Chapter 4

It was my wedding day. I did not want to argue, so I swallowed my temper and tried to reason with him. "Austin, I made myself perfectly clear.

"Our engagement is off. Canceled. Do you not understand English?

"The ring was returned to your family, and the country club reception has been canceled. Why are you even here?"

Austin scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Stop faking it. If you did not want to marry me, would you be dressed up like this?

"I told you, I will treat both of you equally from now on. Zoe is already compromising by letting you be my legal wife. Do not push your luck and try to steal the title of Mrs. Rhodes in front of everyone else too.

"Now hurry up and change. I do not have time for your little games. I promised to take Zoe to a Broadway show tonight."

He was tirelessly fueling my rage.

I glared at him, fully deciding that if he kept running his mouth, I was going to punch him right out the door.

Just as Austin opened his mouth to spout more nonsense, three polite knocks sounded at the door.

Maxwell stood there looking like he had just stepped out of a GQ magazine, perfectly poised in his tuxedo.

"Seriously, Mr. Rhodes? Are you here to steal my bride again?" Maxwell said with a teasing grin.

Austin instinctively sized up the difference in their appearances.

Clearly threatened by the comparison, he got defensive and sharply questioned Maxwell. "I am here to pick Ava up to sign our marriage papers. Why the hell are you dressed in a tux?"

Maxwell replied at his own leisurely pace. "To pick up my wife for our wedding, of course."

Austin opened his mouth to mock him, but something suddenly clicked.

He stopped midway and slowly turned his head to look at me, his neck stiff. "Ava, what is he talking about? Who else is getting married here?"

I impatiently shattered his last shred of delusion. "I am an only child. I am the one marrying him. He is going to be my husband from now on."

A brilliant smile spread across Maxwell's face, a stark contrast to the color completely draining from Austin's cheeks.

"No, that is impossible." He grabbed my arm, his hands trembling as he finally realized the situation had completely slipped out of his control. "You are my fiancée.

"Everyone knows that. How can you marry someone else?"

Maxwell chimed in with perfect timing. "Mr. Rhodes, you were the one who broke the engagement first when you crashed my wedding to steal my bride.

"I naturally assumed you had discarded your engagement with Ava right then and there."

Austin instantly flew into a rage. "Shut up! Do not try to drive a wedge between Ava and me!"

He was giving me a massive headache. "Austin, can you please stop throwing a tantrum?"

But he clearly thought Maxwell had brainwashed me, still clinging to his dying struggle. "Ava, you are just doing this to spite me, right?

"Marriage is not a game. You know exactly what kind of guy he is. He was after Zoe, and now he is using you to get back at me. He does not love you at all!"

He glared daggers at Maxwell, which only earned an amused, helpless smile in return. "Mr. Rhodes, why would I want to mess with you? You crashed my wedding first. Are you seriously blaming me for that?"

The wedding coordinator awkwardly came upstairs to rush us.

Being a laughingstock was an awful feeling, and I completely lost the patience to play nice. "Austin, I know exactly who I am marrying, and frankly, it is none of your business.

"Get out right now. Stop ruining my wedding day!"

He acted like he did not hear a word I said and stubbornly tried to drag me away.

I struggled frantically to break his grip when the pressure around my wrist suddenly vanished.

Maxwell had clamped his hand down hard on Austin's arm, forcing him to let me go. "Mr. Rhodes, my wife told you to let go. Do you not understand that?"

Austin grimaced in pain but still fought back. "Who the hell do you think you are? You are just a creep taking advantage of a little fight between Ava and me.

"When we get back together, I am going to beat the living daylights out of you!"

Maxwell twisted his grip harder, making Austin's expression contort even further. "My patience has its limits. If you keep harassing us, I really will not hold back."

Austin's driver, noticing things going south, hurried over and tried to carefully defuse the situation. "Please think this through, sir."

Austin's family currently had their biggest project tied up with the Pierce family, and they could not afford a fallout.

Austin glared at me. A moment later, his face full of bitter reluctance, he finally let go.

The Pierce family bodyguards seized the chance to swiftly separate him from us, and the bridal car pulled away from my driveway without a hitch.

As we drove through the gates, a lone figure appeared far behind us in the rearview mirror.

"Ava," he begged. "I know I messed up big time. Please, just come back home with me.

I calmly looked away.

Whatever we had ended the second he decided to crash another woman's wedding.

I absolutely refused to be with a man who held someone else in his heart.

The limo arrived safely at the country club estate for the ceremony. As my bridesmaids ushered me out, I realized Austin had somehow tailed us the entire way.

I was just stressing over how to shake this creep off when Maxwell leaned close to my ear.

"It is okay," he said softy. "You go inside. I will not let him ruin the most important day of our lives."

Amidst the playful cheers of our guests, I hurried inside with burning cheeks. I completely ignored Austin screaming his lungs out behind me.

Maxwell returned shortly after, looking flawless with not a single hair out of place.

I let out a breath of relief and secretly laughed at myself for worrying.