She Hijacked My Wedding in White? Meet the Real Vesper Behind the Veil! Chapter 09

She Hijacked My Wedding in White? Meet the Real Vesper Behind the Veil! Chapter 09

After that day, I shut myself away in the design studio at Maison Vespera.

The spring haute couture collection I had originally intended to send to Adrian was taken

apart piece by piece, redrawn, re-cut, and remade by me.

That series was originally called “The Wedding Gift.”

I had genuinely wanted to give it to the Cross family-as part of my dowry and as a chance

for Adrian to turn his career around.

Now it had a new name.

The Crown I Took Back.

A lot of people came to the big show that day.

The runway was nearly filled to capacity with fashion editors, financial media representatives, Sterling family directors, and buyers.

As the final lights came on, the entire audience fell silent.

I walked out wearing the last outfit, a wedding dress.

I no longer needed anyone to lift my veil for me.

And there was no need to stand by anyone’s side, waiting for a false promise.

Applause broke out from the audience.

It grew louder and louder.

Standing in the spotlight, I realized for the first time that the ruined wedding wasn’t so

ridiculous after all.

At least it served as a reminder.

A crown is not something you can entrust to someone else.

After the show, a reporter handed me the microphone.

“Miss Sterling, is today’s show meant to be a response to your ex?”

I looked into the camera.

“No.”

“He was just reminding me that my life shouldn’t be a footnote to anyone else’s.”

That night, Adrian watched my runway video over and over again.

He finally remembered a long time ago, when I was staying up late working on design sketches, he ruffled my hair and said:

“Don’t work so hard-I’ll take care of you in the future.”

At that time, I said:

“Adrian, I want to be someone who stands by your side, not someone who hides behind you

and waits for your protection.”

Only then did he realize that I had been serious.

I had never been the kind of person who needed him to prop me up.

I just loved him, so I put my crown away for a while.

A few days later, he came to see me again.

“Evelyn, I really know I was wrong.”

“Give me one more chance, okay? Just this once.”

I listened quietly until the end.

“Adrian, I’ve received your apology.”

“But an apology isn’t enough to make up for the hurt.”

“You’ve always said that you and Mia are just like siblings.”

“All right. If the Bennett Family were to go bankrupt right now, and you had to marry Mia

immediately to save the Cross Family, would you do it?”

He didn’t answer.

I laughed.

“Look, there’s the answer.”

“Adrian, betrayal is betrayal. Stop trying to sugarcoat it.”

That was the last time I saw him.

A few months later, Maison Vespera won the International Emerging Haute Couture Award.

After a series of failed business partnerships, the Cross and Bennett families finally decided

to consider a marriage alliance.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t even stick together for mutual support.

Adrian refused to back down, and Mia refused to admit she was wrong; the two families squandered their last shred of dignity in a cycle of mutual recrimination.

After hearing that, I just found it boring.

That night at the victory celebration, I went out onto the balcony by myself.

The city lights spread out below.

I raised my glass.

“Here’s to the future.”

“To myself.”

And to the woman who finally stopped hiding her light for anyone else.