Chapter 4

Brandon suddenly slapped Amber hard across the face, roaring with a twisted expression, "What the hell are you babbling about?! Shut up!"

"Brandon, I'm not done with you!" Amber immediately lunged at him again.

They started fighting once more.

By the time everyone separated them again, Amber's eyes were swollen.

Clearly, Amber exposing Brandon's lies in front of me had made him furious and violent.

Many of their guests couldn't stand it anymore, urging them to perhaps postpone the wedding.

After all, it had devolved into such a spectacle, not only incredibly unsightly but devoid of any festive cheer.

Brandon, of course, was thrilled with the idea, but Amber was absolutely determined. She pointed at Brandon and yelled:

"Brandon, I'm telling you, this wedding has to happen today! Otherwise, you can look forward to jail time!"

Brandon fell silent, his face a grim shade of green.

Everyone else was bewildered, wondering why Brandon would go to jail if he didn't marry Amber.

With Amber's insistence, the wedding was set to continue as planned.

Amber went backstage to touch up her makeup again. Brandon plopped down, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped it down, looking angry and helpless.

But when he saw me watching him, Brandon forced an awkward smile. "Ms. Valerie, Amber was really talking nonsense just now, please don't take it seriously. I've always loved my ex-wife the most."

"You two are fighting like this, why is Amber so set on having the wedding?" I asked.

Brandon snorted. "She's just after my money. She wants to use the wedding to tie me down!"

"People can still get divorced after marriage. How would that tie you down?" I pointed out.

"We're different…" Brandon hesitated, then waved his hand. "Never mind, let's not talk about it. It's a mood killer."

I nodded, saying nothing more.

Brandon chuckled nervously, then cautiously asked, "Ms. Valerie, your business is so huge, would you be interested in partnering with my company? My company is looking for new investments as we prepare to go public."

I smiled slightly, nodding. "It's not out of the question. Our group is planning to expand into new ventures. If it's a good fit, we could consider investing in your company."

Brandon immediately leaped up, excited. "That's wonderful, wonderful! We would really welcome your group's investment."

Over these three years, that company had been practically hollowed out by Brandon, struggling even to stay afloat, let alone go public.

I sneered inwardly, maintaining a calm expression. "Our group is also looking for a new CEO. If you have any suitable candidates, Mr. Brandon, you could recommend them. Of course, they'd need to be someone I can trust."

"Oh, really…" Brandon's eyes lit up. After a moment's hesitation, he chuckled nervously. "How about me, Ms. Valerie? I'd like to put myself forward, hahahaha."

"You? I don't think so," I chuckled softly. "While I do trust you, you're marrying Amber, and Amber is my best friend. We need to keep some distance, or our friendship might suffer."

Brandon grew anxious, frowning, looking helpless. "But… that… we don't need to keep that much distance, do we?"

At that moment, the emcee began to speak. "The auspicious time has arrived! Let us welcome the groom…"

Brandon hesitated, gave me a regretful look, then turned and walked onto the stage.

A little while later, Amber also came onto the stage. Under the officiant's guidance, the two began to exchange their vows.

Just then, a young man strode in from outside, causing a small commotion.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, carrying a large bouquet of vibrant roses.

He walked directly towards me, offering the flowers with both hands. "Ms. Valerie, why have you been avoiding me? I heard you were here and came specifically to find you."