The crowd erupted into chaos, murmurs and whispers blending with the background jazz music. No one could dismiss it as a prank since the Zevian Reign made such a brazen demand. But why Evelyn? Even the Wrights and the Blakes stood dumbfounded, unable to comprehend.
Edmund Blake broke into a small smile and glanced at Evelyn, who shrugged in response, making the old man chuckle. He sipped his wine, anticipating more surprises.
Felicia was the first to break the silence. She sneered, clapping her hands, and mocked, "Woah, Evelyn! You've indeed surpassed your prostitute mother in seducing men!"
Scornful gazes turned toward Evelyn, the guests eager to spew more venom. But it still didn't make sense. Zevian Reign, a virtuous iceberg, was devoted to his dead wife and impervious to any woman's advances. Rumors about how his mother kept sending women to his house while he was abroad, but none had succeeded in even entering his room were well known. Either Evelyn was exceptional at seduction or there was more to it.
Felicia threw a glare at Evelyn before stomping down the aisle toward Zevian. "Looks like you haven't been reading the news, Mr. Reign. Let me wake you up to reality," she said, her voice dripping with malice. " She has been cheating on her fiancé with his uncle just to get shares in our company. Do you still wish to marry such a scheming bitch?"
"Yes," Zevian replied without hesitation.
Felicia's smirk vanished, and so did Sophia's, who had been silently watching in glee. Guests suppressed their laughs, and even Avery pressed her lips together, relishing Felicia's pale expression.
Composing herself, Avery took a step forward and asked, "Do you have any solid proof for such brazen claims, Mrs. Blake?"
Felicia's confidence returned to her face. Raising her chin, she answered, "Yes! She was caught entering the Nexus Hotel with Nick!"
Avery shook her head, snickering in disbelief. Crossing her arms, she replied, "Oh, you mean the picture you doctored and sent to the paparazzi? Don't worry, Mrs. Blake, we've already sent it to the police. They are investigating it thoroughly."
Felicia's face blanched at the face of truth. Even the guests exchanged glances and murmurs, shocked by the twist. Everyone knew Avery wouldn't speak without proof, especially not with Zevian Reign involved.
"W-what do you mean?" Felicia stammered, turning toward the bride and groom. "The photo was not edited, Ms. Cartwell! She was with him that night! Right, Nick?"
Nicholas nodded, sweat trickling down his forehead as he felt Zevian's murderous glare on him.
"Are you sure it was Evelyn and not Annabelle, Mr. Blake?" Avery's question sent the crowd into another uproar. "According to your own driver, you were too drunk to differentiate anyone that night."
"Ms. Cartwell! Mind your words when you speak about my daughter." William stepped forward this time, frustration etched on his face. Glaring at Avery, he continued, "And what proof do you have for such nonsense?"
"Evelyn was with me that night, Mr. Wright," Zevian calmly replied, dropping another bombshell. Felicia looked as if she might faint. What better proof does any need than this ruthless devil's confession?
"W-what do you mean?" William stammered, his eyes darting between Evelyn, Annabelle, and Zevian. The guests, now completely engrossed, leaned in to catch every word.
"We don't have time to explain all the details, Mr. Wright." Avery stepped forward to reply. "To summarize, Evelyn was set up by the Blake family and your sweet daughter to marry this moron. Her drinks were spiked that night, and she entered the wrong suite—Zevian's suite—leading to their fateful encounter."
"You will see a detailed press note from Reign Constructions soon." Turning to Annabelle, Avery added, "And also from the police, who are almost done investigating what really happened that night."
If the Blakes could cook a story and manipulate the paparazzi, Avery could easily bring a better script and use Zevian to clear Evelyn's name. Power ruled this world, and even the government would step up to help if the CEO of Reign Constructions was involved.
"So, since Zevian was with Evelyn that night, he is here to take responsibility and marry her," Avery concluded, leaving the crowd intrigued. It felt like the Blakes had accidentally dug up their own grave while trying to bury Evelyn alive with Nicholas.
Annabelle moved closer to Sophia and grumbled, "I told you to take her silence seriously! Now bear the consequences, Mom."
Sophia glared at her before looking at her husband's back. At her suggestion, Nicholas had traded half of his Blake company's shares to William in exchange for Evelyn. So, even if Evelyn's name were cleared, she would not be saved from this disastrous marriage. A smirk lifted her spoiled mood when William spoke again.
"Even if Evelyn is innocent, she will still marry Nicholas, Mr. Reign. I promised Nicholas, and I cannot go back on my words." Even the guests found it absurd, but the one who was hurt the most was Evelyn. He was simply setting the bar high for toxic fathers.
Zevian raised an eyebrow, amused that this old man still had the guts to say no to him. Even Avery fumed with frustration and grumbled, "Are you hearing yourself, Mr. Wright? Even if she is not your daughter, you can't just—"
"Consider our collaboration canceled, Mr. Wright," Zevian cut off Avery, his words sending another wave of shock through the crowd. Calmly placing his hands back into his pockets, he added, "Reign Constructions will no longer be working on your resort project."
When William's face paled in horror, Zevian continued, "And I will make sure no one else does."
Even Evelyn wasn't expecting Zevian to be this serious. All she wanted was for this marriage to stop, but it seemed like he had come with the major intention of marrying her rather than just canceling the wedding.
Avery observed not just Vincent's but also Sophia's face blanch at Zevian's words, and she smirked in victory. This was just the beginning; they would be living in hell in the coming days. Turning to William, she fueled his panic, "We don't have much free time, Mr. Wright. Either stop this marriage or watch your company go bankrupt."
Sophia's expression darkened completely, not anticipating such a twist even in her wildest dreams. She thought Zevian was only here at Avery's plea to save her best friend and wasn't expecting him to be this serious, to the point of threatening them.
"No, I can't let her win!" she muttered under her breath, her glare fixed on Evelyn, who looked like Margaret for a split second.
She looked around, her eyes fixed on the champagne bottle on their table. Quickly picking it up, she moved closer to the stage and rolled it down in a way that the bottle stopped right beside Nicholas's feet.
Nicholas looked down, feeling something hit his shoe. A frown grimaced his face, wondering who was in the mood for drinking in such a disaster. When his glazed eyes met Sophia's, who was gesturing toward Evelyn, a mischievous glint enveloped them.
Without thinking, he picked up the bottle and hit it directly on the pastor's head.
People nearby screamed as blood poured out of the poor pastor's head, his hand reaching to touch it as the wine bottle broke into shards. He stumbled back as Nicholas stepped forward, his intention of killing someone quite clear in his expression.
Before Evelyn could escape, he roughly grabbed her with his bandaged hand. Placing the sharp edge of the broken bottle to her neck, he tightened his grip and sneered, "It was you who planned this, right?"
When Zevian rushed, Nicholas pressed the broken edge closer to Evelyn's neck, causing everyone to halt and hold their breaths. Turning to Evelyn, he continued, "Now I will give you two options, Evelyn. Either marry me or die!"