Before I Say I Do

Sebastian's expression darkened instantly. Veins throbbed visibly at his temple.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" he growled through gritted teeth. I wasn't sure whether he was just embarrassed by the scene or if he was furious that his shares might slip away.

Ruth quickly gazed at him with sorrowful eyes. "Seb, she's the reason you've become a joke in high society. What are you waiting for? If it hadn't been for her insisting on marrying you, I'd be the one standing here in a wedding dress right now!"

He gently stroked her face to comfort her. A hint of conflict flickered in his eyes. "Now's not the time, Ruth."

Noticing his hesitation, she swiftly clasped his hand and interlocked her fingers with his. "No, Seb, it's now or never! I found my birth parents. They're from the Schneiders—the richest family in the country!"

Gazing at him with her eyes full of bliss, she slowly tugged her neckline down. "Ten years ago, their daughter had been kidnapped. They only found her again thanks to a heart-shaped birthmark on her chest…"

There was the exact birthmark she described, plain as day, right on her exposed skin.

"I have that mark too. The daughter they found might be an imposter!" she continued. I was stunned. Did she seriously think she was Dad's biological daughter? The birthmark story was something he made up to protect me from being kidnapped.

Yet, Sebastian seemed to believe every word she said. He clutched her hand excitedly. Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed her as if they were the only ones left in the room. "You're the only one who deserves to be with me. You're truly my lucky star, Ruth."

Only after his smooching session did he seem to remember my presence.

He waved me off dismissively as if I were some filthy beggar. "If it weren't for Grandpa, a lowlife like you wouldn't even get to see me, no matter how much you tried. Now, get lost. The wedding's still happening, just not with you as the bride!"

It was absurdly amusing to watch the two of them carry on like I didn't exist. "Well, I'm the one providing the venue. If you want to go through with this wedding, you'll need to find another hall."

The crowd scoffed in disbelief. "Of course, the broke peasant thinks the hotel's hers. Does she know she'll never get to rent this place, even if she worked her entire life?"

"Right? Mr. Lambert's the one who reserved the whole venue, and she's still talking big! She'll be lucky to crawl out of here in one piece."

Ruth leaned into Sebastian's embrace, sounding aggrieved as she spoke. "Seb, it seems like she's changed her mind, and she's refusing to leave. What do we do now?"

He snapped at me icily. "I know you must've taken a pile of money from Grandpa. I won't come after it if you get lost now. But if you keep pushing me, you won't survive the consequences."

I was sick of him not understanding plain English. "Mr. Lambert, my family's paying for this entire wedding. I have never taken a single cent from your grandfather."

His face grew even colder. "I even paid for your dress. Stop being stubborn!"

He waved someone over and had them shove a thick stack of cash toward me. "I'm marrying Ruth today, and that's final. Since I'm in a good mood right now, take the money and scram."

Shaking with rage at the humiliation, I clutched the money in my hand. My voice was colder than ever. "I'll say this one last time. This hotel belongs to my family. No matter how rich your family is, you don't get to do whatever you want."

The crowd erupted into laughter. "She's really getting out of hand. Even the guards don't know her, so what hotel is she claiming to own?"

"Exactly. If Mr. Lambert weren't being such a gentleman, he would've asked her to strip down on the spot. She's got no idea who she's messing with!"

Backed by the mockery, Sebastian looked even more smug. "Hear that? You'd better get lost unless you want to crawl out of here in your birthday suit."

I barely moved an inch, and his expression turned livid. He had the guards kick me hard in the knee before dragging me out.

After that, he called in a renovation crew. "I'll show you what it means to do whatever you want when you're rich. You kept insisting that this hotel belongs to your family, right? I'll destroy it, then."

I glared daggers at him as I coldly said, "You wouldn't dare. Do you even know whose hotel this is?"

Sebastian waved his hand impatiently, ordering people to cover my mouth. "Here in Hartvania, people exist just because I let them. I don't care whose it is. She's being way too loud. Throw her in the coffin."

This terrified the onlookers. Some of them tried to reason with me. "All you need is to apologize. Why would you give up your life over this?"

"Exactly. The Lamberts have powerful backers. If you don't apologize soon, no one will bat an eye even if your parents bring your corpse to the police station."

Ruth chimed in, saying, "Seal the coffin. Don't let her crawl out again and pester Seb."

I glowered at her icily. "I've got a tracker on me, and I've already contacted my family. I strongly suggest none of you touch me again. You won't be able to handle the consequences if you piss them off."

She scoffed and turned to the head of the renovation team. "Just do as we said. Seal the coffin shut. I'd like to see what kind of consequences she's talking about."