Chapter 16 - The Uninvited Guest at the AltarSaturday arrived—the exact day Adrien and I were supposed to get married.
The grand ballroom at the Drake Hotel was fully paid for, decorated with thousands of white roses, cascading eucalyptus, and ivory drapery. The caterers had prepared a five-tier wedding cake. The string quartet was tuned and ready.
Naturally, I didn't cancel the reservation.
Instead, I sent out new digital invitations on Thursday night to all 200 guests—our friends, family, and business associates—with a slight update to the itinerary:
Please join us for a celebration of a different kind. The wedding is canceled, but the reception—and the launch of Aegis Holding—will proceed as planned.
By 5:00 PM on Saturday, the ballroom was packed. People stood in clusters, whispering excitedly about the massive corporate shakeup that had ousted Adrien Sterling from his own empire just days prior.
I walked down the grand marble staircase wearing a bespoke midnight-blue velvet gown, my hair swept up with a single diamond hairpin. The pale green scent of roses still lingered in the air, but the grief was entirely gone, replaced by a fierce, radiant strength.
As I reached the floor, the crowd parted respectfully.
And then, the heavy double doors swung open again.
Adrien walked in.
He looked disheveled. His tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned, his tie gone, and his eyes were bloodshot. Beside him, clutching his arm with a pale, tear-stained face, was Clare. She was still wearing her designer coat, looking utterly bewildered and out of place among Chicago’s elite.
“Natalie,” Adrien called out, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the room as he marched toward me. “What is the meaning of this? You’re using our wedding venue for a corporate event?”
The room fell dead silent. Everyone turned to watch the spectacle.
May you like
I took a slow sip of champagne from a passing tray, looking at him with mild, detached amusement—the exact look he had given me outside the car a week ago.
“Welcome, Adrien,” I smiled lightly. “I’m glad you could make it. Though, technically, you’re crashing.”
