Old Williams saw Madam Montgomery's statement late in the night, and a spark of excitement ignited in his chest. He turned to where Adele was huddled in a corner of the sitting room, still crying her eyes out, while Lady Cecily patted her shoulder in a futile attempt at comfort, and disgust twisted his features. "Wipe those disgusting tears of yours and go prepare your best dress," he commanded, his voice cutting through her sobs. "We are going to see Devion tomorrow, and I am sure he will take you back." He said it with a confidence that felt unshakable.
Adele sniffled, her face puffy and stained with mascara. "How? He's blocked me everywhere already," she muttered, a fresh wave of tears spilling over.
"If you had kept your legs closed in the first place, this wouldn't have happened!" Old Williams spat, his disgust heavier.
Lady Cecily, unable to hold her tongue, muttered in her daughter's defense, "It's all Devion's fault. She's his fiancée, and he hardly gets intimate with her. How do you expect her to live?"
And suddenly, in a flash of pure rage, Old Williams snatched his crystal mug and hurled it in her direction. It shattered against the wall just inches from her head, spraying her with droplets of coffee. "Where did I find a daughter like you?" he roared. "Are you supposed to support her or correct her? I promise you, Cecily, if this fails, I will make you both pay for the losses you have caused this family!" With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving the two women in their shared despair.
"I would get Devion back, I promise," Adele whispered to her mom in between her tears, filled with great determination, and Lady Cecily, though unsure, hummed in acknowledgment.
The Montgomerys were very proud, and everyone knew, including old Williams himself, that this mistake couldn't be fixed; even if Devion eventually accepted Adele back, the family wouldn't, but of course they wouldn't easily give up such a lifelong fortune.
The following morning, Adele turned up in one of her most stunning outfits: a shimmering, body-fitting black gown with a long, daring slit up the leg, a dress Devion had once complimented her on. She had applied her makeup with a master's touch, the perfect blend of colors to accentuate her features without appearing desperate. She completed the look with elegant black heels and a matching purse. She looked chic, sophisticated, and every bit the supermodel she was. A fragile confidence settled over her; she was sure this would remind Devion of what he was throwing away. Together with her grandfather, they headed to Devion's company headquarters.
Lucky for them, they intercepted him just outside the towering glass building, before he could step into his car. He was saying something in a low, serious tone to Ethan, who was nodding intently. Devion noticed them as they approached, and his handsome face immediately contorted into a frown. "What are you both doing here?" he asked, his voice as cold as the morning air.
"It's a nice morning, Devion. Why don't we sit down for tea?" Old Williams said, forcing a wide, friendly smile, choosing to ignore the chill emanating from the younger man.
"What do you want?" Devion repeated, each word a shard of ice.
Old Williams's smile soured, but he pressed on. "I saw your grandmother's statement, and I couldn't stand the fact that you would be pressured. So I thought of it, and I realized, why don't you and Adele make peace and get married? You two love each other dearly, and she definitely wouldn't make the same mistake again." His words gave Ethan a hint of what exactly was going on, and he couldn't help but get curious for more.
Devion, on the other hand, sneered at the beautiful words, his lip curling in contempt. Then he dropped the bomb on them. "Sorry, but I love my things pure and untouched. And.. I am married." With that he turned to Ethan without another glance at their stunned faces. "Make sure they are thrown out and banned from ever stepping into these premises again."
Adele, who had been silent as her grandfather had instructed, broke down completely. "Devvy, please! I am sorry! Please, I beg you! I beg you!" She cried, her desperate sobs echoing in the plaza. But Devion's car window was already up, and the limousine drove right past them, the tires hissing on the asphalt. He didn't even seem to notice the dress she was wearing.
---
On the other hand, with Miller, she was carefully applying a soothing balm to the rose-pricked wounds on her legs, mentally preparing herself on how to tell Devion that she wants to drop the contract when Aunt Janet walked into the room. Miller froze immediately, her posture becoming submissive. "Good morning, Aunt Janet," she greeted, her head bowed.
Aunt Janet ignored the greeting. "You don't need to break the marriage any longer," she stated, her raspy voice devoid of emotion. "Fulfill your part of the deal. And if you can stay even longer, do it. But as soon as you notice the Montgomerys are looking into you or watching you too keenly, inform me immediately."
This sudden change of mind and the bizarre, specific rules confused Miller, but a lifetime of conditioning prevented her from questioning it aloud. "Yes, Aunt Janet," she replied obediently.
"Get dressed," Aunt Janet added, a final, clipped command.
Miller stood up and walked to her closet to get dressed, completely missing the slow, calculating smile that crept across Aunt Janet's disfigured face.
By 11:00 am that morning, the internet was in an uproar. A video of Adele and the William's old man begging Devion surfaced online, and not just that, Devion released a big, official statement confirming he was married, accompanied by a picture of his stamped marriage certificate. The document was authentic, but his wife's name was deliberately and perfectly blurred out. The public could immediately tell that Adele was not the wife because of the video and also if she were the one she would have flooded her social media with pictures. Instead, her accounts had remained hauntingly silent since the engagement was broken, a silence that only fueled the wildfire of curiosity. Everyone, from high society to the general public, was desperate to know the identity of the woman who had captured the most eligible bachelor in J city.
Since Devion was the first to get married, and in the astonishingly short span of twelve hours after his grandmother's decree, he had effectively ended the marital race of the Montgomery family before it even began, securing his claim to the Golden River Project. Yet, his victory only spawned more questions than it answered. The mystery of his bride was so complete that it seemed even the Montgomery family was in the dark, as they had issued no statement and offered no clues, leaving the world to speculate.