards the highway, her mind clouded with thoughts of Diane and Ryder's marriage, each thump of her heart echoing these concerns as she drove into the prison vicinity.She couldn't fathom what they were plotting, but she knew it would affect her in some way. Her mom had never done anything that didn't cause her pain since her father's death.Parking her car in the garage, she pulled out her mini mirror, adjusting her appearance and pampering her face to perfection so no one would notice her distress.Making her way towards the prison wall, she walked slowly but with grace, almost like a catwalk.Approaching, her eyes caught a familiar figure, and upon squinting, she realized it was Mr. Damon. Her brows furrowed with curiosity. What was Mr. Damon doing here? That was her thought.Standing still, she watched him conversing with someone inside. Her curiosity intensified as she stood there, trying to discern who he came for. After a few minutes, Ms. Oct and Mr. Damon emerged
As Scarlet drove home, her mind jumbled with thoughts about Mr. Damon's drug warehouse and how he had used it to manipulate her mom without her knowledge.She was preoccupied with trying to take her daughter down to acquire her family's inheritance, only to realize she had fallen into Mr. Damon's trap without even knowing it. Now, they were on the verge of becoming a part of the royal family, which would grant them even more access and influence.She couldn't decide which issue to tackle first—whether to address the impending wedding or deal with the drug warehouse Mr. Damon used to manipulate Ms. Oct. Time was running out; she had only two days to act before the wedding, and she felt the urgency to dismantle Mr. Damon's schemes.Diane marrying into the royal family would undoubtedly grant Mr. Damon a different kind of protection for his nefarious plans and increases his hold over her mom.Despite being enemies since she became the guardian of her father's wealth, Scarlet still holds
Harry's eyes darted around the dignitaries seated in the same hall, searching for any familiar figure, but to no avail.“It seems he isn't here,” Harry sighed.“That's impossible. It's his daughter we're talking about here. He'll be somewhere down the stairs or maybe in another hall,” Jade said.“I haven't seen the king yet,” Pietro added to their conversation.Harry sighed inwardly. “The king? I doubt he would come. He already gave his consent. He'll probably send in a representative.”Pietro nodded in agreement, returning his attention to his phone.Meanwhile, Scarlet walked slowly out of the hall, heaving a sigh of relief. She wasn't taking any chances to protect herself; she was here, after all, and needed to protect herself.She strolled down the stairs and entered a room full of royals. They noticed her presence immediately, a situation she'd prefer to avoid, given the tendency of the old hags in the royal family to nag about minor things. Most of them were her mom's sisters or
"Surprised to see me out?" Martin, her stepbrother, stepped closer, closing the gap between them.Scarlet stood there, caught off guard and unsure of how to react. It was a bittersweet reunion with Martin after his five-year jail term, an unexpected encounter she hadn't anticipated. She had written him off, assuming he wouldn't show up to the wedding since he was just released.Though five years younger than Scarlet at twenty-four, Martin stood tall at six feet with broad shoulders and a muscular physique that exuded an intimidating presence."There's something else that will work on you," he smirked, his shiny hazel eyes fixed on her. "And you know what that is."Scarlet subtly tightened her grip on her dress, trying to steady her trembling hands while masking her rising fear with a forced smile."I hoped you'd learned better," she said slowly, almost a whisper."Of course, I have. I'm twenty-four now, not nineteen anymore," he retorted boldly, making Scarlet even more uneasy as she
As he stepped out of the elevator, a smug smile graced his lips at the sight of Mrs. Freya's bewildered expression.A string of curses nearly escaped her lips as she watched Harry exit the elevator and stride towards the stairs.Joining the table, Harry found Scarlet already seated. Settling into his chair with a relieved sigh, he was grateful to be away from Mrs. Freya's presence."Where were you?" Harry inquired.Scarlet, preoccupied with Martin's threat but hesitant to reveal it just yet, forced a smile. "I bumped into some royals on my way downstairs.""We figured as much," Jade chimed in, wearing a smug smile before diverting her gaze back to the bustling crowd in the hall."You didn't grab more drinks. I suppose you got sidetracked after greeting the royals," Pietro remarked."Then let's summon Gina to fetch them for us.""Gina?" Scarlet questioned, unsure who Gina was."The Robot," he clarified.Pietro activated the robot, inputting their names and orders for their preferred di
Benson sped toward the Archer mansion, swiftly entering the compound.When he opened the car door for Diane, she refused to get out, insistent on continuing her wedding."Carry her in!" Mr. Damon commanded, impatience in his voice.Benson promptly lifted and carried her into the mansion, placing her on a couch in the sitting room."I said take me to my wedding!" She clung to Benson and sneered. "Why did you bring me here? Take me out! I want to continue the wedding! Where's Ryder? Where's the priest?" She continued shouting, and everyone watched her as if she'd lost her sanity.Benson slowly released her grip, swiftly heading outside, realizing it was a family matter."Dad!" She crawled off the couch, clinging tightly to his legs. "Where's Ryder? Please take me back to the hall.""Dad, please! I'm begging you. Take me back to finish my marriage," Mr. Damon closed his eyes, trying to compose himself, unwilling to believe his daughter had reached this point."Mom," she smiled casually,
It had been two days since the chaos of the wedding and Diane's emotional breakdown in front of her family.At the Archer's mansion, Mr. Damon sat quietly, sipping his coffee, his thoughts consumed by the lost opportunities—the backing of the royals and the potential deals with Arab contacts. Regret lingered in his mind, especially the knowledge that Harry was behind it all. Despite the intensifying frustration towards Harry, Mr. Damon chose to pause his pursuit, realizing his previous attempts had been fruitless.He opted to focus on personal development and strategize for an unexpected move against Harry in the future. Despite steering clear of the warehouse recently since the weeding and Ms Oct insults, updates from Benson indicated smooth operations with his deals. Though recent events had momentarily tarnished his public image, his wealth had significantly increased, perhaps doubling its original value.Mr. Damon's plan was to adopt a low profile, mirroring Martino and Steele's a