Chapter 5
James walked me into the hotel arm-in-arm, and the breathtaking decorations were so stunning I could hardly believe my eyes.
The roses were so fresh and vibrant, it was obvious they'd been picked.
And it wasn't the roses, every detail, every accessory, was tailored perfectly to my taste.
I was certain I'd never told James what I liked, so how did he manage to make the wedding venue so absolutely perfect for me?
Was it really a coincidence? I wondered.
But how could there be such an amazing coincidence?
It was less than three hours from when I texted James to when we got to the hotel, I realized.
How did James pull off such a perfect setup? I couldn't help but ask myself.
James's company wasted no time. They posted the news of his wedding on their homepage the moment it happened.
Hundreds of reporters swarmed the hotel, blocking every entrance and exit.
James had to deploy over a thousand security guards to keep the reporters and their cameras at bay.
The ceremony was officiated by the country's most renowned host. As the wedding march played, my father had barely escorted me onto the stage when James hurried over from the other end and took my hand from my father's.
"Sir, Sophie is in my hands now. Don't worry, I promise to make her the happiest woman alive." James said.
His unmatched good looks were highlighted by a dazzling smile, and his voice was gentle yet firm. My heart couldn't help but race.
I couldn't bring myself to look at James as he gently led me onto the stage, his hand in mine.
The host rattled off a series of blessings, and next came the vows and the exchange of rings.
When the host asked James if he'd love me for a lifetime, he replied with absolute certainty, not even hesitating.
I glanced at James's handsome face, and to my surprise, there was real tenderness in his eyes.
I must be seeing things!
But this wedding was thrown together at the last minute, and James and I hardly knew each other. How could he really care about me?
The flower girl brought up the rings.
Now that I think about it, James handled everything about the wedding rings himself.
The ring he gave me was an incredible twenty carats.
The flower girl carried the huge, sparkling ring up to the stage, and James took it and gently slid it onto my finger.
Then, right in front of all the guests, James kissed me on the lips.
I was frozen in his embrace, completely shocked and unable to react.
Glamorous guests and lively toasts filled the air. I slipped into one gorgeous gown after another, with James escorting me from table to table, raising a toast with the guests.
The banquet lasted until ten o'clock, and by the end, I was so worn out that James carried me straight to the car in his arms.
He held my hand as we sat in the back seat. Drowsy, I felt him pull me into his arms.
He smelled of expensive cologne mixed with a faint trace of wine.
Cradled in James's arms, I drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
When I woke up again, the car had stopped. James carried me out and into his villa.
Without missing a beat, he carried me straight up to the second-floor bedroom. As he pushed open the door, I saw rose petals scattered all over the bed.
I snapped back to reality, suddenly realizing what was about to happen. I quickly pushed James away, mumbling something about needing a shower, and hurried into the bathroom.
Standing in the bathroom, I looked at myself in the custom-made gown,so beautiful it felt unreal.
I stared at my reflection for a long moment before pulling my phone out of my purse and turning it on.
My screen lit up with a flood of missed calls,every single one from Lucas.
It was the most calls he'd ever made to me since we started dating.
Dozens of calls popped up, and there were messages too.
Lucas: [Sophie, we've arrived in Crestmont!]
Lucas: [Sophie, Charlotte has been taken to the hospital for tests. The results aren't back yet, and I'm really worried!]
Lucas: [Sophie, I'm so sorry we're all over the trending topics right now. I'll take care of it, don't worry!]
Lucas: [Sophie, why aren't you answering? Please, call me back, I'm really worried about you!]
Besides Lucas's messages, Charlotte had also sent me something.
It was a screenshot of a trending topic about how Lucas and I never held a wedding.
She'd even grabbed a bunch of nasty comments about me: "If I were Sophie and got stood up like that, I'd be absolutely crushed."
"Yeah, and she's supposed to be some rich heiress! Any woman with a shred of dignity would break up and move on, not keep clinging after getting dumped in public."
"Not necessarily. Sophie's been simping for Lucas since college. If he told her to go east, she wouldn't dare go west. There's no way she'd ever give up on him."
"How pathetic is she? Are there no other men left in the world? Is she really going to die if she doesn't get married?"
Charlotte was deliberately showing me all this, trying to break me down completely.
I'm sure Charlotte was behind my canceled wedding with Lucas blowing up online.
She's got her fingers in everything, doesn't she?
I closed my eyes for a moment, then slowly typed out a message: [Don't mess with me. From now on, if you try anything, I swear you'll regret it.]