The Bride He Traded for a Lie

heavy double doors of T

aying the frantic tension that had been buil

a waterfall of blinding camer

ight forced her t

locking her shoulders back into the pr

obing, pitying stares of the Manhat

ough the sea of clinking champa

g for one spec

locked onto t

e he

tt Sp

she had loved for six years, the man who h

iolently contracte

of tears flo

fabric of her gown and to

oot froze

rned to ice

e crook of Barnett's a

ng a cheap, poorly

, the stranger shrank b

nto Barnett's chest, burying her face against his

iately looked

tender, protective expression that Gre

w to the woman, his hand

hen like a physical

lently punched

lank, leaving only a deaf

hard on her

to offer her a tray, nearly knockin

ht toward the step

rne

t of her throat,

h the luxurious ballroo

rsation in the roo

tlets swiveled like predators, lockin

is head at the s

creased into

nd his eyes held nothing but

s no rec

have the wr

rough the microphone, en

et of ice water poured dir

body bega

er eyes wide with a

r fiancée! What are

st control, and she lunged

his suit, two massive bodygua

all of muscle, shoving her roughl

arms let out a so

lapels tightly, but a fleeting sp

afraid,

woman entirely be

Gretchen with nake

ief lawyer quickly step

hone and cleared his throat, ta

pencer suffered severe head

voice was cal

l memory of the

into a deafening roar

era shutters, capturing the exact moment

a lightning bolt h

digging her nails so deeply into h

hysical pain to keep h

the lawyer continued, raisi

aved Mr. Spencer's life

microphone back

rembling shoulders, fixing his ga

declared, his voice ringi

yn and I registered o

his grip on J

ow my leg

of the cameras completely s

n crashed over her, tearing h

porters broke throu

microphones inch

ions, asking how it felt to be

t down on h

ted the sharp, metallic

urning tears bac

n-like neck, tilting her

let a sing

ed poise of a ballerina, she

, walking steadily out of the suffocating