Page 77 of Code of Heart
Of Aurelia turning her cheek at the courthouse, refusing his kiss.
Another of her running for her car.
And the worst—him gripping her waist in the parking lot, his face a mix of desperation and regret.
Every humiliating second of that day was now immortalized for public consumption.
His mind raced.Who tipped them off?
Aside from the court clerk, no one should have known about the ceremony. And now…now it was everywhere.
He raked trembling hands through his hair, his thoughts moving at a thousand miles an hour. Even through the swirl of panic, one realization cut through all the noise.
He turned back to the kitchen. Aurelia was gone.
And Levi had no idea where she would run this time.
Aurelia
To be alone from prying eyes.
That’s all Aurelia wanted—needed—as she burst through the sliding doors and into the quiet of Grace and Isaac’s backyard, her vision blurring with unshed tears.
Everything had been going fine. Better than fine. Conversation had flowed so easily with Grace and Ivy that, for the first time in what felt like forever, she believed she could belong somewhere. Maybe she had a shot at this life she stumbled into.
And then her phone chimed.
One message. From Selene.
Wow, glad to find out my best friend got married a few days ago from the NEWS…Nothing screams desperate gold digger like an arranged marriage!!! Super rich though, huh? That’s probably why you picked him. SO PISSED AT YOU RIGHT NOW!!!
The text was a punch to the gut, but it wasn’t the worst of it. The link Selene had included was though.
It was all right there.
Her shame, her humiliation, herentire life, wide open for the world to mock.
Someone—God,who?—had leaked their marriage details. And someone else had waited, hidden outside the courthouse like a vulture, a camera ready to capture every raw, unguarded moment.
The photos. They wereeverywhere.
Her refusing Levi’s kiss.
Her running to her car.
Him holding her back, his arms wrapped around her waist as she thrashed against him.
Each image was a perfectly framed disaster. The headlines were unequivocally brutal. But the comments were unforgivable.
Mail-order bride.
Gold digger.
Desperate nobody.
The words blurred together as her phone wobbled. The glass of water slipped from her grip, shattering on the tile. She didn’t even feel it. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.
Body failing, her senses completelyshut down.
