---- Chapter 16 "My parents are flying in tomorrow for the wedding," Bennett announced a few days later, his tone casual. "They want to meet you properly." 2 Aria's face lit up with a mixture of excitement and nerves. "Oh my god! Really? What should | wear? Should | get them a gift?" "Don't worry about it," he said, his voice cool. "Just be yourself." She mistook his coldness for confidence, for the blasé attitude of the ultra-rich. She spent the rest of the day in a flurry of preparation, agonizing over her dress, her hair, her makeup. Bennett watched her, a bitter, icy calm settled in his heart. The wedding venue was booked. The flowers were ordered. The five-hundred-person guest list was confirmed. He was going to give her the wedding of her dreams. A grand stage for her public execution. @ He called his parents. "| need you at the wedding tomorrow," he said. "Both of you. And | need you to play your parts. There's going to be a... revelation." The next day, the grand ballroom of the hotel was a fairytale scene. A sea of flowers, twinkling lights, and the A-list of European society. ---- fell silent. "| would," he said, his voice ringing out, clear and cold. "First, I'd like to announce that this wedding is cancelled." A collective gasp went through the room. Aria's face went white. "| brought you all here today because | wanted you to celebrate the woman | thought was carrying my children, the future of the Randolph dynasty," he continued, his eyes locking onto Aria's. "But it seems we have a problem." He gestured to a large screen behind the altar. It flickered to life, displaying a blown-up image of the text messages between Aria and her brother. ..a fake pregnancy, you idiot... The medical reports appeared next, stamped with the word "FORGED" in giant red letters. Aria stared at the screen, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She stumbled forward. "Bennett, no... | can explain... | did it because | love you!" "Love?" he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "You love my money. You are a liar and a thief." She fell to her knees, grabbing at his legs, sobbing. "Please, Bennett, don't do this." He kicked her hand away. "It's too late." ---- The room erupted in a cacophony of whispers and accusations. Guests stared at Aria with disgust. Her own friends looked at her with contempt. Her mother, a hard-faced woman Bennett had also flown in, marched up to the altar and slapped Aria hard across the face. "You stupid, worthless girl!" she shrieked. "You had everything, and you ruined it!" Her family turned their backs on her, leaving her sobbing in a heap of white silk on the floor. She was alone, publicly shamed, her dream life in ashes.