FLASH MARRIAGE TO MY EX FIANCE'S FATHER

r head glittered like a

lished marble floors and gilded pillars. It was beautiful-painfully beautiful-th

as supposed

lace, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as they curled around her b

ing was

perf

dn't quite name. A quiet unease had been sitting in her che

had alread

t supposed

behind manicured hands, exchanging curious glances. Some chec

no g

stiff, unnatural. He's just late, she told h

ldn't do t

ould

gh

d we... stall

and cautious, like she was afraid even speaki

a swa

teady in a way that surprise

as t

es pa

ore mi

pers gre

from proud to tight with concern. Her mother's finger

chest t

ing wa

g was ve

th

oors

hush swept th

dizzy. Her lips parted, a breath catching in her

ian

t began to form o

he wasn'

who had nothing to apologize for. His tail

eside

o

o

sn't po

er bouquet. A few petals slipped f

woman holdin

r best

i

e same Lila who had cried with her, laughed with her

ng a fitted champagne dress-and

n she was supp

the hall turned

me the

my G

that

wa

Everything sounded distant, muffled,

at roared i

d a few feet

't look

the wor

ed... c

a

olv

a," he

her

I'm

n't what it

ven a

her

roat f

at is

idn't sound

Adrian, her fingers tightening a

lt like a knife slidin

is was all an inconveni

id, his tone measured, almost bored. "

stared

wed felt like a hamm

't mar

rupted int

ld... c

.Wh

inued, as though discussing something tr

ist

e ye

ess me

ise he had

to a m

ter around the bouquet until

't feel

hifted slo

asked, her voice

hesit

ond-something like guil

it wa

llow rules, Selena

more tha

sounded..

cti

an

?" Selena

le

drian

mon

hit like

mo

nths o

ths of

eside her, touching her,

ving som

est f

ped her lips before

hs..." sh

d slightly, but s

he

front o

ront of

ld me," she said

aw tighten

ant unneces

sary...

something in

s, hot and vicious. Every eye in the ro

ord

eady imagine

ndoned at

end Stea

nds tr

from w

m r

her expression softening in a

n for it to ha

on

cut through the

a f

elena continued, her eyes l

e fell

k. H

sighed, clea

said. "It's over, Selena

sc

st laugh

t did he th

conver

ite b

ed her in front of

dn't want

ld settled i

e would stand th

t know h

tely, Selena low

fell to

rippled thro

epped

st

ano

ward A

t h

nt confuse

from the altar platform, her heels cl

ep was

tro

pos

ded harder wit

her

ce was

yingly

ht had just for

i

kle

sa

rf

row sat a man who hadn't m

e else, he was

n't sh

simply

erv

was quiet-but

ted from hi

ble posture. Sharp

at held no em

or H

n's f

wer behind

one dared

pped in fr

a flicker of inter

l seemed to ho

other whispered f

ryone-Selena looked str

ere even colder

ulat

ger

o

ctly what

lammed agai

was m

too late to

at they had

way they had h

wanted

hem one they wou

ook a sl

she s

ea

ea

hak

son doesn'

fusion spread t

ze sharpene

idn't lo

ry me i

le

ute s

elt like the entir

hisp

ovem

sou

t s

ffocatin

er, she

n's v

hell are y

gas

s stood up

didn't tu

r eyes lock

ion was the only

ds pa

o

av

ous se

h

n his seat, studying her like

g... int

of his li

a sm

hing

re saying?" he asked, his voice l

s pulse

ression did

d

pa

if trying to peel back ev

e," he said. "I don't do pr

dropped

t make seco

alle

arn

te

held hi

she said

e neith

er si

her for a l

h

ow

Hale st

ed through

furious now. "Dad,

ui

wo

o

na

fell

ention retur

in front o

nded hi

ht," h

t to play t

pa

es dar

make it

ooked at

ck at h

t pounde

was

rning

ng what

wly

d her han

their ski

ing sh

ng irre

unned silence

ned to the offi

e the ce

expl

lena r

just reven

ed the most danger

er li

r be the s