Chapter 5 Let's Finish The Ceremony

Anna held her place on stage, casting a sharp, icy gaze down at Ivy. Beneath her cool expression, a trace of sly satisfaction flickered in her smile.

Once she had discovered that Owen was the key to her three-billion-dollar mission, everything about her original plan shifted.

Today, she intended to play the part of a simpleton, giving the Whites no choice but to call off the wedding and drag the entire Russell family down with her.

Suddenly, party poppers exploded with a cheerful crack.

A cascade of gold confetti sparkled through the air, turning the hall into a scene straight out of a fairy tale. Anna wasted no time, circling Owen's wheelchair with wide, excited eyes, clapping and laughing like a carefree child. "Look! So many sparkles! It's so pretty!"

Down in the audience, Gregg White, Owen's grandfather, shot to his feet, his face tight with confusion as he stared at the stage. "What is happening up there?"

Noticing Anna's outburst, Wesley Jones, a friend of Owen's, quickly moved to look closer.

Owen, however, gave him a subtle look, and Wesley instantly pivoted to support Gregg. "Let's not cause a scene, Gregg. The ceremony isn't over yet. Every prominent family in Aresrora is watching-let's wait until after the wedding to talk."

Despite the intervention, whispers rippled through the crowd.

"Is it just me, or does the bride seem a little off?"

"Didn't the Russell family have a daughter who lost her wits after that accident? I wonder if she's the one."

"Are you kidding me?" A woman's voice rose above the crowd, sharp with disbelief. "The Russell family actually handed a simpleton over to Owen White? Are they out of their minds?"

"It's because Owen-" The man faltered. Whatever he was about to say withered on his tongue. He didn't dare voice the rumor hanging in the air-that Owen wouldn't be around much longer.

Their eyes met for a beat. No one said another word. The silence spoke for them.

A quiet thrill curled through Ivy as she studied the way Anna carried herself.

People had already passed the story along, and every pair of eyes now understood that Owen White had taken a simpleton bride.

Life at the White household would never fall in Anna's favor, not after she made a scene like that.

Without warning, Owen caught Anna's wrist and guided her against his chest with enough strength to show he meant it.

Down below, Ivy watched him draw Anna close, her gaze fixed on the stage as excitement stirred beneath her cool expression.

"Owen! Go on. Turn your fury on her. Break her spirit until nothing is left," Ivy thought to herself.

Settled on Owen's lap, Anna lifted her eyes toward him with a look that almost pleaded for an answer.

He ought to be furious enough to call off their wedding.

Instead, what she found was a gentle smile softening his features.

From inside his jacket, he pulled out a folded handkerchief and brushed it tenderly across her damp forehead. His voice dropped to something warm. "Do you want to see the fireworks tonight? Once the ceremony ends, I'll take you to watch them with me, alright?"

Anna's mind went blank for a moment as she was caught off guard by Owen's response. She simply nodded, lost for words.

Owen's gaze softened, a genuine warmth flickering in his eyes. "That's settled, then. Let's finish the ceremony."

What on earth was going through his mind?

She had convinced everyone that she was a fool, yet Owen still insisted on marrying her as if nothing was amiss.

Ivy's frustration reached a boiling point. Her fingers curled so tightly around her own hand she nearly drew blood.

How could this be happening?

Owen was fully aware Anna was a simpleton, yet he continued to show her nothing but patience and care.

"Just you wait, Anna," Ivy hissed under her breath, malice twisting her lips. "There's no way the White family will let this stand. I hope you're ready for the fallout."

After the ceremony, Anna was ushered straight back to the White family's estate.

She was left in her new room, the halls silent and empty, as if the world had forgotten her existence entirely.

Oddly, she felt perfectly at ease. If the White family wanted to ignore her, that was nothing new. Her own family had always kept her hidden away, so being locked up and left alone didn't feel strange at all.

With a shrug, Anna discarded her wildly expensive wedding dress and let it fall in a careless heap on the floor. She padded barefoot into the bathroom, ready for a hot shower.

Meanwhile, out in the mansion's sprawling gardens, Wesley turned to Owen, confusion written all over his face. "I've already smoothed things over with Gregg. But as your friend, I need to know-why would you go through with this when the Russell family clearly tried to humiliate you by sending their dimwitted daughter?"

Pale and breathless, Owen stifled a cough before he spoke. "Wesley, do you remember what happened seven years ago at the lakeside resort-when I was taken hostage?"