Chapter 2

Finally, it was over. Ariella was so exhausted her legs felt like jelly. She was gasping for air, trying her best to pull herself together. "Happy now?" he murmured next to her ear. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You're the only one who gets to feel satisfied. I don't even have that right," Ariella answered coldly. She turned to face him, her eyes full of frost. There was a huge red stain on his shirt - clearly wine. So he must've spilled the wine on purpose, used changing clothes as an excuse, and snuck off to the restroom. Lucian smirked slightly as he adjusted his clothes. "Good. At least you understand." "Can this be the end of us now?" Her voice trembled slightly, more from emotion than fatigue. Whatever gratitude she'd felt toward him before had vanished the moment he ignored her will and forced himself on her. All that was left was pain-and resentment. "Ninety-two days to go." He remembered it that precisely? Down to the day? "Now get back out there. The wedding's not going to attend itself." Without waiting for a reply, he pushed open the restroom door and walked out. Ariella sank down slowly, squatting until her body stopped shaking and she could stand again. Once she looked decent, she made her way back into the hotel ballroom. From her seat, she looked up and saw Lucian had returned-shirt changed, back to playing the smiling groom and sipping wine with his bride. "Hey there, gorgeous. Mind if I sit here? I'm Ryan Sterling. You?" A voice came from beside her-Lucian's younger brother, the infamous playboy. Ryan had a wild rep-rumor was, if it wore heels and smiled at him, he'd flirt with it. Ariella raised a finger to her lips. "Shh," she whispered, nodding toward the front. "Do you take Fiona to be your lawfully wedded wife...?" "Lucian! You bastard! Get out here!" a woman's voice suddenly screamed from outside the venue, cutting the priest off mid-sentence. Ariella's heart, knotted tight all this time, lifted-the plan her buddy had helped arrange was happening. Someone else could speak the truth that she couldn't. All heads turned toward Lucian. You could hear a pin drop; the silence was suffocating. "Sorry, sir, we couldn't hold her off. She's pregnant. We were afraid of hurting her," the security captain explained, drenched in sweat as he ran in. "Let her in," Lucian replied calmly. Boom. That one simple sentence detonated in the crowd like a bomb. Everyone buzzed with gossip, shocked that the seemingly perfect gentleman could be caught up in something so scandalous. The elders at the front wore grim expressions, clearly displeased but too polite to say a word. A heavily pregnant woman, flanked by two security guards, barged into the hall, pointed right at Lucian, and shouted angrily, "Lucian! Didn't you promise to marry me because I'm carrying your baby? And now you're just gonna dump me for someone else? Aren't you worried about losing both lives at once? If you don't stop this wedding now, I'll end it right here in front of you!" Lucian had never seen this woman before. He'd always kept a clean slate. The moment he heard yelling outside, he knew someone was here to stir up trouble. Her words hit like a bomb. The crowd instantly broke into whispers, everyone judging him like he was some kind of modern-day scumbag. Lucian's gaze swept across the woman's face, then moved slowly around the room, pausing on Ariella for a second or two. Ariella unconsciously tightened her grip around her glass, a slight panic flashing through her mind. ‘Could he be suspecting me?' But Lucian didn't react, standing there calm and composed. His silence and serene expression gradually settled the buzzing crowd. Beside him, Fiona looked completely unbothered. She still had that soft smile on her face, grace written all over her, like the whole scene didn't even involve her. "What's your name?" Lucian asked the woman. "Oh, come on. Don't pretend you don't know me. Like you forgot my name now? It's Zoe!" "Zoe..." Lucian repeated the name slowly, like he was chewing on something only he understood. "How long have we been together?" he asked. "Two years," she shot back without hesitation - clearly rehearsed. "So I guess we know each other pretty well?" "Of course we do! I'm literally having your baby. You think I wouldn't know you?" "Great. Then tell everyone here - I have a birthmark, about the size of a coin. Is it on my right or left forearm?" "Uh..." That line wasn't in the script. She froze. The pressure in his voice was real, and if it weren't for the fat paycheck waiting, she probably would've bolted right then and there. Sweat started forming at her hairline. She tried to stay cool, took a few quick breaths, clenched her jaw, and forced out, "Right..." Lucian calmly rolled up his right sleeve, unbuttoning the cuff and showing his bare arm to everyone. "Folks, do you see any birthmark on my right arm?" "I... I got it wrong. It's... it's actually the left," Zoe hurried to fix her mistake, clearly catching on she was being cornered. "Final answer?" "Yes!" she said firmly, nodding. Lucian turned and did the same with his left sleeve, showing it to the entire room - again, nothing. Zoe's face went red and blotchy, completely lost on how to recover now. "I'm sure everyone in this room is smart enough to see through this little act," Lucian said, his voice steady but cutting. "It's obvious she showed up just to ruin this wedding. I deeply apologize for the disruption. And more importantly, I owe the biggest apology to my bride, Fiona. Fiona, please believe me when I say - you're the only one for me. Nothing and no one can come between what we have. It's fate that brought us together, and I'll cherish that forever." His heartfelt words earned him a warm hug from Fiona, sealing the moment in front of all their guests. But just as they embraced, Ariella felt Lucian's gaze slide toward her again - eyes sharp, with a flicker of anger no one else seemed to catch.