Chapter 5

 Selena had been sitting on the bed sulking after Grant pushed her away.

When she saw him suddenly go rigid, she stood up in confusion.

“Grant, what is it? What happened?”

She walked to his side and followed his gaze to the screen.

In the video, the officiant was leading the couple through their vows in a solemn, heartfelt voice.

Serena covered her mouth and gasped.

“Claire is… marrying someone else?”

Grant immediately pressed the phone against his chest, hiding the screen.

“Impossible.”

He forced the word through clenched teeth.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Claire had handled every detail of that wedding, from choosing the venue to arranging for the flowers to be

flown in.

She had stayed awake for several nights, sketching layouts, planning every detail, and personally finalizing the arrangements.

No one knew better than Grant how much she had looked forward to becoming Mrs. Prescott.

For eight full years, she had devoted herself to him.

In college, she had been the girl in faded jeans who ate instant noodles with him in a basement while they worked on design plans.

Later, once his company found its footing, she stepped behind the scenes and took care of everything that

allowed him to focus on the business.

She had poured all her youth and trust into him.

Who else could she possibly trust?

“She’s just trying to get back at me.”

Grant scoffed.

“She hired some actor to go through the motions just to force me to come back?”

Serena spoke softly from beside him, deliberately feeding his anger.

“Grant, how could she do this? Even if you were late today, she had no right to drag some randomn man into

a fake cereniony. Does she care what this does to your reputation?”

Grant ignored her.

He raised the phone again and stared at the man on the screen.

Even with the video blurred by the weak connection, he recognized Julian Mercer immediately.

Julian was the sole heir to the Mercer family, one of Denver’s most powerful old money dynasties.

A violent ringing filled Grant’s ears, as though something had exploded inside his head.

His tech company had flourished over the past few years, but he was still just a nouveau riche upstart beside the old-money Mercer family.

Their companies had fought bitterly over several major projects.

Grant could spend months exhausting himself trying to secure a deal, only for Julian to take it away with a single casual word.

Julian was the business rival Grant feared most-and hated most.

How had Claire become involved with someone from a family that untouchable?

The video call continued as the guests lining the aisle began to applaud.

Grant gripped the phone and growled at the screen,

“Tessa!”

The other end was deafeningly loud. He could faintly hear the groomsmen drawing sharp breaths.

“Mr. Prescott… you saw it?”

Tessa couldn’t hide the panic in her voice.

“Why is Julian Mercer there?””

Grant tugged his tie loose.

“What the hell is security doing? Are they letting just anyone walk in?”

“I paid over a million dollars to buy out that venue!”

Tessa went silent for several seconds.

“Mr. Prescott, calm down.”

Security couldn’t stop him. More accurately, they didn’t dare.”

“Julian didn’t come alone”

Tessa took a deep breath.

“He brought the Mercer family’s elite legal team and a motorcade full of bodyguards.”

“You can’t imagine the scale of it. Dozens of guards in black swept through the ballroom and cleared

everyone out except the guests who chose to stay for the ceremony.’

“One of Julian’s aides walked in carrying a case of cash and a stack of contracts. The hotel manager was so

intimidated that he didn’t dare object. Julian didn’t just get inside-he covered every expense for the entire

event.”

“Even the welcome sign out front has been changed to his name.’

Grant’s eyes turned bloodshot as his chest heaved.

“This is insane!”