Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: The Mistress in Silver
The word spread through the hall before anyone said it aloud.Mistress.Olivia looked at Samantha.“How long?” she asked.Samantha glanced at Ryan. He looked furious, not ashamed.“Six months,” Samantha said.Olivia closed her eyes.The entire wedding hall seemed to tilt.Ryan rushed toward her. “Olivia, listen. She’s lying because she wants money.”Samantha snapped, “You promised me money.”The guests gasped again.Ryan’s perfect image cracked piece by piece.Samantha reached into her silver clutch and pulled out her phone.“You told me you would marry Olivia, get access to her family’s hotel contracts, and then leave within a year,” Samantha said. “You said her father would rather pay you than face a scandal.”Ryan’s mother whispered, “No…”But even then, Margaret’s first instinct was not to protect Olivia or Lily.It was to protect Ryan.“This woman is making things up,” Margaret said loudly. “My son would never—”Olivia turned to her.“Your son just framed a seven-year-old on camera.”Margaret fell silent.Samantha unlocked her phone and handed it to Thomas.“There are messages,” she said. “Payments too. He still owes people money.”Ryan lunged as if to grab the phone, but Charles caught his arm.For once, Charles looked afraid of his son.Not because Ryan had done wrong.Because everyone had seen it.Emily covered Lily’s ears, but her daughter was already calmer. Not happy. Not healed. But no longer alone.Olivia walked toward Lily and knelt in front of her.“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.Lily looked at her through wet lashes.“I didn’t ruin your wedding.”Olivia’s eyes filled with tears.“No, sweetheart,” she said. “You saved me from it.”
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