When he was angry, Lex became relentless. He move roughly, reducing Phoebe’s pleas to nothing more than broken sobs. I clamped my hands over my mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face as a tidal wave of anguish consumed me.
The man who had vowed to the world that I was his one and only—Lex Blackburn—was nothing but a liar. I don’t even remember how I managed to leave the Lex & Tara Enterprises building that day. All I knew was that the wedding would never happen. If Lex had betrayed our love, then I would disappear from his world entirely. Let him spend the rest of his life searching, only to come up empty-handed.
A sudden gasp from the crowd around me pulled me out of my tormenting thoughts.
“What a stunning wedding gown! Mr. Blackburn is absolutely spoiling Miss Copeland.”
At the entrance of a high-end boutique, a group of workers carefully maneuvered a heavily adorned wedding gown covered in the finest diamonds onto a custom-designed truck.
Lex stood at the forefront, his gaze flicking back frequently to ensure the staff were handling the gown with care.
“Be careful with that!” he ordered sharply. “That gown was flown in from Paris. A custom-made order specifically for Tara. If it gets so much as a scratch and she gets upset, all of you will face severe consequences.”
As he turned, his eyes locked on me. In an instant, he strode over and swept me off my feet.
“Baby, what are you doing?” he scolded, his voice tinged with worry, “Walking around in flat shoes in this snow? Are you trying to get me worried sick?”
The crowd erupted into excited cheers as he carried me to the warmth of his waiting Rolls-Royce.
Inside, Lex held me close, rubbing my cold hands between his to warm them up. “I was just about to pick you up. Your wedding gown is here, the time couldn’t be more perfect. Let’s head straight to the studio and get our photos done, what do you say?”
“Okay,” I nodded. I agreed, not for any other reason, but because I imagined that after I was gone and he couldn’t find me, he would realize what he’d lost when he saw those photos.
If he truly loved me, it would drive him mad—the pain will cut deeper then.
The delivery truck arrived at the studio ahead of us. When we pulled up moments later, Lex moved to carry me out of the car, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening and let out a heavy breath.
“Baby, it’s freezing out here. Stay in the car to keep warm. Let me go in first and make sure everything’s ready, then I’ll come back for you.”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode briskly into the studio alone.
I lowered my gaze, instinctively opening my chat history with Phoebe. Since that fateful day a month ago, when she had lured me into discovering her affair with Lex, Phoebe had made it her mission to torment me every single day. Every sordid detail of their encounters landed in my inbox. Just as I was scrolling through the old messages, a new one slid in.
It was a photo of Phoebe, draped sloppily in my diamond-studded wedding gown, the zipper was way down her back, her lips curled into a suggestive pout.
“Mr. Blackburn couldn’t take his eyes off this photo and rushed right over to see me. Sorry for borrowing your gown, Miss Copeland. Hope you don’t mind.”
The message was followed by a link to a livestream.
My hands trembled as I clicked it.
On the screen, Lex yanked open the curtain of a fitting room, his face twisted in anger. “Who said you could wear it? It is Tara’s wedding gown. Take it off right now!”
Phoebe’s expression turned coy, her bare leg sliding out from beneath the gown as she leaned toward Lex.
“Don’t you think I look good in this, Mr. Blackburn? If you don’t like it, then why did you come running the second you saw that photo?”
I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze lingering on Phoebe’s body. The heat in his eyes betrayed his words.
Phoebe, emboldened, pressed closer, teasing him further.
In the next moment, Lex pushed her against the wall, his lips crashing onto hers with wild desperation. His hands worked quickly to free himself from his restraints.
I stared in stunned silence as they became entangled in the very fitting room where I was supposed to be trying on that gown—my wedding gown.
Lex hoisted Phoebe into his arms, their bodies locked together in a passionate release.
