CHAPTER 3 — THE LITTLE GIRL WHO STOPPED THE WEDDING
The silence felt endless.
Not a single violin played.
Not a single guest moved.
Emma's innocent question still echoed beneath the crystal chandeliers.
"Mommy... why does that man have my face?"
Julian stared at the little girl.
Then at the little boy beside her.
Then at the second little girl.
His heartbeat became painfully loud.
It was impossible.
Yet every instinct inside him screamed the same thing.
Those children looked exactly like him.
Not just their blue eyes.
Not just their smiles.
Even the way the little boy tilted his head while thinking...
It was the same habit Julian had carried since childhood.
The groom unconsciously stepped away from the altar.
Brooke grabbed his arm.
"Julian?"
He didn't hear her.
His eyes never left the children.
Emma smiled shyly.
She wasn't frightened.
She simply thought the handsome man looked familiar.
Vivian recovered first.
Her elegant smile returned instantly.
She clapped her hands once.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"I'm terribly sorry."
"It seems someone has mistaken today's celebration for a family reunion."
Several guests laughed nervously.
Vivian walked toward Clara with slow, confident steps.
She lowered her voice.
"You've embarrassed yourself enough."
"Take your children and leave."
Clara met her eyes calmly.
"I'm here because you invited me."
Vivian's smile stiffened.
"I invited one guest."
"I don't recall inviting a daycare."
Several wealthy women nearby chuckled.
Brooke folded her arms.
"So..."
"These are your children?"
Clara nodded.
"They're beautiful."
Brooke smiled politely before adding,
"I assume their father couldn't make it."
The sentence landed like a knife.
Julian suddenly looked at Clara.
His voice barely came out.
"Who...?"
"Who's their father?"
Before Clara could answer—
Vivian interrupted sharply.
"It doesn't matter."
"Security."
Two large guards immediately walked toward Clara.
Emma squeezed her mother's hand tighter.
"Mommy..."
"Are we in trouble?"
"No, sweetheart."
Clara knelt beside the children.
"No one is going to hurt you."
One guard cleared his throat.
"Ma'am..."
"We've been asked to escort you out."
Julian suddenly raised his voice.
"Wait."
Every head turned.
The guard stopped.
Julian slowly walked toward the children.
His breathing had become uneven.
He stopped only a few feet away.
The little boy looked up at him.
"Hi."
Julian smiled without realizing it.
"Hi."
"What's your name?"
"Ethan."
"And yours?"
"Emma."
"And I'm Ellie!"
The smallest girl proudly lifted the stuffed rabbit she had been carrying all morning.
Julian laughed softly.
It felt strangely natural.
Almost...
Like he'd done it a thousand times before.
Then Ethan reached into his tiny pocket.
"My mommy says gentlemen shake hands."
He held out his tiny hand.
Julian stared at it.
Then gently shook it.
The second their hands touched...
Something inside Julian broke.
His own father had taught him that exact handshake when he was five years old.
The thumb.
The squeeze.
The smile.
No one outside the Prescott family knew it.
No one.
Julian looked at Clara.
His face had turned pale.
"Where did he learn that?"
Clara answered quietly.
"I didn't teach him."
Julian's heart stopped.
Across the courtyard...
Vivian's fingers tightened around her champagne glass.
She knew exactly what had just happened.
The children were revealing things they could never possibly know.
She had to end this.
Now.
She stepped between Julian and Clara.
"This ridiculous performance is over."
Then she looked directly at Clara.
"Tell everyone who their father really is."
Clara remained silent.
Vivian smiled triumphantly.
"You can't."
"Because you don't know."
The guests began whispering.
"I heard she disappeared years ago."
"Maybe she wants money."
"Maybe she's trying to ruin the wedding."
Brooke looked uncomfortable.
"Julian..."
"We should go."
But Julian refused to move.
Instead, he asked Clara the one question he'd wanted answered for four years.
"Did you ever..."
"...try to find me?"
Clara slowly opened her handbag.
"I tried."
"Three times."
She placed three unopened envelopes onto a nearby table.
Each one had Julian Prescott's name written across the front.
Still sealed.
Still unopened.
"I wrote after I learned I was pregnant."
Another envelope.
"I wrote after the twins..."
She smiled.
"...turned out to be triplets."
Another.
"I wrote after they were born."
Julian picked one up.
Across the back...
His own office stamp appeared.
RETURN TO SENDER
He looked at Vivian.
His face slowly changed from confusion...
To horror.
"Mother..."
"What is this?"
Vivian didn't answer.
For the first time in decades...
May you like
The woman who controlled everything...
Looked afraid.
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