Page 9 of The Revenge Plan

My throat dried up as I stared into his gaze, my breath getting slower and slower. I cleared my throat.

“Can you let me go now,” my voice was a small whisper. He leaned back, my wrist still in his hand. He fished something from his pocket. A little black velvet box and opened it. In it was an exquisite emerald and diamond encrusted ring. It was beautiful and tasteful. Not too flashy, but also looked like it cost a fortune. He slid it down my ring finger. I gasped at his fingers grazing mine.

“I had forgotten that you needed it if we were to pretend we had been dating.”

I mouthed a small, “Oh,” as its beauty rendered me silent. His nostrils flared as his gaze went back to mine and when he leaned in, I was so sure he would kiss me.

“I hope it’s to your standard?”

He sounded as if he was unsure if I would like it? As if he was insecure about his decision. No. It was probably another dig at my supposed expensive habits.

“It’s fine.” It was gorgeous, “Adequate for the occasion.”

He dropped my hand like a hot potato, “Of course,” he said, turning to face the front. He was back to being cold again.

4

When the wedding day finally arrived, I was almost feeling sick. The affair was exactly what my father and apparently Caiden wanted. It was the Socialite wedding of the year, as they say with all the other big socialite weddings. Anyone who was anyone within the luxury goods industry was invited, including a few celebrities and some minor royals.

And to my father’s credit, it was working. The news surrounding the Lyndell corporation was no longer about its troubles, the labor issues, the embezzlement and all the other scandals. The press focused on the wedding and they were calling it a ‘merger’ which was kind of funny considering my situation. He was beaming when he led me down the aisle.

“Finally,” he said to me in hushed tones as we strolled with my hand in his, “you’re acting like my daughter.” I wanted to punch him right then. His grip on my arm was so tight, I thought it would tear the threads of my dress. “You’re squeezing me,” I gritted out. He acted like he didn’t hear me. I stiffened my back and looked straight forward at the groom. Caiden looked like the perfect husband in his tuxedo. It defined and enhanced his statuesque figure. If this was real, I would feel so happy that I was about to marry such a man.

He frowned as I got closer. It baffled me, and I frowned in response to his frowning. I followed his gaze and saw that it was pinned on where dad was holding me.

When my Dad handed me over to him, Caiden took hold of my arms and rubbed them, concentrating on the part Dad had been gripping me. I might be mistaken, but he seemed… concerned? I brushed away that foolish thought. There’s no way he would care about my wellbeing.

The ceremony began, we exchanged vows, and in no time, we were husband and wife. His kiss was perfunctory and functional, yet it made me feel gooey and warm inside and reminded me of the last time we kissed. When I looked into his eyes after we broke off, there was a slight smirk on his lips that doused any further development of anything else beyond that. The jerk was satisfied with himself.

???

The reception was a nightmare. Greyson and Bryce were both drunk and had insisted on making unnecessary speeches, most of which were about how the family business was going to be back on top now that ‘things were looking up’ and how Caiden should be thankful that they had taken him into our family considering his background. You would think they weren’t the ones who were selling off their sister.

Caiden was doing his best to ignore me, so I was left to my own devices. I took out my phone and went straight to my favorite social media app. Bad idea. I was trending. And not in a good way. One hashtag, “#TrashyHeiressGetsHitched” was trending more than the others, and attached to it was an old video of me. It was an infamous one, and had trended for days when it first surfaced on the Internet. It was a clip of me drunk, dancing and then tumbling into a thousand-year-old vase. That was only half bad. The context was worse. It was at the home of a Japanese diplomat and the entire episode was an international incident when it happened a few years ago. I had to apologize to the entire nation of Japan for disrespecting their culture.

My cheeks burned at the thought of everyone seeing this. I look up to the crowd. Everyone had that knowing judgmental look plastered on their faces. Thirty-year-old me was still paying for twenty-one-year-old me’s sins. I was in the middle of doom scrolling when my phone was snatched out of my hands. It was Alicia. We had only known each other for a few months, but we had become good friends and close enough for me to ask her to be my maid-of-honor.

“It’s your wedding day. Get off social media and be happy.”

“I’m happy.”

“No, you’re not, and this,” she waved the phone, “is making you crazy.” She was right. I hate how she knew me better than anyone. “As your maid-of-honor,” she continued, “It’s my duty to make sure you’re happy. And that starts with confiscating this phone.” She took it and put it in a tiny purse I hadn’t noticed she had.

“Alicia!”

She leaned down and whispered, “Your hunky husband desperately needs your attention.” I followed her gaze and saw Caiden standing behind us.

Alicia thought I was in love with him. I wasn’t going to dissuade her from thinking that. Her knowing the truth would be more embarrassing for me and I didn’t need the pitiful looks I knew she would give me if she knew.

When he extended his hand and said, “I believe it’s our dance,” Alicia cooed and nudged me forward.

I took it as he led me to the dance floor. His other hand went around my waist and he held me firm against him. The music played, and he stepped forward, and I stepped back as we smoothly danced the waltz. He felt close. Too close for comfort. I could feel his hard chest against mine as his scent enveloped me. It was intoxicating. I hadn’t been this close to him since—

“You seem lost in your own world.”

“I’m not.” I felt exposed. “I was thinking how I couldn’t wait for this dance to be over.”

“Is that why you’re blushing?”

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