He Said He Loved Me, Then Gave Her Our Marriage Certificate Chapter 06

He Said He Loved Me, Then Gave Her Our Marriage Certificate Chapter 06

I looked up as Grant charged toward us. His gaze locked on my fingers intertwined with Hayes’s.

His eyes were bloodshot, and beneath the fury, I heard a note of pleading.

“Talia, come here.”

“You’ve been drinking. I brought your medicine.”

I gave a humorless laugh. Grant always waited until the damage was done before offering a remedy.

Hayes had never given my allergy a chance to become a problem.

He had arranged sparkling juice for me and promised that as long as he stood beside me, I would never have

to drink alcohol for anyone’s sake.

Before I could answer, Hayes stepped in front of me.

“You seem unusually concerned about my wife, Mr. Whitmore.”

“From where I’m standing, your own wife needs you more.”

The guests turned. Serena limped into the ballroom, tears falling the moment she raised her face.

“I’m sorry, Grant. I ran too fast and twisted my ankle.”

“Could you help me?”

Grant’s expression darkened. He pointed at a server

“Please help her to a chair.”

Then he faced Hayes again, jaw tight.

“Five years have passed, and you’re still lurking around Talia, waiting for your chance.”

“But whatever story you tell won’t change the truth. Talia loves me, and she is the only woman I recognize

as my wife.”

Hayes’s mouth curved. “Is that so?

“Then what is this?”

At a signal from him, the ballroom screen lit up with Grant and Serena’s certified marriage record.

“You were already legally married, yet you expected my wife to join your arrangement. What did you think she was?”

Color drained from Grant’s face. He stared at me.

“Talia, I can explain.”

“You asked me to take care of Serena. You told me to treat her well.

“I only agreed to a secret City Hall ceremony because I was doing what you wanted.”

“If the legal status bothers you, I’ll submit the divorce pètition to County Court today.”

“You are the only woman I ever wanted to marry.’

“Have you forgotten our promise? We said it would be each other or no one.”

I smiled faintly. My voice was quiet, but every word landed cleanly.

“We’re adults. Everyone has a past they would rather forget.”

“But you are married now, and so am I. Mr. Whitmore, declaring your love at my wedding is wildly

inappropriate.”

Grant’s pupils tightened. He had not expected sharpness from me, and his voice shook.

“Inappropriate? Weren’t you the one who asked me to care for Serena in the first place?”

I gave him a cold smile.

“I didn’t ask you to take that concern into her bed.”

“One of you was my boyfriend. The other was my best friend.”

“You carried on behind my back and treated me like a fool.”

“Grant, you once told me that what you loved most was my pride. Yet you were also the one who ground

that pride into the dirt.”

“You should have known that I would never cling to a love already rotted through with betrayal.”

“Since you’re so determined to follow my wishes, here’s one more. Spend the rest of your life taking care of

Serena, and try not to cheat on her.”

“She’s emotionally fragile. She might not survive it as gracefully as I did.”

Grant opened and closed his mouth several times. At last, the words came out in a rush.

“I was wrong. I mistook pity for love.

“I crossed a line I never should have approached, and everything I did was unforgivable.”

“Let’s finish our ceremony. The moment it’s over, I’ll go to County Court and file the divorce petition.

“Please.”