Chapter 4 Are These Love Bites

Color drained from Oliver's face as he felt the weight of every skeptical, mocking stare in the room. At that moment, he would have given anything to disappear.

Even so, he managed to grit out a protest, voice brimming with frustration. "Are you finished with this charade? We settled everything before today. Why are you turning the wedding into a circus?"

Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the Harvey family.

"Kiera calls herself a diplomat? She's acting like a spoiled child, not a professional!"

"Can't she solve her problem in private? Does she have to make it a public scandal?"

"Now it makes sense why her parents are nowhere to be seen. They probably knew she'd embarrass the entire family."

None of their words fazed Kiera. Instead, she sent Oliver a cool, knowing smile.

He felt his last bit of hope slip away.

A moment later, Kiera raised her hands and clapped.

All eyes turned as the screen behind them flickered to life.

Footage appeared-Oliver, playing with himself, repeatedly calling out for his fiancee's sister. "Danna... Danna..."

The entire room froze in disbelief.

All those Harvey relatives who had just moments before demanded Kiera be punished fell abruptly silent, their outrage evaporating in an instant.

A heavy, stunned hush settled over the venue as every pair of eyes turned to the screen.

Danna, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, blanched at the sight. She was going to marry into the influential Ward family; the last thing she needed was to be caught in such a scandal.

She'd flirted with Oliver just to get under Kiera's skin, never once imagining he'd be foolish enough to leave behind damning proof.

Tears welled in Danna's eyes, glimmering on the brink of falling.

"Oliver, I always treated you with respect. I never realized you harbored such inappropriate feelings for me!" she cried out, her voice trembling. Turning to Kiera, she added, "I'm sorry, Kiera. Oliver approached me more than once, but I didn't want to ruin your relationship, so I tried to stay away..."

With that, Danna effortlessly cast herself as the innocent party-victimized, blameless, and entirely above reproach.

Oliver could only stare in shock, his hope fading as Danna's accusations landed squarely on his shoulders.

A cold wave of dread washed over him, the weight of the scandal and its consequences finally sinking in.

Danna, however, wasn't ready to accept defeat. Kiera's bold reveal had thrown her carefully laid plans into disarray, but she refused to let the chaos end here.

Quickly composing herself, Danna crafted a fresh strategy in the back of her mind.

Feigning devastation, she took unsteady steps toward Kiera, eyes glistening with manufactured sorrow.

Kiera's reflexes kicked in, and she reached out to steady Danna. In that brief moment, Danna artfully shifted her wedding dress, exposing a series of vivid red marks on her otherwise flawless skin.

Oliver's face went pale as he stared at the marks, his finger trembling as he pointed accusingly at Kiera. "Kiera! Are these love bites? You told me no intimacy before marriage, so how do you explain this?"

Every guest in the hall recognized the meaning behind those marks-no one needed an explanation.

No one had thought that a wedding already mismatched in status would end with both the bride and groom being unfaithful.

The crowd erupted in fresh shock, the sound of cameras clicking rising to a frantic pitch as everyone tried to capture the unfolding scandal.

With her head bowed just enough to hide her expression, Danna allowed herself a secret, victorious smile. Satisfaction coursed through her veins like never before.

She had spent a lifetime living in Kiera's shadow.

Kiera had always been the one everyone admired-the accomplished diplomat, the glowing pride of the Miller family, destined to inherit everything.

Meanwhile, Danna was continually outshone, never truly winning their father's approval.

How could two women share a family name but live such wildly different lives? Danna refused to accept the injustice.

Now, watching Kiera frozen under the relentless barrage of camera flashes, unable to retreat, Danna felt exhilaration bubbling inside her.

This was the moment she had carefully plotted, the day she would finally pull Kiera down and shatter the flawless reputation that had always overshadowed her own.

Confronted with the chaos, Kiera felt her stomach drop. She gathered herself swiftly, refusing to let panic take root.

If disaster had already struck, she needed to take control-whatever it took.

Oliver, eyes wild with rage, fixated on the marks Danna had exposed. He spat his accusations for all to hear. "Bitch! Always acting out of reach, keeping me at arm's length, and all along you were sneaking around behind my back!"

Before he could spew another insult, Kiera's patience snapped. She landed a sharp, well-placed kick that sent Oliver to the floor, clutching his side and cursing her through clenched teeth.

Kiera stared down at him, her voice like ice. "Maybe I should have torn your mouth apart yesterday."

A group of journalists surged closer, energized by scandal. Microphones and cameras jostled in her face as questions flew.

"Miss Miller, is it true both you and Mr. Harvey were unfaithful?"

"Will this affect your diplomatic reputation?"

"Sources say you've been disowned by your family and forced to seek protection from wealthy backers. Is there any truth to these rumors?"

Kiera faced the group of reporters, her eyes steady as microphones and cameras crowded in from every direction.

These were the same media outlets that once celebrated her every accomplishment. Now they were eager to tear her down.

Even as the scandal swirled and the pressure mounted, Kiera refused to flinch. Calm radiated from her.

Lifting her chin, she offered the crowd that signature poised smile, the same one that had once captivated the world and earned her a diplomat's respect.