Chapter 2 Your Name Isn't On The List

For a brief moment, Shane paused, then a grin spread across his face. "Today is supposed to be Cole and your big day. Yet, you're asking me to marry you. Tell me, what's in it for me?"

"Wouldn't you like to help me shake up the Bennett family?" Evelyn responded.

The past between Shane and that family was never simple. People once called his mother Hank Bennett's mistress, and she had left the country while carrying him. She raised him alone until he turned eighteen, and then she chose to end her life.

Only after Shane built a name for himself overseas did the Bennetts bring him back. Cole, his half-brother, never hid his disdain for him, and the tension between them had always been impossible to ignore. Even within the family, Shane stood apart.

A faint edge crept into Shane's expression as he studied her. "So this is you trying to make use of me?"

A small smile touched Evelyn's lips. "That's not how I see it. We both get something out of this."

When he didn't respond right away, she stepped back as if she had already made up her mind. "If it doesn't interest you, then we'll leave it at that."

She turned to walk away, but before she could take more than a step, the Ferrari backed up and stopped right beside her again.

In the next instant, Shane pushed the door open, stepped out, and lifted her to his chest.

Caught off guard, Evelyn reached up and grabbed onto his shoulders. "What are you doing?"

Looking down at her, Shane let out a low chuckle, amusement clear in his eyes. "I'm taking you to your wedding. Let's go make things interesting for the Bennetts."

Not long after, his striking red Ferrari came to a stop outside the lawn where the ceremony was set to take place.

Standing by the entrance, the guards looked toward Shane's car with clear disapproval. "Shane, this is Cole's wedding today. Your name isn't on the list. You can't enter."

A knowing smile tugged at Shane's lips as he glanced at Evelyn. "Keep a firm hold."

Without thinking, Evelyn tightened her grip on the seatbelt, and right after that, the Ferrari's engine roared to life.

Caught off guard by the sudden burst of sound, the guards who had been standing in their way flinched and hurriedly stepped aside.

In the blink of an eye, the car surged forward like a streak of red, heading straight for a wedding display.

A loud crash followed as the wedding display was knocked aside.

Screams broke out all at once.

The unexpected scene threw the guests into confusion, and people scrambled to their feet, all eyes turning toward the entrance in shock.

With precise control, the Ferrari spun into a sharp drift and came to a stop at an angle right before the flower arch.

Once the people present recognized who sat inside, murmurs quickly spread through the venue.

"Has Shane lost his mind? What is he doing here?"

"Look at the passenger seat. Isn't that the bride? Why is she with Hank's illegitimate son?"

A hushed voice cut through the noise nearby. "Watch what you're saying. When he returned, he stirred up enough trouble already. If he hears you call him that, you're asking for trouble."

Sharon Bennett, Cole's mother, was rattled by the sudden crash. Her face turned pale when she recognized the person behind the wheel. "This is Cole's wedding. Who gave you the right to come here and make a scene?"

Leaning casually against the car door, Evelyn rested her chin in her palm and looked toward the stage with a faint smile. "Things have changed. The man I'm marrying now is Shane."

Her words sent the entire venue into chaos.

"Has she lost her mind? She really thinks she can just switch grooms and end up with Shane?"

"She's barely acknowledged by the Fowler family. They didn't even bother showing up today. They're off celebrating their adopted daughter instead. If that girl hadn't already been promised to someone else, Evelyn wouldn't even be standing here."

"Shane's never cared about women. He probably only brought her here out of sympathy. Look at her, acting all high and mighty!"

Sharon's voice rose sharply as she pointed at Evelyn. "What makes you think Shane would ever choose you?"

Turning his attention to Shane, Hank spoke with clear authority. "This is Cole's wedding. You've made your point. That's enough."

With one arm resting lazily along the car door, Shane didn't look bothered at all. "I don't see anything wrong with what's happening."

Shock rippled through the crowd, and a wave of gasps followed.

What Shane said made it clear enough. He wasn't denying anything, which meant Evelyn hadn't been bluffing. A man like him was actually stepping in to marry her.

The color drained from Sharon's face, and her vision blurred. "Hank! He's clearly doing this to sabotage Cole's wedding. That-"

Before she could go on, Shane cast her a cold look, and the rest of her words caught in her throat. Heat rushed to her face, and she fell silent.

"That's enough," Hank said as he cut her off, his tone heavy while he faced Shane. "You should leave."

A faint smile appeared on Shane's lips, but there was no warmth behind it. "Seems like working with Crown Company doesn't interest you anymore."

That single remark was enough to choke off Hank's anger, leaving him unable to respond.

Since his return, Shane had taken control of the Bennett Group and pushed it to the top in Slomery without relying on anyone.

No one in that circle could afford to cross him now.

Hank clenched his jaw before speaking again. "Since you're already here, then the ceremony will proceed."

"What?" Sharon turned to him in disbelief. "You're just going to let this happen?"

When Hank avoided her eyes, her expression twisted with anger. The moment she looked at Evelyn again, her gaze sharpened with resentment. She couldn't accept that Evelyn refused to resign herself to her fate and instead chose to stand here with Shane, making a spectacle of them all.

"Evelyn, don't even think about going through with this!" Sharon shouted at her.

Sharon had already figured out that Cole had left, and she counted on Evelyn's usual compliance. She planned to pin everything on her once she arrived.

What she never expected was for Evelyn to stand her ground and turn the situation against them in front of everyone.

A faint tilt of her head accompanied Evelyn's calm smile. "Why not call Cole and ask him yourself? If he's willing to come back, he can still take his place as the groom."