2026-09-15 17:44:48
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19. The wedding that wasn't hers
The ceremony continued, but it was no secret that everyone's focus wasn't on the couple getting married anymore.Outside the chapel walls, the whole city had been thrown into chaos. Everyone was watching the live broadcast, and Mikael's entrance had become the top trending topic on social media within minutes."Oh my, he's so hot. Who do you think he could be?""Do you think he could be a distant cousin or something? I mean, he walked right to the front and no one said a word.""No way he's family. Did you see the woman he brought? Her dress is even more stunning than the bride's. That has to be on purpose.""I heard someone say his watch alone is worth more than the entire wedding budget.""Forget the watch. Look at how he's sitting. Like he owns the place."Comment after comment flooded in — thousands within the hour — everyone desperate for a name, a title, anything. The wedding hashtag had been trending all morning. Now it was like people had forgotten about the wedding entirely.
18. The man they buried
There he was.The man she had laughed at, the one she'd believed would be nothing without her.The man she had thrown away, certain he'd stay buried in her past.He was standing in the doorway of her wedding, holding another woman's hand.For several seconds, the chapel was dead silent, like nobody knew what to say.Nobody spoke.The priest stood frozen at the altar, one hand still resting on the pages of the Bible, staring toward the open chapel doors.The silence felt almost unnatural.Then—Click.One camera went off.Another followed.Then another.Within seconds, the entire chapel erupted into a storm of flashes.The reporters had completely forgotten about the wedding.Every lens was pointed toward the doorway, and every whisper was about the unknown couple."Who are they?""That's the dress from Jean Marie.""Isn't that the five-hundred-thousand-dollar gown Vivienne wanted for the after party?" Diane whispered to Renee.Renee nodded. "I heard someone bought it for a million."E
17. Who were they?
The first thing Vivienne — and pretty much everyone else in the chapel — noticed was the dress.Pure, brilliant white, with delicate silver embroidery woven through the fabric. The details caught the chapel lights with every small movement, making the gown shimmer like it had been dusted with crushed diamonds.It was the same dress.The rare, breathtaking gown Vivienne had spent days dreaming about. The one she had wanted for herself. The one that had cost half a million dollars — before some mysterious man walked into the boutique and paid a million just to take it away from her.And now—someone else was wearing it.For a moment, Vivienne genuinely wondered if she was imagining it. Surely there was more than one dress like that in the world. Surely the boutique had made a second one. But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it wasn't true. Jean Marie didn't make duplicates. That was the entire point of paying a million dollars for it.But somehow, the dress wasn't even the
16. Invited guests
In that moment—The chapel doors flew open once more.The heavy doors swung inward with a deep, echoing sound that cut straight through the priest's words.Every head in the chapel turned.The press reacted almost instantly.Cameras that had only just come to rest were raised again, reporters straightened in their seats, and several hurried to adjust their lenses, already assuming another important guest had arrived.Maybe a celebrity.Maybe a politician.Maybe some powerful businessman who had decided to show up at the last possible moment.Whatever the reason, someone important had just walked in.Even the priest stopped talking.His mouth stayed slightly open as he stared toward the entrance, his attention completely stolen by the interruption.Lucas turned.Vivienne turned too, curiosity getting the better of her.And then she saw the woman standing in the doorway.The first thing Vivienne noticed was the dress.White.Pure, brilliant white, with delicate silver embroidery woven t
15. A wedding for the cameras
The guest list was filled with names most people only knew from newspapers and TV.Successful businessmen arrived with their wives. Politicians came surrounded by assistants and security. Socialites stepped out of cars dressed like they were walking a red carpet, not attending a wedding.There were investors, executives, celebrities, influencers, and members of some of the city's oldest and wealthiest families.Every few minutes, another familiar face showed up at the entrance, immediately swarmed by photographers.The camera shutters never seemed to stop.Flash.Flash.Flash.Some guests paused on purpose to pose before walking in.Others smiled and waved at the cameras like they'd been expecting it.Outside the gates, the crowd kept growing.People stood on the pavement just to watch the line of expensive cars roll in. Some held their phones up, recording everything they could.By late morning, it seemed like half the city knew about the wedding.And inside the estate, Vivienne knew
14. Excessive, beautiful, unnecessary
Shortly after the butler left, Lucas arrived."Hey baby, did you forget you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding?" she joked, but he only smiled briefly."Where's your charger? I think I forgot mine." He was already looking around the room, scanning for the one thing he cared about at that moment."Nice to see you too," Vivienne said, rolling her eyes but still smiling. She spun around, grinning from ear to ear. "What do you think? Beautiful, right?""Yeah." He answered without even looking at her. He spotted the charger on a table by the window and went straight for it."I know I made the right choice with this dress. It was the most expensive one, actually, but it's worth every cent.""Yeah." He was already halfway to the door when he said it."Baby."He stopped and turned but didn't answer."Is something wrong?""Of course not." His jaw tightened as he walked back to her. "You look breathtaking. I'd love nothing more than to tear all this apart and have you right now
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