Chapter 1
The vast terminal at the airport was empty at this hour, save for a large group of men in black suits standing before the security line, all on high alert.
Inside the VIP lounge, several well-dressed men held financial newspapers in their hands, but none of them were actually reading.
One of them glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist, then put down the magazine and stood up. “It’s about time.”
The others quickly followed, straightening their clothes.
“This is Mr. Grant’s first visit to Ulta! We can’t afford to make any mistakes,” the leading man said sternly.
To welcome the president, they had sealed off the entire airport. Even the surrounding streets and several public venues were closed.
If any of Ulta’s social elites had been there, they would have been surprised. Any one of these men could cause a stir in the city, yet now, all of them were gathered just to welcome one man.
Just as they were about to hea
Grant has left!”
out, a bespectacled assistant in a suit rushed in. “Mr. Woodard, Mr.
The mayor, Cassius Woodard, frowned. “What do you mean?”
The assistant replied, “His private jet didn’t land here. It went to another private airstrip instead. After landing, Mr. Grant went straight to see the Carrington family.”
The Carrington family?
Which Carrington family?
It wasn’t surprising that none of them knew who the Carringtons were. The Carrington family might be of a decent status in Ulta, but it still fell short of the truly powerful elite.
Cassius ordered at once, “Find out everything about this Carrington family.”
“Yes, sir,” the assistant said.
At that moment, in the dressing room of the Carrington residence, Shea Carrington sat before the vanity mirror in her elegant wedding gown. This was supposed to be her happiest day, but there wasn’t a trace of joy on her face.
The wedding was about to begin, but the groom had yet to arrive.
At that moment, her phone on the vanity table chimed with a notification.
Shea picked it up and saw that it was a video from Aria Carrington.
She frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment before pressing play.
The background looked like a hospital room. Aria’s face wasn’t visible, but the camera captured a man sitting by a hospital bed, peeling an apple.
Aria’s voice could be heard. “Lance, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault for suddenly falling sick and
troubling you to take care of me.”
Lance looked up with a gentle smile. “You’re what matters most.”
Aria said, “But your wedding with my sister…”
His hands paused mid-motion. Then, with an indifferent tone, he said, “It’s fine. I never wanted to marry her anyway.”
The video ended there, and Shea’s expression turned deathly pale.
The man in the video was the groom who hadn’t shown up. It was her fiance, Lance Grant.
Shea knew Aria had done it on purpose.
Fighting back her tears, she called her parents.
The call connected quickly, but unlike their usual gentle tone, Justin Carrington and Suzanne Quinn’s voices were cold and distant.
“Shea, love can’t be forced. Lance truly loves Aria, so you should step aside.”
Shea froze as she sobbed, hardly believing what she was hearing.
The wedding was already underway, and the guests were all there, but they wanted her to step
aside?
She protested, “Mom, Dad, you-”
Justin cut her off. “It’s settled. The ceremony hasn’t started yet, so it’s not too late to cancel.”
Right after that, Justin hung up on her.
Shea stared at her phone, stunned.
Ever since they learned that she and Aria had been switched at birth, they have begun to treat her
coldly.
Still, she had clung to the hope that after so many years of living together, there had to be some
affection between them.
But she had never expected them to treat her like this.
“Ms. Carrington, the ceremony is about to begin. The groom…” The officiant came in with an uncertain expression.
Shea turned toward him and took a deep breath. Then, she said firmly, “The wedding will go on.”
She wiped her tears, stood up, and lifted her gown as she walked out.
The officiant stared with a surprised look as Shea pushed open the doors to the grand hall and
walked forward.
The guests looked up in surprise as the bride suddenly appeared alone. Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Shea walked straight to the stage and picked up the microphone, causing the crowd to fall silent.
She spoke with a slow and steady tone. “Thank you all for taking the time to attend my wedding Unfortunately, the groom couldn’t make it.”
Gasps and murmurs spread across the hall.
Shea forced herself to remain calm as she looked at the audience. “Now, whoever is willing to step up and marry me will be my groom.”
It was a wild thought, but she didn’t regret it.
Neither the Carrington family nor Lance cared about her, so why should she obey them?
But after she said that, not a single guest moved.
Everyone knew about the Carrington and Grant families, so who would dare to get involved?
No one wanted to invite trouble.
Shea hadn’t expected such a reaction. Standing alone on the stage, she felt every gaze fixed on her, as if she was a joke.
Her knuckles whitened as she bit her lip, fighting the urge to run.
Just as she was about to say something, the doors opened once more.
A tall, striking man stepped into view, and Shea was caught off guard as she met his deep gaze. “I’ll marry you,” he said.
