Chapter 3
"And, Chief Thompson? This is Rachel. I'd like to report Zachary for suspected commercial fraud. The amount involved is substantial, and I have solid evidence. I'll have someone send all the documents to the station immediately," I said.
After hanging up, I glanced at Zachary, whose face was drained of all color, and Wendy, who had collapsed on the floor. I felt nothing.
I pulled the heavy veil from my head and the million-dollar diamond ring, then hurled them straight at Zachary's face.
"The wedding is off," I declared.
"Oh, actually," I paused, then added, "it's not just the wedding. You and the Gray family? Starting today, you're finished."
With that, I didn't look back at them. I gathered up the skirt of my wedding dress, turned around, and strode out with my head held high, amid the shocked stares of everyone present.
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. Did I just witness the most epic savage takedown of the year?]
[This girl is insanely badass. No tears, no drama. Just going full savage and crushing him so hard he'll never recover.]
[100 million dollars. Zachary's gonna be locked up so long.]
[From this day forward, Rachel is my queen. Your Majesty, I bow down to you.]
The live chat had completely lost it.
As for me, I only wanted to get the hell out of this disgusting place as fast as possible.
When I reached the door, I stopped in my tracks.
Someone was standing in my way.
A man stood there in a perfectly tailored black suit. He was tall and striking, looking like he didn't belong in the noisy party hall at all. He leaned casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his eyes were fixed on me with obvious interest, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
It was Jackson.
Zachary's sworn rival, and the CEO of Lopez Corporation.
In the original novel, he was a ruthless antagonist, always clashing with Zachary. In the end, Zachary took him down, leaving him with nothing.
At this moment, he was looking at me like a predator sizing up its prey.
[Ahhhhh! It's Jackson. What is he doing here?]
[The fival finally showed up. That look, that smile? I'm obsessed.]
[Quick, where are the shippers? Let the heroine marry him already. Make Zachary regret everything.]
The chat went wild again.
I frowned, feeling zero goodwill toward this dangerous man.
"Move," I said coldly.
Jackson arched his brow, and instead of stepping aside, he moved in even closer, invading my personal space.
There was a faint scent of cedar on him, mixed with a hint of icy coldness, adding to the sense of aggressiveness.
Jackson's deep voice sounded right above me, playful and teasing. "Ms. Smith, that was quite a show. I'm impressed."
"You done watching?" I shot back.
"Not quite." He laughed, his gaze fixed on the messy strands of my hair from the veil. He reached out without warning.
I stepped back immediately, avoiding his touch.
Jackson's hand lingered in midair for a second before he withdrew it smoothly, completely unfazed.
"Don't get me wrong, Ms. Smith." Jackson's smile deepened, his eyes full of mischief. "I just wanted to say that if you really want to finish Zachary off for good, maybe we could work together."
I arched a brow. "Work together? How exactly?"
"For example..." he said, lips curling into a playful smirk, "You could marry me."
As soon as he finished speaking, my mind was instantly flooded with a virtual tsunami of "Ahhhhh" from the live chat that had gone wild right inside my head.
I actually let out a laugh, more from sheer frustration than amusement.
Out of the frying pan and straight into the fire? Seriously?
Did these men really think a woman couldn't live without them?
"Mr. Lopez." I looked up, locking eyes with his deep, unreadable gaze. "Are you caught up in the drama or do you seriously think I'd go looking for a replacement right after calling off a wedding?"
I brushed past him without another glance and headed out.
"I don't need a man to change my fate," I said. "Especially not one as dangerous as you."
Jackson didn't follow me. However, I could still feel his eyes on my back, lingering until I stepped into the elevator.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, all my strength seemed to drain away. I leaned against the cool wall and let out a long breath.
The whole wedding fiasco was just the opening act.
Now, the real battle was about to begin.
Smith Corporation was my father, Zander Smith's, life's work. Now, with him suddenly hospitalized from a brain hemorrhage, the company was in chaos, with trouble brewing on all sides.
After what I'd done to the Gray family, they wouldn't let this go.
And those board members, all circling like vultures, would never hand control to a girl they saw as a lovestruck fool without a fight.
In the original novel, this was where the heroine broke. Desperate to save the company, she ended up crawling back to Zachary for help, which kicked off that long, miserable arc where he made her suffer for hundreds of chapters.
But I was not her.
I wiped the cold sweat from my palms, my gaze hardening with resolve.
The game had just begun.