Chapter 22
I went to apologize to Aurora
Early the next morning,
Naomi w
went into a loose but »
with a few delicate flower petals tucked in, giving
She was dressed as a bridesmaid in a white chiffon gown, and her hair was swept into a her a fresh look.
“Aurora, I need to explain last night. I was worried you’d regret marrying Maverick. Do you even know what he’s done behind your back?” Naumi said, barging into Aurora’s room and reaching for her hand.
“Naomi.
please leave,” Aurora replied coolly, pulling her hand away and heading toward the bathroom.
Naomi quickly masked the frustration in her eyes and continued, “Fine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to see me. But I came to tell you something important. I just found out this morning”
Aurora paused and turned back, intrigued..
Naomi continued, “Aurora, it was the Parker family who killed your mom. And Maverick nearly bankrupted the Sage family.”
“What did you say?” Aurora knew Naomi was lying, but hearing Naomi bring her mother into this set her face hard.
Anger flared in her heart. If she could, Aurora would’ve made Naomi suffer right then and there.
Naomi noticed Aurora’s reaction and thought she was getting through. “Calm down, Aurora,” she said, patting Aurora on the back. “You want to know why? It’s not easy to say, but the Parker family killed your mom because they found out she was having an affair with Maverick’s father.
“You’re the Sage family’s only daughter, Uncle Elias’s pride and joy. Do you really want to marry your enemy!
Aurora clenched her jaw, her eyes brimming with restrained anger. She couldn’t believe Naomi would stoop so low as to drag her mother’s reputation through the mud to manipulate her.
“Do you think I’d believe that?” Aurora scoffed.
Naomi pulled out a folder. “I thought you’d say
say that. Look, here are the documents and photos from back then.”
Aurora flipped through
papers, her grip tightening until her knuckles turned white.
the p
Gripping the doorframe, she looked at Naomi, as if uncertain. “So, what am I supposed to do? The wedding’s today.”
“Run away as far as you can, Aurora. No matter what, you can’t marry him. Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan to cover for you. I’ll make sure the Parker family won’t blame anyone, Naomi said with a sly smile.
Maverick’s wedding to Aurora was the talk of the nation. Security was tight, and the guest list was filled with influential figures from every sector.
However, as noon approached, the bride was still nowhere to be seen.
Maverick stood waiting in an elegant white suit, his tall frame and chiseled features striking in the daylight.
His intense gaze remained fixed in the direction Aurora was supposed to arrive from, but it stayed empty. Even the flower girls hadn’t shown up.
“Do you think she ran off? I heard Aurora wasn’t too keen on this marriage from the start. She even made a fuss big enough for the Parker family to almost cancel it, one guest whispered.
ami 1e ina
“True, but even if she didn’t want to marry him, the Sage family raised her better than this. Skipping out would make a mockery of both families,” another mummured.
“Well, even though she was proven unharmed, who knows what really happened when she was kidnapped? The Parker family is generous enough to let it go and still welcome her. But she’s ungrateful,” added a third
Maverick listened to those comments, and his expression darkened as he wondered if Aurora really had run away.
Alice, who had helped clear Aurora’s name, glanced at her watch, thinking of her patients scheduled for the afternoon.
Curious and concerned, Alice stood and asked, “Mr. Parker, where’s the bride? Is everything all right?” It was a bold question to ask at a wedding, but she couldn’t help herself.
Maverick’s face grew even stornier. Despite his white suit, his presence was more imposing than ever. ‘Aurora, if you’ve really run off, he thought, 1
don’t know what I’ll do next”
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Chapter 22
Suddenly, a child’s voice rang out. “The bride is here!“.
All heads turned. The bride wore a stunning white gown that billowed gracefully and cinched at the waist to show off her figure.
Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun adorned with soft flower petals, giving her a fresh, elegant look.
Flower girls skipped ahead, scattering petals in her path.
A veil covered the bride’s face, and the gown, dusted with gold, sparkled subtly in the sunlight.
Maverick stood still, watching as “his bride” approached.
Naomi finally good before him and leaned close, whispering just loud enough for him to hear, “Mr. Parker, I’m here in Aurora’s place. She ran off with Scott this morning-
Maverick’s face grew darker. Naomi smirked and said, “Aurora and I are about the same size. With a little makeup, those who don’t know us well can hardly tell us apart. The wedding has to go on. Il be filling in for Aurora today to save face for both families.”
present, she assumed even Maverick wouldn’t be able to deny her as the bride.
She had planned everything carefully. With both families‘ elders p
If she could get through this, she’d be Mrs. Parker. As Mrs. Parker, she’d outrank not only Aurora but every other woman in the city.
But as she reached for his arm, Maverick’s hand suddenly shot out, gripping her throat with an icy firmness.
“Where’s Aurora“” he asked, his tone cold.
At this, gasps rippled through the crowd. Confusion spread. People were beginning to realize that this “bride” might not be Aurora
Elias, who’d already sensed something was off about his daughter today, now saw the truth–the woman in the wedding gown was Naomi.
His face turned dark. “Naomi, what’s going on? Where is Aurora?”
Nearby. Evelyn hadn’t expected Maverick to react like this in front of everyone
Reporters scrambled to capture the scene, their cameras flashing as whispers and murmurs erupted from all directions.
The crowd buzzed about the sudden switch from Aurora to Naomi, only to be exposed by the groom. They felt Aurora must be quite something.
Naomi, panicking, struggled to say, “Please, Mr. Parker, let’s not make a scene. Let’s just continue the wedding, okay?”
But Maverick’s eyes burned with fury. He yanked off his bowtie, the motion forceful enough to pop two buttons from his white shirt. His arms tensed as he barely restrained his rage, ready to erupt.
Silence fell over the crowd.
“Do you really think I’d be that easy to fool?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Naomi stammered, now regretting every part of this plan,
“Get out!” Maverick snapped.
Reporters i
tried to push forward, desperate to capture the moment, but security blocked the
path
Maverick felt a surge of relief that he’d decided against live–streaming the wedding. If he had, this drama would already be splashed across every
screen
Elias couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. Aurora lud assured him she’d go through with the marriage. Now, on the wedding day. Naomi had shown up in her place. He felt like he was on the verge of a heart attack.
“Isn’t Naomi Aurora’s cousin! Why’s she in the wedding dress?” a guest asked, bewildered.
“Maybe she’s stepping in for Aurora, another suggested.
1 heard Naomi is Ella’s illegitimate daughter, someone whispered. “Maybe the Sage family planned to marry her off to Maverick all along
“No way! That’s ridiculous,” someone else said, eyes wide with s
surprise.
“Even so, would they really try to trick Maverick like this?” asked another guest.
“Did Aurora really nin
* run away?” The room was a
room was abuzz with speculation a
as reporters captured every moment, eager for answers.
Then, cutting through the confusion, a clear female voice rang out. “Who said I ran away!”
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