Chapter 1654

The thought that Winnie might be watching her at this very moment helped Jamie compose herself. She quickly found her stride, greeting familiar faces with ease.
Nina, watching Jamie and Ben alternate sipping drinks, suddenly had an idea. “How about you two do a toast with your arms linked? It’s way more romantic and fun. What do you all think?” Orion, his mouth full of food, was the first to raise his hand in agreement. “Yes!”
Jamie gave them a helpless look. “Orion, you’ve been totally corrupted by your mom.”
Nina, wiping Orion’s mouth, raised an eyebrow. “Corrupted? I’m just making your wedding more entertaining.”
In the end, Jamie relented. She turned to Ben and picked up one of the glasses. “I’ll drink this one,” she offered.
Up until now, Ben had been doing most of the drinking, knowing Jamie wasn’t great with alcohol. He picked up the other glass and nodded.
Orion watched them curiously, wide-eyed.
Nina quickly covered Orion’s eyes. “No peeking. This is for grown-ups.”
Jamie and Ben completed the toast, and as they set the glasses down, Jamie’s face flushed a rosy red that lingered, making her look as though she were wearing blush. Applause erupted around them, which only deepened her embarrassment.
Jamie’s tolerance for alcohol, however, was as poor as ever. After just one glass, she already felt a little lightheaded. But with half the tables still waiting for a toast, she pushed herself to keep going, determined not to let anyone notice.
While she could fool the guests, she couldn’t hide it from Ben. He grabbed her wrist, frowning slightly. “No more drinking.”
“I can handle it…” Jamie tried to argue, but her words trailed off under Ben’s pointed gaze, and she reluctantly closed her mouth.
Ben took charge and unceremoniously put an end to the toasting.
Nash, holding his glass, teased him. “Really? Everyone’s been waiting for you two to come around, and now you’re skipping out? What about the rest of us?”
Ben shot him a sharp look just as a server brought over a bottle of wine. “A ’82 Lafite. Will this shut you up?”
Nash grinned but didn’t respond, clearly not taking offense. It was all in good fun.
With the toasting over, Jamie was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. But as she sat down to eat, the wedding gown she had been wearing for hours began to feel stuffy and uncomfortable. More than once, she resisted the urge to tug at the neckline for relief,
conscious of maintaining her image.
Thankfully, Ben came to her rescue. “You can change now.”
The wedding was a blend of modern and cultural traditions, so after spending the first half in a classic white wedding gown, it was time for Jamie to change into a stunning red dress inspired by her heritage.
She couldn’t hide her relief. “Finally! I’ll go right now.”
QUMS
She didn’t waste a moment, grabbing Nina and heading to the dressing room.
The room was just next door, temporarily set up as a changing area. Jamie changed into the red dress but Nina had to step out to take a call, promising to retum soon to help with her makeup.
Left alone, Jamie sat and waited. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the door suddenly opened.
Thinking it was Nina, she called out, “You’re back…”
Her voice faltered when she saw who had walked in. Her eyes widened, and the powder puff in her hand slipped to the table with a soft thud. Jamie stood, stunned. “You’re alive.”
Winnie smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over Jamie’s red dress. “This outfit suits you perfectly.”
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