Chapter 7
Stepping out of the courthouse, Shea stared at the marriage certificate in her hand, her mind blank with disbelief.
She had actually gotten married on a whim to a man she barely knew.
It was truly unbelievable!
“Well, I guess this means I’m officially cut off from the Carrington family,” she murmured softly.
Her gaze drifted to the photo on the marriage certificate, and the memory from moments ago inside the courthouse replayed vividly in her mind.
The brief, soft brush of lips. A sudden rush that spread from her mouth through her entire body.
That had been her first kiss.
“A man’s lips are soft, too…” Shea mumbled under her breath.
However, a few seconds later, realization hit, and her face flushed scarlet.
What on earth was she thinking?
“If you squeeze any harder, we might have to apply for another marriage certificate.” Hansen’s voice came out of nowhere, making her jump. Shea turned her head around and gasped.
“When did you get here? How much did you hear?”
When they’d left the courthouse, Hansen had said he’d forgotten something and told her to wait in
the car. She must’ve been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice him getting in.
He… he couldn’t have heard that last bit she’d mumbled, right?
“What do you think, Shea?”
Hansen chuckled softly, tilting his head as he countered her question.
His eyes caught her flushed face, and Shea felt instantly overwhelmed.
Hansen was just far too skilled!
She wasn’t even in the same league.
Although she’d been in a relationship before, that jerk Lance had always been distant and full of himself.
He was nothing like Hansen, who flirted so effortlessly it was almost unfair.
“Damn it, if this keeps up, he’s going to have me completely wrapped around his finger,” she thought to herself.
Shea bit her lip in frustration.
She had to fight back. She needed to turn the tables.
That was the plan, but in reality, Shea had absolutely no experience, and her mind went blank trying to come up with a witty response.
The sudden ring of her phone broke through Shea’s thoughts, snapping her out of her daze.
It was Nora Warren, her best friend.
At once, the phone felt almost hot in her hand.
She knew, without a doubt, that Nora was calling about her wedding.
Because of the recent flight cancellations caused by bad weather, Nora hadn’t been able to make it back in time for the ceremony.
Shea knew Nora was probably calling to send her blessings, yet she found herself at a loss for
words.
Still, ignoring the call wasn’t an option. If she didn’t answer, Nora would assume something had
gone wrong and start calling everyone she knew until she got an answer.
With a sigh, Shea reluctantly answered the phone.
“Hello.”
“Shea! Did that jerk Lance hurt you so badly that you actually canceled the wedding?”
The moment the call connected, Nora’s frantic voice exploded through the phone.
Hearing what Nora said, Shea froze. “What’s this about the wedding being canceled? Where did you hear that?”
“You’re still trying to hide it from me?” Nora snapped. “Lance posted about it himself! He said you two had a little disagreement and that you, out of spite, decided to stage a public proposal at the wedding, so he had to cancel it temporarily. What a load of crap! I may not know him, but I know you. He must’ve done something awful to make you react like that!”
A gentle warmth spread through Shea’s heart as Nora passionately stood up for her.
At the same time, she felt utterly repulsed by Lance’s words.
She didn’t need to be a genius to know that he had thrown her under the bus just to protect the Grant family’s reputation.
He was making it seem like she was the childish one throwing a tantrum.
“What if Lance was telling the truth?” Shea said.
“Impossible!” Nora snapped without hesitation. “Shea, we’ve known each other for years. I know exactly what kind of person you are. There’s no way you’d ever do something so reckless!”
Shea’s eyes burned, and she almost burst into tears.
Chopter 7
The parents who had raised her for over 20 years didn’t believe her.
The boyfriend she had loved for so many years didn’t believe her.
Only Nora believed in her unwaveringly.
Come on, this was your dream wedding! You planned every single detail yourself, down to the flowers and the wine. There’s no way you’d call it off over some petty argument. Lance must have done something truly outrageous, something that crossed your line and left you completely
disheartened!”
Nora said.
Shea was deeply moved that Nora was standing up for her, but the phone was on speaker.
Which meant Hansen, sitting right beside her, heard every word Nora had said.
She watched as his expression grew darker by the second.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Shea swallowed hard and hurried to steer the conversation away before
Nora could start spilling details about her and Lance.
“Nora, the reason I suggested finding a husband in public at the wedding was because Lance didn’t even show up. He was too busy keeping Aria company.”
“What?”
Nora completely lost it on the other end of the line. She wished she could sprout wings and fly home that instant just to beat the crap out of that bastard Lance, and Aria too.
That cheating scumbag and that shameless woman!
“So you actually went and found yourself a husband right there?”
“Yeah.”
At Shea’s calm reply, Nora panicked. “Shea, I know you’re furious, but don’t do anything rash!”
“I’m not…”
“If you’re looking for a man, wait for me to get back. I’ll show up with a car full of good-looking guys, from around here and abroad, and you can choose whoever you want.”
From the driver’s seat, Hansen let out a quiet, mocking laugh but said nothing.
Shea, on the other hand, was starting to sweat.
Nora really needed to stop talking right now.
