They all arrived outside when they all saw it.
There was a crowd gathered outside, staring up at Central Tower.
Zachary and Ember did the same, and saw several banners dangling over the glass walls of the tower.
[Zachary Slate is a bastard!]
[Zachary Slate, kiss my ass!]
[Ember Lindt is a whore!]
[Ember Lindt is a bitch!]
Zachary was not upset at first, but glowered when he saw that Ember was dragged into it.
“Where’s security?” he snapped. “Why isn’t anyone taking those down?!”
“Right away, sir!”
Nonetheless, the Lindts were already alerted–Ember’s parents stepped out as well, and their faces fell when they saw the banners.
“You’d better have an explanation, Zachary.”
As a family with a reputation to uphold, the Lindts were certainly embarrassed that something like that happened at their daughter’s wedding.
Mrs. Slate quickly explained, “It must be a prank-”
“Everyone knows our families‘ standing in this city, but they mess with us despite knowing that!” Mr. Lindt barked, and turned toward Zachary. “It’s obvious that it must be a former flame. Didn’t have a clean break, did we? Who else would go this far?”
Mrs. Slate immediately thought of Lulu.
Convinced that Lulu did this because she was upset about Zachary breaking up with her, Mrs. Slates‘ spite toward Lulu grew!
“There’d better be an explanation for this,” Mr. Lindt growled. “Ember is our only daughter, and yet she has to suffer this on her wedding day? Outrageous!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Mr. Slate naturally felt embarrassed too.
Mrs. Slate quickly tried to smooth things over so that things were less awkward.
“It’s a day to celebrate–we shouldn’t let a trifle ruin the mood,” she said, and pretended to rebuke Zachary. “You have to give your wife and in–laws a reasonable, satisfying explanation for this, you hear me?”
Zachary lowered his gaze. “I know.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my parents,” Ember told him softly just then. “They’re not so petty that they’d pursue this matter, and I don’t think it’s Lulu either.”
Zachary looked up at her. “No, it’s not like her.”
Ember’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she soon smiled again. “Yes, it’s not like her. Let’s go in the others will take down those banners, and it’s still our wedding day. Let’s not ruin the mood over something like this.”
Turning toward her own parents and her in–laws, Ember said, “Everyone, there is no need to get upset-
this is nothing significant. Someone is just jealous of Zachary and myself, and trying to make us unhappy over this. It’s just not worth it to play to their tune.”
Mrs. Slate was certainly pleased with Ember–the wife she had personally chosen for Zachary. “Oh, Ember. You are as beautiful as you are understanding! It’s Zachary’s good fortune to marry you.”
At first, she thought that Ember was just another sweet girl who mainly coveted her family’s influence. It turned out today that she was mature and understanding as well, and Mrs. Slate loved her even more.
After Ember calmed both her parents and Zachary’s, everyone returned to the wedding hall.
Soon, the wedding luncheon was over, and everyone began to leave.
Thanks to the Slates‘ and the Lindts‘ influence, news of the banners never got out. Though the guests were aware as well, they only spoke of it in private and refrained from making it public.
Abigail caught wind of it as well, but did not suspect Lulu at all since she was not that childish.
But if it was not her, then who…?
That was when she remembered Ricky.
That brat really was capable of something like that!
“What’s on your mind?” Diarmuid asked.
“Nothing,” she said, coming to her senses just then, though she told him what she thought soon anyway. “I think Ricky must be behind those banners.”
“What?!” A surprised-even furious-voice exclaimed behind them just then!
Abigail turned around to find Zachary standing there and she quickly explained, “It’s just a hunch.”
She only wanted to tell Diarmuid what she thought, and did not expect Zachary to be listening!
Zachary had actually hurried to them to see them off and had inadvertently overheard Abigail.
He did not believe that it was Lulu, and was quickly convinced that Bernstein was responsible.
Ricky was young and impulsive–it certainly looked like something he would do.
“It’s your wedding. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be busy?” Abigail asked, changing the subject.
“I was going to see you off,” Zachary said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, “Also, please pass a message to Lulu.”
“What is it?” Abigail asked.
“Tell her…” Zachary’s voice trailed off, and then said, “Forget it.”
It was pointless to say anything now–there was no question that he was the one who let her down.
Jimmy the chauffeur was the one who brought Abigail to Central Tower, so she sent him home while she got into Diarmuid’s car.
“Abigail,” Zachary said as he stood before Diarmuid’s car. “I won’t press the issue against Ricky, but I won’t be so kind the next time. He can throw insults at me all he likes but Ember is innocent–she shouldn’t suffer such humiliation.”
“Like I said, it’s just a hunch,” Abigail repeated.
“No one else would do something like that,” Zachary insisted, showing no doubt that it was Ricky.
Abigail did not like him being so assertive. “Sure.”
She wound up the window, and Zachary did not ask anything although he could tell that she was a little upset.
As their car drove off, Diarmuid asked, “Are you upset?”
Abigail shook her head. “No, I just didn’t like Zachary’s attitude. I just wanted to tell you that it could be Ricky, but that was just a hunch. You wouldn’t jump straight to conclusions, but Zachary was so sure that it’s Ricky without any evidence. I couldn’t stand that.”
“Yeah,” Diarmuid replied softly.
Abigail suddenly turned toward him. “Are you coming home with me?”
Diarmuid’s eyelashes twitched, but he did not look at her. “I still have work to do.”
In other words, he was telling her that he could not go home with her.
It left Abigail utterly disappointed, but she feigned nonchalance.
“I know,” she murmured as if in understanding.
With that, the car turned silent as neither of them spoke, and they soon reached Diarmuid’s mansion.
Abigail was going to open the door when Diarmuid caught her hand–it was cold to the touch, and she was sweating from her palm.
“…”
He tried to talk about Yvaine Lynd, but could not muster a single word. Knowing that he was hesitant to speak, Abigail replied, “I know. I can wait.”
Smiling brightly at him, she suddenly leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.
“I know it hurts,” she rasped as she pulled away. “I feel the same.”
With that, she alighted without looking back, striding into the house with her head held high.
Diarmuid was staring at her dainty figure, his dark gaze somehow darkening further.
James Cross, peeking at Diarmuid with the rearview mirror, said gingerly, “She’s hurting.”
And yet, she feigned composure.
“Don’t you think you should give her a chance to clear the air?”
James was convinced they could get along well because they cared about each other–but they were now just tormenting each other.
Diarmuid simply ignored him. “Drive.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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