Chapter 18
The moment Nathan sent the message, his group chat exploded.
“Holy shit! Nate, you finally came to your senses? You’re really over Evelyn?”
“Took you long enough! That woman was never worth your time in the first place!”
“But Annabelle… Man, you broke her heart. You really think she’ll forgive you?”
After Nathan read the messages, his fingers moved swiftly across the screen as he typed his reply.
“I’ve been over Evelyn for a while. That whole thing was just an obsession. Even when I was with her for those few days, all I could think about was Anna. I just didn’t want to admit it before. Now I do.”
The chat went silent for a few seconds before the flood of messages resumed.
“Finally, dude! Evelyn wasn’t worth shit. Did you hear what happened? After those explicit photos of hers leaked, the Mercer family’s company’s stocks tanked. They went bankrupt. Her parents have been tearing into her nonstop. Word is, they’re leaving Vexford soon.”
Nathan frowned but felt nothing. Evelyn’s problems weren’t his concern anymore. He had only one priority now–getting Annabelle back.
“Forget about her. I need to know how to win Anna back. Hit me with ideas.”
His friends wasted no time throwing out suggestions.
“First things first–apologize. And I mean really apologize. No acting like some entitled rich kid.”
“Yeah, you should get on your knees. Sure, it’s humiliating, but after everything you put her through, you kind of deserve it.”
“And you need to show her you’ve changed. Talk is cheap. Actions are what count. Prove to her that you truly regret what you did!”
Nathan read through every message carefully, committing each point to memory.
He knew some of these things would be humiliating, but if that was the price he had to pay to get Annabelle back, he’d do it gladly.
Time slipped by. An hour later, the wedding was about to begin, but he still hadn’t seen Annabelle. His unease grew stronger.
Unable to hold back, Nathan grabbed a nearby guest and asked in a low voice, “Excuse me, do you know Annabelle Winslow? Have you seen her?”
The guest looked at him in surprise. “Of course, I know her. We’re all here for her wedding.”
Nathan froze. His mind buzzed, like something had suddenly come crashing down.
His lips moved, but his voice came out shaky. “W–What did you just say? Whose wedding?”
“Annabelle’s, obviously! You didn’t know? Aren’t you here to attend her wedding?”
Nathan’s vision blurred. A crushing pain gripped his chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. He shot to his feet so fast that his chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing attention from nearby guests.
“No… No way,” he muttered, his voice trembling. “Why would Anna suddenly marry someone else?”
He shoved past people, pushing his way toward the stage like a man possessed.
But before he could take another step, the wedding music began to play. The lights dimmed, and all eyes turned toward the end of the aisle.,
Nathan’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
At the end of the aisle, Annabelle appeared in a flowing white wedding dress, stepping forward with quiet grace.
1
A soft she rested on her lips. Her debate features were so flawless that no one could look away.
Beside her stood a tall, la pad–shouldered man in a perfectly tailored black suit. He carried himself with effortless elegance. His eyes buinumed with warmth and devotion as he held Annebelle’s hand His gaze never strayed from her, like she was his entire world.
Nathen stood frozen in place. His entire body ran cold, as if all the strength had been drained from, hi
His mind went blank. The only thing he could hear was the officiant’s voice echoing in his ears, “Today, we are gathered to witness the joyous union of Ms. Annabelle Winslow and Mr. Louie Webb.”
