Page 89 of Oliver
After an hour, I excused myself and headed for the powder room, desperate for a moment's peace to gather my thoughts.Inside, several bridesmaids were touching up their makeup, their laughter a jarring contrast to the storm brewing inside me.
I'd just finished reapplying my lipstick when the door opened, and the reflection in the mirror made my blood run cold.
Aunt Maryam.
Her expression was unreadable as she surveyed the room, then her eyes landed on me. Her nostrils flared, and a sliver of fear settled in my gut.
"Everyone, out," she commanded, and the room instantly fell silent.
I dropped my lipstick back into my purse, turning to leave only to be stopped by my aunt’s stony gaze.
"Not you."
The girls exchanged confused glances, a few shooting me sympathetic looks as they gathered their things and filed out. I forced a reassuring smile, as if this were just another wedding detail to handle.
As soon as the door closed behind the last bridesmaid, I turned to face my aunt. After what she told Ryan about Oliver, after the bruises that were still fresh on my arm, I wasn't about to let her dictate this conversation.
"How could you tell Ryan my private affairs?" I demanded, not waiting to hear what she had to say. "I obviously don't want him around me, let alone in my business."
Her eyebrows rose slightly, the only indication that I'd surprised her with my directness.
"You mean the business you have with an escort?"
The word hung in the air between us, dripping with disdain.
"Oliver is not?—"
"Don't lie to me, child!" She stepped closer, her voice lowering to a fierce whisper. "I won't let you embarrass this family, and at my daughter's wedding no less. Bringingyour...paidcompanion to a family event? What were you thinking?"
"That's not?—"
"The Becks told me everything, Zahra." The interruption was smooth, practiced. "How you hired him, how much you’re paying him, and how many women have paid him over the past seven years.”
Each word hit like a slap. I'd expected her disapproval, but not this level of knowledge about my arrangement with Oliver.
“Though, from what I hear from your neighboring rooms, at least you got your money's worth."
Humiliation burned hot in my cheeks. The thought of my aunt discussing my intimate moments with Oliver's parents made me want to sink through the floor. But beneath the embarrassment, alarm bells were ringing. The Becks. They'd sought out my aunt, had deliberately shared information that should have been private.
"And to make things worse," she continued, voice dripping with false sympathy. "He attacked Ryan this morning."
I scoffed, thinking of the bruises on my arm. "Ryan probably had it coming."
"He almost killed him, Zahra!"
"Oh, come on." I threw my hands in the air, frustration mounting. "Ryan is a lying, manipulative bastard. Stop believing everything he tells you."
My aunt's eyes narrowed, her posture stiffening.
"I saw it with my own eyes." She took another step forward, her voice dropping even lower. "And if you don't believe me, believe this."
She pulled out her phone, tapping the screen before holding it up for me to see. The video was slightly shaky but unmistakable.
My stomach twisted into knots, my hands clammy as I stared at the scene unfolding.
Oliver and Ryan in a hidden corner near the terrace.
Oliver's hand around Ryan's throat, pinning him against a wall.
