Chapter 3

That was all Bianca needed to hear. She rose on her tiptoes and crashed her lips onto his. After a brief, feeble show of resistance, the room filled with the rustle of clothes and heavy, ragged breathing.

An hour later, I pushed open the double doors of the Grand Ballroom.

The moment I stepped inside, Julian’s group of friends stared at me in shock.

"Well, well, look who crawled out! Turns out she can swim after all. Did you find your ring, sweetheart?"

"Doesn't look like it! How dare you show your face back here without it? Julian’s going to be pissed. You'd better dive back in and look!"

One of the guys stepped forward, smirking as he reached out to grab my arm.

Smack!

I swatted his hand away and landed a vicious slap across his face. The crack echoed across the room. He stumbled back, clutching his red cheek, his eyes bulging with rage. "You bitch! You dared to hit me?!"

"I did. You're nothing but Julian’s lapdog. What are you going to do about it?"

My gaze was so razor-sharp that he actually took a step back, sneering nervously. "Acting tough, huh? Just wait until Julian gets out here. You're finished!"

I didn't waste another second on him. I checked my watch, walked straight up to the stage, and picked up the wireless microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Julian Vance and my wedding."

"Unfortunately, the groom’s heart belongs to someone else. Today's wedding is officially canceled!"

Gasps ripped through the hall. Julian’s parents stood up in disbelief, but before they could speak, Julian came sprinting in through the side doors.

His shirt was wrinkled, the top buttons undone, his hair disheveled.

"Claire, what the hell are you doing?! Bianca was just playing a prank on you! Who gave you the right to call off the wedding?!"

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

"Get off that stage right now and apologize to everyone!"

Looking at his arrogant, hypocritical face, I let out a cold laugh. "Apologize? Go to hell, Julian!"

He froze, dumbfounded. Bianca rushed in behind him, clutching her chest in mock horror. "Claire, what is wrong with you?! It's your wedding day! Stop acting out like a child, think of the bigger picture!"

Seeing the hidden triumph glittering in her eyes, I began to slow-clap into the mic. "What a fake, manipulative little snake! You two couldn't even wait for the reception to end before screwing in the green room, and now you want me to 'think of the bigger picture'? Screw both of you!"

The second the words left my mouth, I tapped my tablet.

The massive LED wall behind the stage flickered to life.

High-definition surveillance footage from the dressing room played on the 80-foot screen. There they were, Bianca and Julian, tearing each other's clothes off, pawing at each other in a frantic, shameless embrace.

The entire ballroom erupted in screams and chaos!

Bianca turned white as a sheet, lunging toward the audio booth like a madwoman. "Shut it off! Turn it off right now!"

"Julian, do something! Our reputations are ruined!"

Julian bellowed at the staff, his face purple with rage. "Cut the power! Turn it off!"

Too bad for them—I held master access to the hotel’s multimedia system. In a frenzy, Julian grabbed a metal chair and smashed it into the control console.

The screen cracked and went dark.

Tsk, tsk. That sounded like a very expensive repair bill.

Julian spun around, trembling with fury. "Claire! If you have a problem with me, deal with me directly! What the hell do you gain from ruining our wedding?!"

"What do I gain? My freedom, for starters. Julian, we’re done. And as for her pushing me into the lake to drown—I haven't forgotten."

He stared at me, dumbfounded. "You... you made it out fine, didn't you?!"

"Yeah, because I stripped off my gown and clawed my way out. Otherwise, today would've been my funeral."

I turned my cold gaze toward Bianca. "Save your excuses for the police, Bianca."

She froze. "What? You called the cops?!"

Right on cue, two uniformed LAPD officers walked through the ballroom doors. "Bianca Moore? You are under arrest for attempted murder and grand larceny. Hands behind your back, please."

The room fell dead silent.

Julian stepped forward, red-faced. "This is ridiculous! It was a misunderstanding!"

The lead officer stepped in front of Julian and clicked a pair of handcuffs around his wrists as well. "According to security footage, Mr. Vance, you are an active accessory to the crime. You're coming with us too."