His friend’s words made no sense to me then. But now, it all clicked into place. Looking back, the signs had been there all along.
Savannah was the muse Preston kept hidden in his heart. I was just the convenient choice, the girl whose family could get his back on their feet.
I stumbled out of the cigar room in a daze, my eyes burning, my parents' warnings echoing in my mind.
My heart ached for them. I had chosen a man who didn't love me, and with my own two hands, I had destroyed my own happiness.
Because Preston didn't love me, my dignity and my feelings meant nothing to him. He'd turned me into a laughingstock, transforming the night I'd been dreaming of into the cruelest of jokes.
I trudged back alone to our bridal suite, deep within the manor. I had designed and decorated everything here myself, from my favorite scented candles to the freshly picked flowers and the silk nightgown laid out on the bed.
I buried my face in my hands and cried for a long time, until the swipe of a key card cut through the silence.
"Preston, Juliana's in here!"
A group of men flooded in. My phone slipped from my trembling hands and clattered to the floor as I instinctively wrapped my arms around my chest.
"Don't be shy, Juliana."
One of the men swaggered over, reeking of alcohol.
Later, I would learn his name was Troy Bishop.
He spotted the silk nightgown on the bed, hooked it with a finger, and a lecherous grin spread across his face. "Preston said your wedding night needed a few judges…"
"Get out! There are cameras everywhere in here!" I forced my voice to sound calm.
Troy only grew more excited. He plopped down on the mattress beside me, his eyes raking over my body.
"Playing innocent? Preston's off with another woman as we speak."
"Give me a break," someone else snorted. "You weren't so shy in those sketches. Don't act all innocent now."
"A saint?" another jeered. "Preston bet away her first night. She can't be that much of a saint if he was willing to do that."
"It's not like that!" I cried, hot tears spilling from my eyes.
My best friend, Maya Reed, had helped me put that collection of intimate sketches together. I had only ever shown them to Preston.
Troy's smile turned cold as he reached for me.
Just then, a laugh echoed from the doorway. "Well, well, well. Couldn't miss the main event, could I?"
It was Savannah's voice.
She strode in, glanced at the circle of men around me, and arched an eyebrow.
I couldn't tear my eyes from the dark, tell-tale mark on her collarbone. Our gazes met, and the triumphant glint in her eyes sent a chill through me. That couldn't be what I thought it was...
"Sorry I'm late, Juliana," she purred. "My man wouldn't let me leave."
She swept her hair over her shoulder, and my blood ran cold.
The one-of-a-kind platinum cufflinks I had designed for Preston were clasped around her wrist.
Savannah produced two glasses of whiskey and offered one to me. "I missed the wedding. Let this be my apology."
The men hooted. "Is Preston's stamina that bad? Savannah can still run over here to mess with Juliana."
"What do you know," another said. "The Lockwood Group is about to go public. What use will the Hayes family be then? Of course Preston's going to kick them to the curb!"
I backed away step by step until my back hit the headboard. I remembered the vial of liquid Preston had been holding. Had Savannah put something in this glass?
"Take it away! I'm not drinking it!" I shouted.
They laughed even harder.
"Are you refusing me, Juliana?" Savannah grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer, and leaned in to my ear.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Preston and I already had our celebration. As for you… you're not afraid I drugged this, are you? Silly girl. You've already been drugged. It was in that glass of rare whiskey you had at the reception."
My mind went blank. The scene from the reception flashed before my eyes.
"To your art, Juliana, cheers," Preston had said.
