The Stars Align for Us to Say Goodbye

"Luke, you're finally back," Alice said sweetly, her tone coy and flirtatious.

She wrapped both arms around my waist and rubbed her cheek against my back. "Let's stop fighting. The wedding ceremony's tomorrow. I admit I made a mistake, okay? I shouldn't have done that photoshoot with Cole. He was the one who insisted on taking it with me anyway.

"I'll spend the night with you today, hm?"

When she noticed that I wasn't reacting, she came from behind and stood in front of me. Rising on her toes, she tried to kiss me on the lips.

My stomach lurched with a wave of nausea. I recalled the way I heard her getting it on with Cole on the phone. Seeing the way she was pretending to be all innocent and was trying to make it up to me now, I felt nothing but mocking irony.

I moved away to avoid the kiss and turned on the lights in the living room.

Alice pouted in displeasure when she ended up bounding right into nothing but air. When she turned toward me and threw herself at me again, I raised my phone and quickly snapped a picture of us together.

The shot had been taken at the perfect angle with impeccable timing. Our figures basked in the romantic glow of the light as she draped herself over me, her clothes hanging loosely off her.

It was the perfect example of an "intimate" photo.

I sent it to Cole without any hesitation.

Almost the instant the photo was received on the other end, the phone in Alice's pocket started vibrating incessantly.

Her expression stiffened. Flustered, she fumbled for her phone.

After casting me a panicked glance, she looked away evasively and ran to the balcony with her phone.

"Hey, Cole… No, it's not what you think. Let me explain!"

I watched as she paced across the balcony, my expression cold.

When she came back inside, she had plastered a smile on her face again. "I have to step out for something, Luke. I'll get ready for the wedding at our future marital home tomorrow, okay? Come pick me up there."

I couldn't believe she and Cole were planning to use the home I prepared for us to have their final farewell. What a disgusting pair. They were a match made in heaven.

"That won't work," I said as I tugged at my tie with an expressionless face. "The house was only recently renovated. It needs to be aired out a little longer before it can be lived in."

It was a flawless excuse.

Alice's expression fell at once, her eyes flooding with disappointment and frustration.

She was probably upset that I, her actual fiance, couldn't even be of service to provide a fancy house for her and Cole to indulge in one last night of wild debauchery.

"In that case, I'll just wait for you at the hotel!" she said before grabbing her handbag and rushing off without waiting to hear my response.

Her hurried footsteps seemed to convey just how eager she was to go meet whoever it was she was meeting.

As I stood in the empty living room and watched as she disappeared into the night, the corners of my lips slowly curved.

I couldn't wait to find out how Alice was going to react when she arrived at the hotel, only to find that she wasn't listed as the bride.

The next day, before leaving the house, I instructed my butler to ship all of Alice's belongings to Cole's house. "Also, have all the locks to the properties I own changed before the day is over."

"Understood, sir."

Once I settled all the arrangements, I changed into the suit I picked out yesterday and headed off to Vanessa's home with my groomsmen at my side.

Meanwhile, after a night of frenzied indulgence, Alice overslept. By the time she finally woke up, she had to scramble to grab a cab to the hotel.

The car radio was playing the local news.

"Breaking news! Luke Shelton, the heir to Shelton Group, will be marrying Vanessa Langdon in a grand ceremony at the Carlisle Hotel today. This union between two people of equal social standing proves to be a highly anticipated one. Let us all offer our warm wishes to the newlyweds…"

Alice's eyes widened in shock. "What was that?"

Had she misheard the news report?

The cab driver, a warmhearted middle-aged man, thought she hadn't heard the news clearly. "You're attending Mr. Shelton's wedding, right, miss? It's the talk of the town today. The bride is such a gorgeous woman. I heard she's Mr. Shelton's first love!"