Chapter 6

Dean tenderly lifted Erin from the floor and comforted her in a low voice. "I promise to protect you and Amy from any harm."

With that, he glanced sidelong at Eliana and said to those behind him, "Take her away. She can come out when she realizes her mistake."

Eliana stood straight and gave a cold smile as she watched Dean's gentle demeanor. "I'm not wrong. You need to wake up, Dean."

Dean paused briefly. Then he left with Erin and Amy without looking back.

A bodyguard wanted to catch Eliana, but she shook him off disdainfully. "My brother will not let you go if he knows what you do to me."

She resisted fiercely, so she was knocked unconscious with a stick and carried away.

When she awoke, her head throbbed with a dull pain.

The room was pitch black, and there was only a small window with a sliver of light.

Before long, two men in black suits and masks escorted her to another room.

Eliana had heard rumors that Dean had a hidden place for punishing those who crossed him.

She had never imagined that she'd end up there.

Nor had she imagined that Dean could be so ruthless.

In just one day, she was tortured with harsh treatment, which left her mentally exhausted.

By the time she was thrown back into the small room, the sun had already set, plunging the space into darkness.

In the suffocating silence, she could only hear her own shallow breaths.

Soon, she heard some faint noise at the door.

She thought someone was bringing her food and was about to rise, only to feel greasy hands groping her thigh.

She instinctively kicked with all her might and hit the man below the belt.

Then, she removed her high heel and struck his face repeatedly.

His screams echoed in the room.

The guards outside had been conveniently sent away, so Eliana had a chance.

She searched the unconscious man's body for his phone, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and dialed a familiar number.

With that done, she kicked the man aside and collapsed on the floor.

Her clothes were already wet with sweat.

Due to the original wedding dress being ruined, Dean had to substitute it with Eliana's.

When Erin got out of the room in the wedding gown, Dean was absent-minded for a moment.

Eliana had designed the dress herself, and he had hired an expert from abroad to make it.

When it just arrived, Eliana had twirled excitedly before him in that dress.

Yet the bride wearing it was not Eliana now.

"Dean, what's wrong? You seem a bit upset," Erin remarked.

Dean shook his head. "I'm fine. It's just an uneasy feeling with my eyelid twitching incessantly."

Erin blinked at Amy.

Amy immediately hugged Dean's leg, and her voice was sweet. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll stay with you."

Dean absentmindedly patted her cheek.

As the wedding began, a wave of gasps spread through the crowd.

"Why are there so many luxury cars parked outside? Did Dean invite more guests?"

"Those license plates look familiar."

There was a stir among the guests. Dean frowned while looking at the rows of luxury cars.

In Bexwell, only a few could pull off such a spectacle.

He was certain he hadn't invited those people.

He said flatly, "Those aren't my guests. The wedding will proceed."

Just then, a woman's voice rang out, halting the ceremony. "I'm afraid the wedding needs to pause. You still owe me something."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows tightly as he saw Eliana. "Eliana, why are you here?"

Eliana chuckled softly. "Don't be too nervous. I just came to reclaim my wedding dress. After all, I never agreed to lend it to another woman."

The guests were all prominent figures in Bexwell that day.

They began whispering and pointing at Dean, which embarrassed Dean.

He quickly walked up to Eliana and coaxed her in a low voice. "It is my wedding with Erin. Could you please not cause a scene? You ruined Erin's dress, so isn't it fair for you to compensate her with another? Since you're not getting married today, you don't need this dress."

Before he could finish, another guy pulled Eliana into his arms. "Eliana is getting married. Her groom is me."

With a smug laugh, the man set off a burst of confetti, showering Dean with green streamers.