"You heard me." Viviana lifted her chin slightly, her tone measured. "Touch him, and we'll trend on the headlines for a few months or perhaps longer."
Savannah was now tweaking. She was losing her mind.
"How dare you?" she gritted. "Who do you think you are?"
The audacity to crash a wedding that has millions spent on it with a lowlife, a nobody that no one had ever seen or even heard of.
"You little B**CH!" she cursed.
"Language, Ma." Viviana reminded, "People are watching."
Savannah snatched her arm back and glared over at Nikolas who'd let go of her. "Listen and listen carefully to me. This stunt you're trying to pull is not happening. Do you hear me?"
"Are you certain of that?" Viviana asked.
Savannah smirked. "You know what happens when you defy me, Viviana. I dare you to try me."
"It'd be my pleasure." Viviana stepped over to the side and turned to the crowd. She pulled over a seat, sat down, and crossed her legs. "I know how immoral it must seem to barge into my own wedding with another man. But they say, "an eye for an eye, right…?"
The crowd was heavily bewildered.
An eye… for an eye?
The sudden loud creak of the double door that led out into the back of the hotel sounded. Every head turned.
A woman stood. Brunette, with brown eyes and a bob cut. She adjusted her white dress and began to march forward until she stood before Fernando, whose expression had grown horrified.
"What… what are you doing here?" he choked out.
The lady didn't answer. Instead, she smacked him hard across the face. "How dare you?"
He was shocked.
"Using me? Just because I'm insignificant compared to you doesn't mean I don't have dignity!" she yelled. "Me? Your side piece? If anyone is a side piece, it's her, not me. We've been in a relationship before you met her, Fernando. And even when you did, you refused to break up with me. You promised me that you would cut the engagement off. That you would marry me. You promised you'd be there for our baby. Fernando, it's not as if you're unaware I'm with your child!"
People huffed in shock.
Jaws fell.
Some slapped their palms over their mouths.
While some clutched their pearls.
Fernando was growing nervous. And if he didn't fight back right now, he was beyond done for.
Licking his lips, he straightened up, looked at the woman, and chortled. "That child isn't mine."
"Fernando!—"
"What the hell are you yapping about?" He shut her down. "When were you and I ever in a relationship? You were just a one-time thing. And I don't know how you even made it to that event. You asked me to see you, and when I did, you got me drunk with the drink you spiked, causing me to mess around. If anything, I think you owe me an apology."
The lady's eyes flickered. "Fernando…"
Her chuckles broke out of her in pure disbelief.
"Am I lying?" Fernando asked.
"No, he's not." The person who spoke was Serena, Viviana's stepsister. "I received the CCTV camera from the hotel, and yes, she did spike his drink." She turned to the woman. "It's brave of you to step in here after what you've done. We could have you arrested, you know."
This couldn't be real.
The brunette began laughing, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. The eyes on her; they were judging her hard, not a single one of them believing her. And for what?
Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Viviana, spatting out, "Don't even make the mistake of tying yourself to Fernando Stolov. He's TRASH."
She turned and stormed off, leaving the venue.
Everyone was dead silent.
What was all this unfolding?
Fernando brushed his fingers through his hair. How did Viviana even know the brunette? Did she invite her here? He didn't think he'd ever mentioned to the brunette that he was getting married today. And assuming she knew from the media news, someone had to have put her up to this. If not, the woman would not have the courage to barge into a wedding like this.
It was exclusive. Those without a red card invite couldn't step in. How come she marched in here?
His eyes scanned the guests. Their gazes were complicated, as if debating who to defend in this moment. Viviana who crashed her wedding with another man, or him, who'd have a woman accuse him of being the father to her unborn child?
'Dammit! This is not going well' he cursed inwardly.
What to do?
His face scrunched in annoyance. He had to drive all this attention from himself. If Viviana walks out of here with people behind her, he is finished.
His business, everything would be up in smoke.
'Damn devil of a woman. I'm not letting you drag me down like this!' He suddenly spun on his heel to face Viviana. He grinned. "You accuse me of cheating without evidence?"
Viviana's jaw clenched.
"Is this an excuse?" he asked.
"Meaning?"
Fernando shrugged. "Think about it. You use the excuse of me cheating to run into the pants of another man. Let's see…" His gaze diverted to Nikolas, gliding over his frame that was at least three inches taller if they were to stand side by side. He clicked his tongue. "Not bad. I can see why you're smitten with him. A hot man he is, I won't deny that. But, that's all there is to it, really."
Nikolas craned his head to the side and quietly watched as the human sputtered on like a parrot.
What was wrong with these people?
"He's a nobody at the end of the day," Fernando went on and on. "Where is your class, Viviana? Actually, you know what I think?"
He scoffed, "You're the one who cheated."
"What?" Viviana narrowed her eyes.
"Yes." He grinned from ear to ear. "If not, how could you just crash in here so abruptly with a loser like him?"