Chapter 344
"Regret? Ha! The only one who'll be drowning in regret is you, Vivian!" Victoria's mocking laughter echoed through the phone. "I warned you before - you're no match for me. So what if you're carrying Alexander's child? He won't care! I hold all the cards now. How could you possibly compete with me?"
Evelyn ended the call without response. Her slender fingers traced the embossed bride's name on the ivory invitation as her emerald eyes narrowed.
Tomorrow's wedding would have an unexpected guest.
Three torturous days passed for Victoria, though she masked her anxiety well. She'd anonymously leaked the wedding details to every major media outlet, ensuring maximum coverage. This moment had been years in the making.
The morning of the ceremony arrived with an unexpected drizzle rather than the forecasted sunshine. Victoria scowled at the raindrops streaking her penthouse windows.
"Doesn't matter," she muttered, turning to her stylist. "Make me look perfect."
The designer gown she'd coveted remained locked away - Alexander's refusal still stung. But soon, she'd have everything.
Her reflection showed a vision in white as the limousine whisked her toward destiny.
"Evelyn Sinclair, who do you think you are?" Victoria smirked at her reflection. "Alexander belongs to me."
Meanwhile, Evelyn watched raindrops race down her car window with quiet amusement. The vehicle stopped before the grand hotel where her past and future would collide.
She stepped out beneath a black umbrella, her simple navy dress accentuating natural elegance no designer gown could replicate.
The ballroom's opulence triggered memories of her own wedding to Alexander - the cold brush of his fingers sliding the ring onto hers, the traitorous hope that had fluttered in her chest.
"Alexander..." The whisper escaped before she could stop it. "Why did our love story end this way?"
A small hand tugged her sleeve. She looked down into familiar hazel eyes.
"Ethan." Her voice softened.
The boy looked heartbreakingly handsome in his miniature tuxedo, yet his expression held none of a flower boy's joy.
"Vivian, can I stay with you?" His quiet plea shattered her heart.
"Of course, sweetheart. But shouldn't you be preparing for your parents' ceremony?"
His next words struck like lightning. "I want you to be my mommy."
Evelyn's breath caught. She crouched to his level. "Do you truly wish for that, Ethan?"
His earnest nod made her smile mysteriously. "Perhaps your wish will come true sooner than you think."
"Ethan Montgomery! Get away from that woman immediately!" Eleanor Kingsley's shrill voice cut through the moment.
Evelyn straightened to face Alexander's mother, whose glare could curdle milk.
"How shameless, showing your face here," Eleanor sneered, yanking Ethan away. "Don't speak to her, darling. You'll upset your mother."
Evelyn's lips curved. "You seem overjoyed, Mrs. Kingsley. But haven't you heard? Pride comes before the fall."
"Overjoyed? Of course! My son is marrying the perfect woman today." Eleanor's smile turned venomous. "You're the mistake here, Vivian Prescott. Cause any trouble, and security will remove you."
Pain lanced through Evelyn's chest, but her voice remained steady. "Since you're so happy, let me give you a gift. Not an object, but a truth." She locked eyes with the older woman. "Victoria Lancaster isn't your real daughter. She's an imposter."
The color drained from Eleanor's face as Evelyn turned toward the ballroom, where wedding guests were beginning to arrive. The real drama was about to begin.