I feel like my world is shrinking until only Jennifer and I exist. Wearing an off-shoulder white gown with a cut just below her breasts to accommodate her adorable baby bump, Jennifer looks like a Greek goddess. No… she is more beautiful than any Greek goddess—more beautiful than any goddess.
As she slowly walks toward me, Jennifer meets my gaze with a wide smile, one she's clearly trying to suppress to maintain composure in front of the guests. Meanwhile, me? I don't even try to behave.
I must have been either standing with my jaw hanging open, drooling, or grinning like an idiot because Thief elbows me sharply, giving me a pointed look that says, Control yourself.
When Jennifer finally reaches me, Master Long, who has been walking beside her, gently places her hand in mine.
"You look amazing," I whisper without making a sound.
"You don't look bad yourself," she whispers back.
I guide her to stand to my right, facing the priest.
The ceremony begins. To be honest, I don't hear a single word of it—my mind is too busy trying to calm my racing heart. I glance at Jennifer. I don't know how she can be this calm… and this breathtakingly beautiful.
A brief distraction pulls me from my daze when I hear the front doors open, followed by the sound of familiar footsteps. But before I have a chance to turn and see who it is, the priest asks Jennifer and me to recite our vows.
I take a deep breath, locking eyes with Jennifer, and begin with a trembling voice, "I, Scott Bennet, take you, Jennifer McCourtney, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love and cherish you, to stand beside you through health and illness, wealth and poverty, happiness and sorrow, for as long as I live. I promise to be a good father to our children, to be there whenever they need me, and to be a role model they can look up to. And I promise you—I will never let my darkness touch your life or our children's lives."
A tear slips down Jennifer's cheek, and I feel my own eyes growing hot, the edges blurring with emotion.
Jennifer starts her vow, her voice breaking, "I, Jennifer McCourtney, take you, Scott Bennet, as my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to love and cherish you, to stand beside you through health and illness, wealth and poverty, happiness and sorrow, for as long as I live. I promise to be a good mother to our children, to be there whenever they need me, and to be a role model they can be proud of. And I… I will stand by you with all my strength to make sure your darkness never resurfaces."
The priest clears his throat, pulling us both back to the present, as we had been utterly lost in each other.
"If anyone here objects to this marriage, let them speak now, or…"
"I object to this marriage," a female voice suddenly rings out from the rear row of benches.
Sharp gasps and murmurs spread among the guests as Jennifer and I instinctively turn toward the source of the voice.
"Lily," I hiss with contempt even before she fully reveals herself. Without thinking, I pull Jennifer behind me.
"I am his fiancée," Lily Andrew announces as she walks toward us.
"You are… no, you were Quint Rauss' fiancée," I correct her in an icy tone.
"You are Quint Rauss."
"Quint Rauss is dead. I am Scott Bennet," I cut her off.
"You are the same person—"
"Are we?" I challenge her. "Did you not know that the Rauss family publicly announced Quint Rauss' death a long time ago? Or are you saying your ex-future in-laws were lying?"
"They're…"
"Or maybe you have proof that I'm actually that guy? It just so happens that this church is full of lawyers. If you have any evidence proving I'm Quint Rauss, you can take it up with them," I push further. "A DNA test, maybe?"
I know for certain that Quint Rauss' DNA was altered. Thief ran a test on us right after I met Mrs. Rauss for the first time. The results showed no correlation whatsoever.
"Quint… this is me…" Knowing she can't win this argument, Lily starts pleading.
I stare at her with a cold expression. "I don't know you, ma'am," I say flatly, ignoring the tears in her eyes.
"I believe you weren't even invited here. So, please leave. Or… else."
I deliberately emphasize the word else.
Bit by bit, my memories have been returning—more than what the scorpion had shown me. I remember that when I was a teenager, I used to use the word else to warn my opponents of the fatal blow they were about to receive if they didn't back down. And I know for sure that, as my most loyal stalker, Lily remembers it too.
Her eyes widen for a split second before she drops her head. Then, she turns around and starts walking away.
But before I can breathe easy, she suddenly spins back around and charges.
In the blink of an eye, Lily is already beside me. The glove that was covering her left hand a moment ago is gone, and her bare palm stretches out, reaching for Jennifer.
This isn't happening at normal speed.
Lily also has the ability to move at fighter-jet speed. And that hand of hers…
Instinctively, I move to intercept her, aiming to grab her wrist and pull it away from Jennifer.
"No!!" Lily shouts, jerking her hand away to avoid my touch. I shift my body so that Jennifer is completely shielded behind me.
"You'll have to kill me first if you want to touch her," I tell Lily.
She freezes. "You…" Her voice trembles, filled with disbelief. "You've never said anything like that for me…" There's so much sadness in her words.
"That's because I never loved you," I reply gently. "Lily… I have never loved you."
Hate floods her eyes.
She lunges at me again, aiming to touch Jennifer.
This time, I show no mercy. I grab her upper arm and twist it backward. She screams in pain. I tighten my grip, about to rip her arm from her body—
When suddenly, a man appears in front of her and catches her.
Bruno.
"Let her go, or I'll blow up this church," he hisses, locking eyes with me.
For a second, we stare each other down. Then, I release Lily's arm and shove her toward him.
"Make sure she never appears in mine and Jennifer's lives again," I warn.
Bruno gives a silent nod before vanishing as suddenly as he arrived—this time, taking Lily with him.
When they're gone, I let my speed return to normal—only to see Jennifer's face, pale and stunned.
"Baby… Baby… are you okay?" I whisper, trying to wake her from her daze.
"How… how??"
I tense. "What did you see?" I ask, worried.
I've never found out exactly what Jennifer experiences when I move at fighter-jet speed. For most people, I assume it's nothing but a blur—maybe even total invisibility. But Jennifer is different. Back in Slim Joe's room, her voice could pierce through almost as if I were moving at normal speed.
"She… she attacked me. Then you shielded me. Then you attacked her… then… then a man came and took her… How… how did he disappear?" Jennifer stammers, still in shock.
I exhale heavily.
Just as I feared—Jennifer isn't completely affected by the time-speed shift. She can see something.
I pull her into my embrace, my arms wrapping tightly around her, trying to steady her trembling body.
"It's alright… she won't harm you," I whisper reassuringly, rubbing slow circles on her back. While I comfort her, I glance toward Master Long. He nods a couple of times, his hand making a subtle calming gesture.
But Jennifer isn't done.
"How… how did he disappear?" she whispers, more insistently this time.
"I don't know, Babe," I mutter.
Truthfully, I'm just as surprised. Bruno shouldn't have been able to move like that. Even in my fighter-jet mode, he appeared and vanished as if time itself bent around him.
Does that mean his time-speed is faster than mine? Or is it something else?
The activity cells procedure.
It's been almost eight years since I underwent mine. I'm sure both Bruno and Lily have gone through the same process by now. If so… have they evolved beyond what I thought possible?
A cough snaps me from my thoughts.
"Shall we continue?" the priest asks, his voice hesitant.
I turn to Jennifer, still slightly pale but standing firm.
"I think we should—"
"No. We will continue our wedding," Jennifer cuts in before I can finish.
I study her face. "Are you sure, Babe?" I murmur.
She nods without hesitation.
I exhale and turn back to the priest. "Okay, we continue then."
Thankfully, the rest of the ceremony proceeds without further interruptions.
After exchanging rings and sealing our vows with a kiss, the priest finally announces:
"I now pronounce you officially Mr. and Mrs. Scott Bennet."