That Don's Long Awaited Bride

I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection. My skin was ashen, my eyes rimmed with red—the undeniable proof of my tears.

I had hoped to slip away unnoticed, but I never expected to run into Julian and his friends right outside the restroom.

They all stopped, their smirks telling me they knew I’d overheard. And didn't care.

"Elara, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to rest at home?" Julian's voice was gentle as always as he draped his overcoat over my shoulders.

His familiar scent of cedar filled my lungs, and a fresh wave of grief hit me.

But I forced a smile. "I just needed some air."

Someone, clearly relishing the drama, suggested I join Scarlett's welcome party that evening.

Julian studied me, his expression unreadable, before he nodded slowly.

"Scarlett will probably be... very surprised to see you."

A bitter smile touched my lips. As a pawn, I had no right to refuse.

As night fell, Scarlett strode into the private room on a pair of stilettos, met by a chorus of cheers.

She looked more mature than in her photos, a blush-pink bodycon dress clinging to her exquisite figure.

Almost instantly, I heard the sharp intake of breath from the man beside me.

"You're the one Julian is planning to marry?"

The woman sized me up, her eyes glinting with open disdain.

Sensing her hostility, I chose silence.

She slid in beside Julian, her thigh deliberately brushing against his suit trousers.

When you love someone, you're attuned to their every shift—and I realized with a pang of sorrow that the ever-proud Julian was nervous.

Julian's voice was hoarse, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You're getting bolder. It's fall, and you're in a skirt that short? Aren't you cold?"

As he spoke, he draped his own suit jacket over her bare legs.

It made me, also in a short skirt, feel like a complete joke.

Like a triumphant princess, Scarlett smirked at me. "Julian and I have known each other for over ten years. He never laid a hand on me because he respected me too much, but we've slept in the same bed more times than I can count. What about you? How many times have you slept with him? Is he any good?"

A ripple of low snickers went through the group.

Humiliation burned in my cheeks, but when I saw the tips of Julian's ears turn red, a defiant spark ignited within me.

Swallowing the acid that rose in my throat, I forced a calm I didn't feel.

"Why don't you try him and find out?"