PART 2: The Groom’s Realization
The string quartet faltered, the beautiful classical melody screeching to an agonizing halt.
The silence that followed was deafening. The only sound was the gentle rustling of the wind through
the white roses and the soft footsteps of my three sons as they stood obediently by my side.
From the altar, Victoria Bennett, the beautiful, young, and politically connected bride, strained her neck to see what was ruining her perfect moment. Her smile had completely vanished, replaced by a deep scowl of confusion.
Then, the crowd parted.
Ryan Montgomery pushed his way through his wealthy guests. He looked exactly as I remembered—tall, impeccably groomed, with that same arrogant jawline.
At first, his eyes locked onto me. I could see the breath knock out of his chest. He was expecting the shattered, exhausted woman he had discarded five years ago. He wasn't expecting the woman
standing before him now—radiant, dripping in custom emerald silk, and radiating a dangerous amount of power.
But his shock at seeing me was nothing compared to what happened next.
His gaze drifted downward.
To Mason. To Ethan. To Luke.
Three little boys looking up at him with the exact same striking gray eyes he saw in the mirror every morning. The exact same wavy dark hair. The exact same strong Montgomery brow.
Ryan stopped dead in his tracks. The color completely drained from his face, leaving him looking like a ghost.
"Olivia..." he breathed out, his voice trembling in a way I had never heard before. He took a shaky step forward, his eyes darting wildly between the three boys. "Are... are they...?"
"Don't you dare take another step toward my children," I said. My voice wasn't loud, but in that dead-silent courtyard, it carried like a gunshot.
"Ryan, what is going on?!" Victoria shrieked from the altar, finally lifting her heavy designer skirts and stomping down the aisle. Her father, the prominent U.S. Senator, was already whispering furiously to
his aides, his face turning a dangerous shade of red.
Suddenly, Eleanor Montgomery broke through the crowd, her face twisted in absolute fury. Her shattered champagne glass lay forgotten on the marble.
"Security!" Eleanor screamed, her aristocratic composure completely destroyed. "Get this gold-digging trash out of my sight! How dare you bring hired child actors to my son's wedding to cause a scene!"
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I didn't flinch. I just smiled.
"Actors?" I repeated, my tone dripping with icy amusement. I reached into my emerald clutch and pulled out a pristine, thick white envelope. "I actually came to deliver a wedding gift."
