He Ditched His Bride for Her Pregnant Sister

A serene voice rang through the wedding venue, seizing everyone's attention. All eyes swung toward the entrance, where a woman in a champagne-colored elegant champagne gown made her grand entrance. Her beauty was almost surreal—soft waves of hair cascading down before being pinned up in an elegant twist, amplifying her magnetism.

That dress hugged her slender silhouette, cinching a waist so delicate it looked like a man's hands could easily circle it. Her porcelain skin radiated a luminous glow. As she drifted down the pristine white aisle, her red lips tilted into a smile, her eyes gleaming with captivating charm. She carried herself with such confidence and poise that every gaze in the room stayed glued to her.

The guests were floored. Her beauty was utterly arresting—even more so than that of the bride, Miranda Jenkins, standing on the stage.

Miranda's eyes went wide in disbelief. Adalee Morgan?! How the hell was she here? Hadn't her parents locked her in her room, scared she'd cause a scandal at the wedding? She'd instructed the staff to personally make sure Adalee stayed put. So how had she pulled off this escape?

Once the guests recovered from the initial shock, they recognized her as Adalee Morgan. A few socialites, catching their partners ogling Adalee with bare admiration, couldn't hide their jealousy and began to whisper.

"Can you believe the audacity of Miss Morgan, showing up here like this? Has she forgotten the scandal from three months ago? Getting herself knocked up after a night of debauchery!"

"Right? I heard she's out every night, hunting for male attention. And now that the unplanned pregnancy is out, she's permanently ruined!"

"She's brought so much shame to the Morgan family. If I had a daughter like that, I'd have sent her away at birth. What's the point in keeping her around?"

"Exactly. She acts all refined and pure, but she's nothing but a scheming seductress—a disgrace to all women. She doesn't belong in such a holy place!"

The Morgan family burned with embarrassment. Her father, Palmer Morgan, rose from his seat, fury radiating off him, and headed toward Adalee, who was calmly gliding down the aisle. In a flash, he grabbed her arm, steering her away. "Adalee, what are you doing here? Go home before you make things worse!"

Adalee resisted, her gaze unflinching and sure. "Dad, I can't leave. I'm here to find the father of my child."

Palmer froze, stunned. The thought that the man responsible for his daughter's condition might actually be present hit him like a freight train. "Adalee, are you saying the one who did this to you is in this room?"

Adalee nodded. "Yes."

Laughter exploded through the venue.

"Miss Morgan, you've got the wrong event. This is a wedding, not a bar!"

"Indeed, everyone here is from a reputable family, not the riffraff you'd find at a tavern."

"Don't try to pin your baby's daddy on anyone here. We're not around to clean up after you!"

"Exactly! We're far too respectable to be linked with someone like Miss Morgan, who sleeps around with strangers every chance she gets."

The Morgans were livid. As much as they were angry and disappointed in Adalee, they'd be damned before letting anyone trash a family member without consequence.

Adalee remained unfazed by the insults, a smile curling on her lips. "Father, I'm telling the truth. Three months ago, I was with Cruz Nichols. This child is his. If you don't believe me, we can do a paternity test."

Her composure left the crowd in stunned, dead silence—was she actually telling the truth?

Cruz Nichols kept his dark eyes pinned on Adalee, his expression inscrutable, his thoughts hidden behind a wall of mystery.

Miranda Jenkins, on the other hand, was frantic. She yanked a locket from her neck. "Sister, what are you talking about? I'm the one who was with Cruz! I even have the locket he gave me!"

Adalee gave the locket a glance and scoffed. "I gave you that locket, Miranda. Did you use it to pretend to be me and worm your way into Cruz's arms?"

Tears pooled in Miranda's eyes as she clutched Cruz's arm. "No, that's not true! Cruz, I swear, she's lying! You saw me when you woke up that morning!"

That night, after lacing Adalee's drink, Miranda had watched her wander into Cruz's room. The next morning, she intercepted Adalee as she left, still unaware of who she'd been with, and swiped the locket from her. Later, Miranda snuck back into Cruz's room, making him believe she'd been the one in his bed that night.

It had all gone according to plan. She'd succeeded—even managed to be the one Cruz would marry! But now Adalee was here, ready to shatter everything just as happiness was within her grasp. Miranda vowed she wouldn't let this chance slip away.

Miranda whimpered, sinking into Cruz's side. "Cruz, you know me. My sister has always been a troublemaker. She runs with shady people, parties all night! She's always been jealous of me—jealous that Mom and Dad favor me, jealous that you love me. Now she's trying to destroy my happiness!"

Miranda's tearful, vulnerable display stirred the guests' protective instincts, and they began murmuring in her defense.