165\u2013The Bride\u2019s Arrival\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeline:\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was difficult for me to accept, but ever since Yuvonne had been stabbed the other day, Baxter had not come to see me or tried to contact me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I understood then that he was taking his engagement seriously, and I had been foolish to have second thoughts about marrying Elgin to protect my children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I forced myself to push every thought of him out of my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I moved forward, I noticed Graham and Kaylee standing near the side of the garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment Kaylee saw me, her expression tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at me with clear disdain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her light\u2013colored dress and her hair tied in a bun, with loose strands framing her face, looked good on her, but her confidence seemed dim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I guessed it was because of the way Graham looked from her to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was obvious he had been staring at me with admiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaylee noticed it as well. Her lips pressed tighter, and her eyes narrowed slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw Graham trying to approach me, but I walked past them without stopping, moving toward the other side of the garden where other guests stood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The music softened, and the chatter grew louder. It was time for the bride and groom to arrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened when I turned around and saw Yuvonne and Baxter walk into the garden through the\u00a0<\/p>\n
passage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wore a beautiful purple gown that caught the light easily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter walked beside her in a light blue suit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sight made something heavy settle inside me, and I could not ignore how uneasy I felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched Baxter and Yuvonne step farther into the garden, and I felt his eyes land on mine almost instantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a brief pause in his body language before he continued walking, but his stare held mine in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was something deep in it, and it made something warm and painful rise in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to hold his gaze for a moment, but the sight of his hand wrapped around Yuvonne\u2019s arm forced me to look\u00a0<\/p>\n
away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lowered my eyes and breathed out slowly, hoping it would calm the pain running through me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I looked up again, I noticed how Yuvonne was clinging to his arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her fingers curled around his sleeve as if she believed someone might come after her again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She kept a soft smile on her face, but her grip on him stayed firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter glanced down at her and tapped the back of her hand gently, a small gesture to show her she was safe with\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
105 The Bride & Arrival\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The simple touch made my throat tighten. I reached out and took a glass of wine from a passing server.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I murmured quietly as I lifted the glass to my lips, hoping it would distract me even a little.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind the couple were their parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His mother, Eugenia, looked around the garden with a stiff expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had not followed the theme properly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wore a black and white dress, and the colors made her stand out sharply among the bright decorations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She did not smile. She examined the arrangements with a calm but distant stare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though I knew she had ordered the engagement and helped plan the setting, the way she looked around, unimpressed, made it clear she expected everything to be perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the mother of an alpha. She knew nobody would dare comment on her behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind Eugenia were my father and my stepmother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stepmother walked in a bright pink gown, smiling widely as she held my father\u2019s arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wore a gray suit and nodded politely at the people around him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They both looked proud of their daughter for getting an alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That much was obvious. But not once did my father look at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched him for several seconds, waiting for even a single glance, but he did not raise his head in my\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something inside me weakened even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew he would never have been this happy for me if it had been my engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything around me felt heavier for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mate was getting engaged. My best friends were distant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father did not want to acknowledge me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest tightened, and my wolf pushed hard inside me, letting out silent howls because our mate was with someone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew the mate bond would make tonight painful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter and Yuvonne stepped onto the raised platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The music grew louder for a moment, then faded away as the hall quieted down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eugenia stepped forward gracefully, moving with the calm confidence of someone who liked being watched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She picked up the microphone, lifting her chin slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her movements were slow and elegant, almost like she had practiced for this day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She glanced at the guests before her eyes landed on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
165\u2013The Bride\u2019s Arrival\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
A smirk appeared on her lips, almost like a challenge, or a reminder that I was still standing here alone, even after\u00a0<\/p>\n
so many years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is a special day,\u201d she announced, her voice carrying across the garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She paused as she tightened her grip on the microphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy only son is getting engaged. I hope this day brings them a peaceful future. I hope everything goes well for them from here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She finished with a smile that did not reach her\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you\u00a0<\/p>\n
P\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby\u2019s writing style is bold and irresistible\u2014perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.<\/p>\n
165\u2013The Bride\u2019s Arrival\u00a0 Madeline:\u00a0 It was difficult for me to accept, but ever since Yuvonne had been stabbed the other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19366,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165\/revisions\/19366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}