Chapter 7
Wedding Venue.
Greg frowned, staring at his phone screen and checking it repeatedly.
After Liora left for the restroom, she never came back.
He texted her–no response.
He called–only to be met with an automated message, “The number you’ve dialed is currently powered off.”
That was completely unlike her.
In the past, Liora would always respond to his messages instantly and answer his calls right away.
Now, at such a critical moment–their wedding–she wasn’t answering at
His buddies peeked over at his screen and brushed it off with a laugh.
“Relax, Greg. She’s probably just out preparing a surprise for you.”
“Exactly! Anyone can see Liora’s been dying to marry you. No way she’d run off.”
“Forget about her for a second–where’s the real star of the show today? Shouldn’t Talia be here by now?”
As the words fell, the entrance doors opened.
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Talia walked in, dressed in a flowing white gown, a bright smile on her
face.
She glanced around the venue, her face calm and composed–even as excitement bubbled beneath the surface.
Right before leaving home, she’d proudly told all her girlfriends, “After today, I’ll be the envy of every woman in this city–the future Mrs. Alston.”
Greg’s gaze landed on Talia. A faint smirk curved his lips.
His friends caught that smile instantly and began teasing, “Holy crap–he smiled!”
Greg put on a mask and walked over to Talia, his eyes softening without him even realizing it. “You’re here?” he said.
Talia looked up at him, her eyes shining.
The last time he’d rescued her from that abandoned warehouse, he rushed her to the best hospital in the city and brought in top specialists to
examine her.
But even then, she’d never seen his face–he always wore a mask.
Rumor had it that Mr. Alston was stunningly handsome–sharp features, a high–bridged nose, and deep–set eyes. He was the very picture of perfection.
“Thank you for saving me the other day, Mr. Alston. I’m feeling much better now,” she said softly. “I heard you wanted to meet with me today, but why here? At Liora’s wedding?”
Greg caught the glimmer of hope in her eyes.
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He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. Then, slowly–word by word–he confessed everything he had done over the past three years… all
for her.
From the start, he’d investigated Liora thoroughly before approaching her.
He’d learned all of Liora’s likes and dislikes in advance–just to craft the perfect boyfriend persona for her.
Later, to make her fall for him completely and without doubt, he placed a fresh bouquet on her nightstand every morning and planned surprise after surprise—all to manipulate her into willingly taking out those nude collateral loans for him.
His bar had never even hosted strip performances before.
To coax Liora into dancing, he even hired professional dancers to perform for three months straight, hoping to ease her doubts.
As he spoke, his voice turned gentle. “Everything I did… I did it for you, Talia,” he said. “All the pain you’ve suffered, I’ll make sure Liora pays it back–with interest.”
Talia’s expression shifted repeatedly–shock, disbelief, excitement, and finally, glee.
“You went that far for me? Even pretended to be Liora’s boyfriend?
“Thank you, Mr. Alston. Can I see those nude videos of hers? It’s okay if it’s not convenient.”
“How could it not be?” Greg replied, his voice filled with affection as he gently removed his mask.
His face was sharp, his amber eyes full of a deep, smoldering tenderness.
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Talia blushed immediately, her heart racing wildly.
Then Greg walked to the stage, picked up the microphone, and scanned.
the venue.
Noticing that Liora still hadn’t returned, a flash of irritation crossed his
eves.
No more waiting.
No matter what–today, he would ruin Liora’s life.
Greg’s voice was cold as he addressed the crowd. “Thank you all for coming to my wedding. Before the ceremony starts, I’d like to share a special video–footage of Liora’s nude loan application.”
The moment he said it, a wave of confusion rippled through the guests.
“Wait, isn’t this supposed to be his wedding with Liora? Why does it sound like he’s about to publicly shame her?”
“He’s really going to show that kind of video? What kind of grudge does he have?”
Greg cleared his throat, and the room fell silent.
His gaze sharpened, and the mention of Liora brought a deep disgust to his face.
“To all of you, Liora might seem like a sweet, obedient girl,” he said. “But people can be deceiving. For over a decade, she tormented the woman It love.
“For years, she shaved Talia’s head bald, refused to let her change sanitary pads during her period, and even carved 99 cuts into her leg with a knife.
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“If I hadn’t stepped in time and time again, Talia might’ve taken her own life by now.”
The room erupted with gasps as guests looked at one another in disbelief, whispering behind their hands.
Still, some remained skeptical.
That’s when Greg’s friends chimed in to back him up.
“You guys don’t believe it? That’s because you didn’t see the photos- Talia’s legs were torn to shreds. It was horrifying.”
“Yeah! One time, she couldn’t take it anymore and posted about it on social media. Liora stuffed a paper note into her eye!”
“I say Greg went undercover for three years, pretending to love Liora and tricking her into nude loans–that’s justice!”
Seeing that some of Liora’s friends still weren’t convinced, Greg’s face darkened.
“I know some of you are her friends. If you don’t believe me, fine–don’t expect any further explanations.
“Go ahead, record this. Send it to her if you want. Tell her this–I never loved her.
“And now, I’m going to get justice for Talia–by playing Liora’s nude loan video for everyone to see!”
With that, the AV team queued up the footage.
Talia lifted her phone, a smug smile on her lips, as she started recording.
Greg’s friends whipped out their phones, too.
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Many guests, sensing drama, eagerly joined in.
Meanwhile, the livestream crew focused their cameras on the big screen.
