Chapter 8
I had come to realize that there was just no reasoning with them.
When they noticed me heading back inside and discontinuing the conversation, the Stone family’s bodyguards took the hint and stepped in, blocking the rest of them at the door.
For the next two days, they kept trying to get in touch with me. But my stance never changed.
The day before the wedding, Nathan went over the guest list with me one last time. “Are you sure you don’t want to send an invite to the Quinns? He’s the only family you have left in this world.”
Only family? I froze for a second.
There was a time when Keith really was the only family I had. Back then, he used to swing by the store after work to bring me snacks and little things he thought I’d like. When John came over to see me, Keith would sulk and pout like a jealous brother.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Willow’s still young,” Keith had once warned John.
All of that eventually changed.
I shook my head wistfully. Nathan didn’t say a word. He simply crossed Keith’s name off the list.
We had to be up early the next day.
The stylist from the Stone family had already arrived and was waiting. “Mrs. Stone, you’re stunning. I’ve done makeup for so many brides, but I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than you.”
As I stepped out the door, the first thing I saw was Nathan, standing there in a perfectly tailored suit.
He held a bouquet of flowers and dropped to one knee. “Willow, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Out of nowhere, my nose started to sting and my eyes welled up with tears. I never imagined I would meet someone who looked at me like I was their whole world. And I certainly never thought that an arranged marriage would lead me to somewhere I felt safe and loved instead of completely miserable.
When the officiant asked if I was willing to marry Nathan, I didn’t hesitate. I nodded and said yes.
The officiant joked, “The groom may be a powerhouse in the business world, but today he’s a total softie!”
And it reminded me of something Nathan had said to me just the night before. “You have no idea how scared I was after I woke up. I was scared that I had missed my chance with you, scared you had already married someone else. Thank God John was blind and clueless, or I would’ve lost you forever.”
The crowd was still caught up in the emotion when suddenly, someone barged in. “Willow, are you even human? The whole family is falling apart and you’re here getting married?”
I looked up in shock and saw that it was Vanessa. Her hair was a mess, and her face was bruised. She looked like a complete wreck.
I turned to Nathan in confusion. He leaned in and explained quietly, “Earlier, Keith tried to buy her a property at Soltice Villas as a gift for her 20th birthday. The problem was, he didn’t have the cash flow, so he took bribes from a contractor and borrowed from an illegal lender.”
Under normal circumstances, he would’ve been able to pay it off. But with the Quinn family’s recent business troubles, their cash flow completely dried up.
Chopter A
+15 Borus
Debt collectors started showing up at their door that morning, and there was talk that the Quinn residence might go up for
auction.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll have someone buy the Quinn residence. I know it holds a lot of memories for you.”
I suddenly looked up and saw something soft in Nathan’s eyes. He said, “I just wanted to stand up for you. I never meant for you to lose something that matters so much to you.”
Meanwhile, Vanessa was shouting furiously, but no one paid her any attention.
People in the crowd whispered to each other.
“Isn’t that the adopted daughter of the Quinns? She’s not impressive at all.”
“Yeah. She’s nothing compared to Willow. The Quinn family keeps choosing the wrong people.”
“I heard John likes her. There’s no way Mrs. Webb Senior would approve.“.
Fuming, Vanessa tried to storm the stage, but the bodyguards threw her out without hesitation. She had been dragged out when John showed up, who everyone assumed was there for the wedding.
Chapter 9
