Chapter 3
The wedding venue was a sight to behold.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, flower arches lined the hall, and a live orchestra played softly in the background.
Over three hundred guests filled the room, each one worth at least 3 million dollars.
Zach's mother, Jasmine Waters, stood by the sign-in desk, smiling at everyone who passed by and repeating the same line over and over.
"Lulu is a million times better than Georgette," she said.
Someone chimed in, "Yeah, I heard Georgette got kicked out of the Perry family. She even dropped out of the competition. She's totally washed up now."
Jasmine lowered her voice. "I knew she was no good from the start. An orphan taken in by the Perry family, and she actually thought she was some kind of heiress?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
The usher at the entrance suddenly straightened up.
A Maybach pulled up in front of the red carpet.
The license plate read: [TYM 00001.]
The whole place went dead silent for a couple of seconds.
Someone recognized the car.
"Wait, is that the Stevenson family's car?" someone whispered.
"The Stevenson family? Which one?" another person asked.
"Who else? The Stevenson family from Tymands," someone replied.
Before the whispers could die down, the car door swung open.
Out stepped a man in a gray suit, just over thirty, with sharp, impassive features and a presence that dominated the entire crowd.
He turned and reached his hand toward the car.
A slender hand slipped into his.
I stepped out, my 4-inch heels clicking on the red carpet, dressed in a long black velvet gown, my hair swept up, and my face expressionless.
All eyes locked onto me.
Zach's hand holding the wine glass froze in place.
Lulu's smile broke, a visible crack appearing on her face.
Jasmine's voice caught in her throat.
The usher stood stunned for three seconds, then looked down at the invitation.
"Mr. Stevenson, Ms. Perry, please come in," he stammered.
As I walked past Zach, I didn't even spare him a glance.
The man beside me lowered his head a little and spoke softly in my ear.
"Nervous?" he murmured.
I shook my head.
"Not at all," I said.
He laughed quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"That's good. The show's yours now," he murmured.