Chapter 10
Zane couldn’t help but laugh at Katie’s reaction, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. She wasn’t as fragile as he’d feared, and that gave him hope. Sooner or later, he would clear Nathan out of her heart completely -and finally take his place there.
Just the thought of the day when Katie would be all his, clinging to him with that sweet, affectionate smile, made it impossible for him to hide the grin tugging at his lips.
Katie finally paused, her hand hovering over a wedding dress, a bit
exasperated. “What are you thinking about? You’ve been grinning like an idiot this whole time.”
Zane couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled her into his arms and burst. out laughing.
At first, Katie was bewildered, but his laughter was so infectious that she found herself giggling too. The two of them stood there, laughing like fools, neither knowing what the other was really laughing about.
It was Zane who managed to compose himself first. He glanced quickly over the bridal section, picked out a gown, and handed it to one of the sales associates, motioning for Katie to follow her into the fitting room.
Only after the door closed behind them did Zane let his gentle expression fade and saunter over to a nearby seat.
He had barely sat down when Nathan strode over, a cold smirk on his lips. “Mr. Renner, maybe you haven’t realized, but every dress in this place goes for five figures or more. Are you sure you can afford to shop here?”
Chapter 10
Zanç replied lightly, “Katie’s getting married as the Morley family’s heiress. If the wedding is too shabby, people might think the Morley Group is going bankrupt.”
He paused, then added, “Why don’t you pay for it, Mr. Morley? Consider it a little something for all those years you two spent as siblings.”
Seeing Nathan’s jaw clench, Zane felt a surge of satisfaction. “Don’t get upset. Your grandfather will be thrilled to see Katie married well. You wouldn’t want him, at his age, still worrying about his grandchildren’s weddings, would you?”
There was an edge to Zane’s words–he knew full well that Owen was deeply dissatisfied with Nathan’s engagement to Emelia. Even though he’d only just met her, it was obvious she was shallow and gold–digging, her intentions anything but pure.
It wasn’t just Owen who disapproved, even Zane couldn’t understand how Nathan could turn his back on Katie for someone like Emelia.
But Zane wasn’t Nathan’s best friend, nor was he a saint. He had no intention of pointing out how wrong Nathan was.
In fact, he was grateful. If not for Nathan’s arrogance, Zane would never ‘have had this chance to win Katie’s heart.
He shook his head with a small, amused smile.
Nathan’s jaw was still tight, but he had to admit Zane was right. Owen adored Katie–he could read her mood with just a glance, let alone something as monumental as her wedding.
When Nathan looked up again, his eyes were cold. “A few grand means nothing to me.”
So when Katie finally emerged from the fitting room in her gown, Zane
Chapter 10
beamed. “Katie, Mr. Morley has decided to buy your wedding dress as a gift. Is there another one you like?”
Katie was momentarily stunned, but she didn’t press the issue. Seeing herself in the mirror, dressed as a bride, she realized with a jolt that even if the rest of her life didn’t include Nathan, time wouldn’t show her any mercy. She would move on, get married, have children, grow old, and eventually forget him completely.
With every passing second, she was closer to leaving him behind for good- -and closer to leaving this place altogether. All she could hope for was that the days ahead would be kind.
With that thought, she offered a faint, gentle smile. “Thank you, Nathan.”
