Page 98 of Sapphire Storm

As she realized how little he’d omitted from this account,Diana sank back down into her Chivari chair as if she’d been pressed into it bya giant hand.

“And she was able to do it because Roman and I are in love,”Ethan continued, “and he wants nothing more than to protect me from a boss whoextorted him and kidnapped him to make this night happen. And so I’m doing whatI have to do to show Roman that I love him as much as he loves me, so it can’tbe used against him anymore.” Ethan turned toward the altar. “Roman Walker, theman Diana Peyton has used as a tool and a prop, has protected me, stood up forme, unlike anyone else I’ve ever known, and this has made him one of thebravest and most beautiful men I will ever know. And he’s done more for me inthe last month than anyone else I’ve ever met. But I won’t let this go anyfurther.”

“These are lies!” Diana screamed. “These arefilthylies!”

“They’re not.” Rachel’s voice boomed through the room—astage actor’s ability to project backed up by a body mic buried in the folds ofher wedding gown. Diana spun toward the altar.

“They’re not lies,” Rachel said. “It’s the truth. Every wordof it.”

Diana looked devastated by her daughter’s betrayal, and herconfirmation was apparently what the crowd needed to fully believe Ethan’sconfessions.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. And if this is what thefinal act looks like, I don’t want anounceof your career.”

Diana spun to face the crowd, studying their shocked anddisapproving looks. She shook her head as if she was judging the crowd inreturn. “He’s a whore!” she screamed. “He was agoddamn whore!”

There was a brief, stunned silence before Rachel broke it.“Not sure someone who only slept with my dad to get a role should be that judgyon that topic, but whatever, Mom.”

A new sound filled the room.

Laughter.

Rachel had stolen the show.

After a series of shocks, Roman still wasn’t prepared forwhat came next.

Diana took off. By the time she reached the nearest set ofdoors, one of the camera crews had decamped from their stage at the back of theroom and was blocking her exit. The second crew got tangled up with it, andsuddenly Diana, fighting against the glare of their camera lights, was swingingher arms, batting her way through them. “Get away from me!” she screamed beforeshe managed to burst through.

He caught one glimpse of her turning down the hallway as thecameras chased.

“Get away from me!”she screamed again, loud andshrill enough to make many of the attendees wince. Then, the lower part of hergown gathered in both hands, she ran.

In the stunned silence that followed, Roman looked down andsaw a familiar woman crouched next to the altar, trying to get Rachel’sattention. She wore a pants suit, and her wiry gray hair was pinned back on herhead with a jeweled barrette. In one hand, she held a scribble-covered notepad.TheVanity Fairreporter who’d been at the rehearsal the night before.“Hi, uh, Rachel, real quick. This is all real, right? Like this isn’t some hoaxor something?”

“All real,” she answered, then she reached up, yanked offher veil, and tossed it aside.

But now all Roman could see was Ethan. Ethan approaching thealtar just like he’d imagined him doing moments before as Rachel had walkeddown the aisle. Suddenly they were standing face to face.

“Told you to strap yourself in.” Ethan kissed him gently onthe lips.

“I can’t believe you did it,” Roman whispered, tears coming.

“You cry a lot, Roman Walker.” Ethan smiled and whiskedtears from Roman’s cheeks with his fingers.

“You make me cry. For all the right reasons.”

Rachel leaned in. “Um, guys, just so you know, they canstill hear everything you’re saying on Roman’s body mic.” The crowd waswatching them intently.

“So are you guys going to get hitched instead?” A new voiceasked this question, and when Roman turned, he saw Hank staring up at them.Hank, who’d told him about the secret message written on the back of the menucard earlier. Hank, who’d refused to order the team to wrestle Ethan to thefloor. Like Rachel, he’d been in on this plot all along.

“Wow.” Ethan gulped and looked from Rachel to Hank. “I mean,there was a lot of planning that went into this, but nobody really thought aboutwhat would happen with the actual, you know, wedding. I mean…” He looked toRoman, trying to read his eagerness to tie the knot right there on the spot.“Eventually, maybe. I mean. Just not sure the mood right now is—”

“This isn’t my kind of wedding anyway,” Roman finally said.

“Let me guess,” Ethan whispered, taking him in his arms.“Outside? With the wind in your hair?”

“And yours,” Roman whispered. “But there’s one part we cando now.”

He pulled Ethan in for the kiss he’d dreamed of giving himfor a month.

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