Chapter 3 A Tryst

As she stood helplessly on the stage, Queenie finally realized that something was wrong. Ivan had been pretending the entire wedding. The man she married did not care about her at all. She saw now that his mind had been elsewhere throughout the ceremony.

Queenie knew she had to get to the bottom of this. She gestured stealthily to Ashley, one of the bodyguards, and said something to her. Ashley nodded and left.

She returned a few minutes later. "Ma'am, I can't find him."

"What?" The suspicion and dread that had been eating away at Queenie's insides surged onto her face, clouding her beautiful features.

She could hardly believe it. How was it possible for the bridegroom to vanish into thin air during a wedding, and without anyone noticing? It didn't seem possible.

Queenie sat heavily in a chair another bodyguard had helpfully brought her as she tried to make sense of the situation. She sat in silence, her shapely eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown. But she wasn't the type to sit around and wait for someone to save her. A minute later, she rose majestically from her chair and walked down the steps with her chin held high. She called for a glass of champagne and lifted it in a toast with the guests.

Queenie smiled brightly. It was a dazzling smile that radiated pure joy and happiness.

She knew her smile had the effect of charming everyone who saw it, and she used it now as a weapon.

She had to distract the guests and keep them from noticing Ivan's absence. If they discovered that the groom had disappeared before the wedding was over, they would never let the Dong and Han families live it down. The wedding would be the laughingstock of the entire city. She had to remain calm and keep her wits about her. It was up to her now to see the banquet through to the end.

The reputations of the Dong and Han families rested upon her shoulders, and she wasn't about to let them down.

"Hello, I'm so glad to see all of you here tonight." Queenie lifted her glass in a toast to the guests and smiled her sweet, charming smile. The guests burst into approving cheers, and began to congratulate Mr. Han on the latest addition to the Han family.

Mr. Han grinned from ear to ear. It pleased him to hear his guests praise his new daughter-in-law.

With her champagne glass in hand, Queenie flitted gracefully to every table in the hall like a pretty butterfly, winning the heart of everyone she met with her charming smile and elegant manners.

A few of the guests had been snickering behind their hands when they noticed the groom had disappeared, but Queenie's stunning display of grace and charm shut them up. It was impossible not to be won over by her smile and lively spirit.

Queenie's smile was infectious, and soon the entire banquet hall was full of merry laughter. No one tried to ask about the missing groom. It was an insensitive question at best, and downright rude at worst.

The guests jostled to bask in the presence of the lovely bride. They were having such a good time it was clear that no one would remember the missing groom by the end of the party.

It seemed like an eternity before Queenie finally found a quiet moment to rest and have a drink of water. She let out a sigh of relief. She had succeeded in saving the wedding.

There was a moment of silence as she considered what had happened, and what it would mean for her future.

Ashley hurried over. "Ma'am, everything is ready."

Queenie listened to Ashley's report with steely determination in her eyes. Ivan had forced her hand. There would be no regrets. She nodded.

Just then, Rainy Dong called out to Queenie, her elder sister, in a loud, obnoxious voice.

"Oh my God, look at your makeup! What a mess! You should fix it. I hope you haven't been mingling with the guests looking like that." Her voice dripped with exaggerated concern.

Queenie smiled, but said nothing to that.

Rainy Dong fumed to herself when she saw that Queenie hadn't taken the bait.

She decided to try something else. "Queenie, I'm impressed. It's your big day, and yet here you are, working yourself to the bone to cover for your husband. What was my brother-in-law thinking? He should have known better than to disappear during the wedding. You must be so worried."

Rainy Dong smirked. She was certain she had landed a hit on her sister's only sore spot. She had expected to see Queenie's expression of serene benevolence dissolve into an ugly scowl, but Queenie merely looked at her with complete indifference.

Rainy Dong's face darkened. Queenie's calm composure made her look like a ridiculous clown in comparison.

"Only a complete scumbag would run out of his own wedding and leave his bride behind. What's next? I bet he's going to divorce you the next time he sees you." Rainy Dong put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes dramatically.

Once again, Queenie smiled her confident, self-assured smile and said nothing. Deep down, Rainy Dong's biting remarks were beginning to annoy her, but she knew better than to let it show. She had to pretend that she didn't care. It would be fatal for her to show any sign of weakness.

The lack of any kind of response from Queenie grated on Rainy Dong's nerves. She forced a smile, and walked off to nurse her injured pride.

"Baby, open up. It's me." Inside the extravagant presidential suite, a woman in a silk robe sat on the bed, leaning comfortably into the luxurious pillows.

She was waiting for someone. Her eyes lit up at the sudden knock on the door and the masculine voice that followed. She quickly fluffed her hair, cast off her silk robe, and adjusted her silk lingerie to reveal more of her ample bosom.

As soon as she was sure she was ready, she said, "Coming."

Isabel Tang rose from the bed and opened the door for the man she had been thinking of the entire day. Ivan stood before her in a suit, looking devastatingly handsome as always. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and picked her up.

"What took you so long?" Isabel Tang draped her arms around Ivan's neck and began planting butterfly kisses on her lover's face. When she reached his earlobe, she nibbled on it seductively.

"Baby, I've missed you so much." Ivan returned her feathery kisses with a hungry kiss on her lips.

Her gaze fell upon the flower on his lapel. She said softly, "It's your big day today, isn't it? I didn't think you'd come." Her voice was gentle, yet seductive.

"I don't care about the wedding. Baby, you're all I want. You know that." Ivan dropped her on the bed and eagerly removed his suit.

He had been dying to get out of the uncomfortable suit the entire evening. He plucked the flower from his lapel and tossed it with his suit to the floor. Out of sight, out of mind. He wanted to forget all about the wedding and focus on the woman lying before him on the bed. Isabel Tang was his one and only love, the woman he couldn't stop thinking about during his waking moments.

Isabel Tang arranged herself seductively on the bed with a come-hither look on her face. The intense desire in her eyes sent an electrifying jolt through Ivan.

It was too much for him. He tore off the rest of his clothes, unable to contain his excitement. He had promised her weeks ago that he would see her tonight. He had been distracted throughout the wedding with thoughts of Isabel Tang and all the "fun" he would be having with her.

The last of Ivan's inhibitions fell away at the sight of her beautiful face and voluptuous curves waiting for him on the bed. He could no longer think straight.

Like a ravenous tiger, he threw himself onto the bed and pinned Isabel Tang down with his body.

Just as he was about to devour her lips, the door slammed against its frame, as though someone outside had tried to kick it down. There was the sudden clamor of reporters shouting questions and the unmistakable clicks of camera shutters beyond the door.

Ivan and Isabel Tang froze. The lust coursing through their veins vanished, replaced by feelings of shock and dread. They stared blankly at the door. It was several seconds before Ivan finally came to his senses.

He realized with sudden horror that he had forgotten to lock the door.