Chapter 4

Charlotte tried to throw her arms around me, but James stepped in and blocked her.

She glared at him. "Get out of my way."

James didn't move. "Cha... Ms. Wynn, you shouldn't touch him right now."

That half-swallowed title hung in the air, sharp as a thorn.

Charlotte heard it, and her tears started falling harder. "Even you?"

James frowned. "Even me? When you showed up at your ex's party in a wedding dress, did you ever think about how Edward would feel standing up there tomorrow in front of everyone?"

Charlotte bit her lip, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were egging me on. I didn't promise Alex anything."

I took Luna's phone, pulled up the video, and held it out in front of her.

In the footage, Alex led her to the center of the dance floor.

Someone handed her the wedding dress.

She refused it at first, laughed a bit, but eventually, she accepted it.

Charlotte's expression froze.

Victoria lunged for the phone, shouting, "Stop it."

I turned off the screen. "I didn't send this one to the group chat."

Benjamin looked at me.

I said, "I've already cut you some slack."

Benjamin's lips moved, but he didn't push for the wedding anymore.

But Charlotte looked up, her voice sharp. "Cut us some slack? You sent that twelve-second clip to the wedding group chat. Every bridesmaid, groomsman, planner, and hotel staff saw it. And you still say you cut us some slack?"

I stared her down as I unlocked my phone. "You think that's not fair?"

She froze.

I sent that twelve-second clip to the family group chat again.

This time, I dropped it in the main group chat, both families included.

The Wynn family chat blew up instantly.

I didn't bother to check what they were saying.

Charlotte lunged for my phone, her nails catching my wounded hand. I winced, yanked my hand back, and shoved her off.

She stumbled into Michael's arms, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Edward, when did you become like this?"

I looked at her. "It started the moment you put on that wedding dress."

Her lips quivered, but for a long time, she couldn't get a single word out.

Michael steadied her, his face dark. "Do you really have to let all our relatives find out about this mess?"

I turned to him. "If Charlotte still gets married tomorrow, do you really think nobody will notice where she was tonight?

"The silver glitter in her hair, the party decals on her neck, and all those videos floating around on social media? Do you honestly think you can wipe all that away?"

Michael was left speechless.

James handed me his phone. "Alex posted on his feed."

I took the phone.

Alex had uploaded a photo with a black backdrop.

In the shot, he had a bandage on his lip and was holding the ring box.

The caption read: [Some people can't handle losing, so all they know how to do is throw a punch.]

Mutual friends were already commenting, asking what was going on.

Charlotte saw the post too, and her face fell.

I snapped a screenshot and saved it.

She hurriedly said, "I'll tell him to take it down."

I put my phone away. "Don't bother."

"Edward, he's upset."

"He's upset?"

I looked at her. "Then you go comfort him."

My words hit her hard, and she instinctively took a step back.

Victoria, still crying, grabbed her arm. "Why do you care about him right now? Apologize to Edward already."

Charlotte looked at me; her eyes were all over the place, full of confusion and hurt.

Finally, she lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have worn that wedding dress, and I shouldn't have let Alex get down on one knee. But I swear, I never meant to betray you.

"I thought that after we got married tomorrow, my past would really be over. Alex said he wanted to say goodbye for real, so I agreed to go."

"You needed cameras to record all this?" I said.

She froze.

Benjamin immediately turned to her. "What cameras?"

Charlotte's eyes darted away. "I don't know."

Luna finally spoke up. "There were two cameras set up, and Alex's people were filming the whole time."

Charlotte glared at her, and for the first time, her eyes flashed with real anger. "Luna, whose side are you on?"

Luna's face turned pale, but she stood her ground. "I'm with the normal people."

James nearly burst out laughing, but managed to keep it together.

Charlotte was shaking with anger. "You're all ganging up on me. Alex wanted to give me a proper send-off, and you're all acting like he's some kind of villain."

When I saw her jump to his defense like that, my chest felt heavy.

It was second nature for her to defend Alex.

I slipped off my engagement ring and set it down on the glass table beside me.

The ring made a faint clink against the glass.

Charlotte flinched, like she'd been burned, her eyes snapping straight to the ring. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving it back to you," I said.

Her lips went pale. "You put this on me when you proposed."

"Yeah."

"You promised you'd never take it off."

I looked at her. "You said you wouldn't have a bachelorette party tonight."

She froze.

Victoria covered her mouth, sobbing.

Benjamin turned and walked to the window, his back rigid with tension.

Michael looked at Charlotte, and for the first time, he didn't speak up for her.

I pushed the ring toward her. "You wanted a goodbye? Well, you got it tonight. So did I."

Charlotte shook her head; her tears wouldn't stop falling.

She reached out for the ring, but her hand hovered in the air.

I didn't stick around for her.

I turned to Kelly. "Tomorrow, take down all the place cards with the Wynn family name. If any of their relatives want to stay for the meal, seat them with the regular guests. If they want to leave, the hotel will handle their checkout."

Kelly glanced at Benjamin, then nodded quietly.

Benjamin finally turned around, his face ashen. "Edward, is there really no turning back?"

I didn't answer right away.

He'd watched Charlotte and me go from dating to getting engaged.

He'd once clapped me on the shoulder and said he trusted me with his daughter.

Tonight, he'd been trying everything to save the wedding.

I understood.

But I couldn't go along with it.

I said, "Benjamin, I've always respected Charlotte. She said she didn't want a bachelorette party, so I didn't plan one. She wanted space before the wedding, and I never pressured her.

"She said Alex was a friend, so I stayed out of it."

I looked at Charlotte. "But tonight, she used all the respect I gave her to help Alex put on a show."

The ballroom was dead silent, save for the staff taking down the decorations.

Her tears froze for a second.

This time, it finally sank in.

I didn't look at her again.

My phone buzzed.

Alex sent me a friend request again.

He wrote one line: [Let's talk. Don't take your anger out on a woman like a kid.]

I handed my phone to James.

James muttered a curse. "He really has the guts."

I tapped accept.

Alex's message came through almost instantly: [Charlotte's with you, right? Let her leave with me. I'll take the fall for tonight.]

I stared at those words, and suddenly, I let out a laugh.

Charlotte saw my reaction, her voice tense. "What did he say?"

I turned the phone screen toward her.

Her gaze wavered as she read it.

For a split second, a hint of hesitation flashed across her face.

It was subtle, but I caught it.

Alex said he'd take the blame.

She actually believed him.

Even after everything, she still believed him.

I took my phone back and replied to Alex: [Come pick her up.]