Chapter 12
Lex and Austin sat in stony silence, eyes glued to the stage, barely blinking
“And now, may the unde and groom exchange nings–and seal your vows with a kiss
The flower girl skipped down the aisle, her basket brimming with white blooms and a velvet box nestled inside
Phil, cool as ever picked up the dazzling diamond ring meant for Rosa. He took her hand, his face serious, and slid the ring onto her finger–slow, deliberate, as if the moment meant everything
The chill of the metal on her skin sent a shiver through Rosa, but it wasn’t nerves anymore. Suddenly, her heart felt at peaceX
No one could ever question her engagement again. She was really, truly married to Phil.
She looked up at him–his impossibly handsome face so close, she could make out every detail. Her heart hammered wildly, her mind a total blank. For a second, she forgot what came next.
Phil caught her flustered look, smiled softly, and–still holding her hand–picked up his own ring, slipping it onto his finger with an easy confidence. The gesture wa so natural, so open it felt like he was telling the world he belonged to her now.
Then someone in the crowd started chanting. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss” and the whole room joined in, their voices echoing off the walls.
Resa’s checks burned bright red. Her lashes fluttered, eyes dropping shyly.
Phil, ever the gentleman, lifted her well and draped it over both their faces, like a private little world just for them. His fingers tipped her chin up, warm and steady, and his lips found bera–soft at first, then deeper, surer, as if he’d been waiting for this forever.
Hisame circled her waist, strong and secure, holding her close as the world faded away. When the kiss finally broke, he gently wiped the smudge of lipstick from her lips, making sure she was okay before letting her go–both of them breathless, but only one of them looking totally dazed.
Phil looked as composed as ever Rosa, though, felt lightheaded–like she was floating, barely able to stand, so she just leaned into him, letting him hold her up. Suddenly, a deafening crash exploded from the quest tables. Lev had punched straight through a table, his fist bleeding, but he didn’t even flinch. His eyes were wild slaring up at the stage, fury blazing in them.
Austin wasn’t doing much better.
He twisted a dinner knife between his fingers, the blade catching the light, spinning faster and faster. People around him watched, tense and worried, half–expecting him to jump on stage at any second!!
At some point, Granny Schuler had slipped off the stage. Her eyes–always sa warm before–were now cold and sharp.
SMACK SMACK SMACKE
Three cop slaps rang out, landing right across the faces of the Schuler brothers..
“Out Now. Don’t make me ruin your uncle’s wedding she snapped, voice ley and commanding as she strode toward the lounge.
Under her glare. Lev, Austin, and Aiden didn’t dare argue. They followed her, heads down, out of the halLX
The lounge door shut with a solid click, the lock sliding into place!
No one knew where she got it, but suddenly, Granny Schuler was holding a black–and–red riding crop. It gleamed with age, covered in polished thoms–every bit as menacing as they remembered
The second they saw it, all three men dropped to their knees in perfect sync
It was the Schuler family’s notonous house discipline–a punishment they all remembered from childhood, painful enough to haunt them for life!
Whenever that crop came out, there was no point fighting back
Granny Schuler looked them over, her smile cold as ice, the whip hissing through the air
“Clearly, you boys still don’t get what you’ve done wrong”
“If your grandfather and I had been off hiding at the country house, who knows what kind of mess you’d have made by now!
“The marriage was arranged ages ago Rosa’s a wonderful girl–how could you treat her like that?
