Page 84 of The Vow Thief
It was a shame he didn’t see how wrong all of this was.
Chapter 35 - The Vow of Silence
Lily’s POV - The Wedding Day
If Sean Macon asked me if I wanted breakfast one more time, I might throat-punch him.
My dress and the army of people responsible for this circus of a day were already on their way to Holy Trinity Chapel. My father had left hours ago to manage every single detail of this ceremony to a fault. Not that it mattered. This wedding wasn’t happening.
Did anyone here really think I’d marry for convenience and start popping out babies just to sit at home changing diapers and making small talk with other mothers? Please.
I shoved my feet into my slippers, grabbed my suitcase, and walked past Sean.
“Let’s just go to the church,” I said.“I can eat later.”
He watched me for a moment, then picked up his keys and bag and followed me out to his Porsche.
We made it to the chapel in record time. Of course we did, this day was not going to slow down for me. I would have to take this bull squarely by the horns.
I didn’t bother looking for my father. I honestly didn’t want him to know I was here. I went straight to the bridal suite, where a hairstylist worked through my hair while a chatty makeup artist painted my face. The three of us talked like old friends. The stylist, Marnie, was from London; the makeup artist, Tessa, was from Seattle.
When they finished, I thanked them, escorted them out the door, and slipped out of the suite. Upstairs, I found the Eagle’s Nest, a narrow room that overlooked the chapel’s main hall. From there, I could see and hear everything.
And then I saw him.
Matt Taylor.
My heart kicked hard enough to make me step back. The woman with him was Julianne Raines, one of my father’s long-time employees. I think she used to have a little something for my father, but no one gets past that ego, so they probably just fucked and moved on.
Below them, my father’s voice carried from the side entrance. I leaned over the rail and froze. His arms were around none other than Sarah fucking Taylor.
I wanted to jump down there and claw her eyes out for even thinking about touching him. Then he kissed her. Really kissed her. And she kissed him back. I felt bile rising to my throat. No. No, no. This can’t fucking be.
What the hell was she playing at? Better yet, what the hell was my father playing at?
Before I could finish processing that betrayal, I heard Sean’s voice. I turned, and the sight of him nearly broke me. He was standing in the aisle, staring at Julianne as if she’d just gutted him.
Then he saw my father enter with Sarah on his arm.
“So this is who you sent to distract Matt until Lily’s wedding?” Sean’s voice cracked through the hall.“You sent Julianne, Elliott?”
The name hung there. Lily.
Matt and Sarah turned at the same time, startled to see each other, but the real blow arrived when my name echoed through the hall. Their faces said everything. They had shown up blind. Did they really not know whose wedding they were attending? I laughed under my breath. My father had outdone himself. Only he could weaponize a wedding program. My father claimed he was saving me. In reality, he just repositioned me like a hostile asset he didn’t want falling into the wrong hands.
A knock at the door behind me cut my thoughts short. I opened it to find exactly who I expected.
Valeria Thompson stood there, elegant, composed, and terrifyingly calm. Her dark hair was wrapped in a beautiful chignon. She wore a black jumpsuit and black boots and looked like something out of a fashion magazine. Her makeup was more perfect than mine. Her big brown eyes were full of excitement and a bit of worry.
“Mom.”
I pulled her into the room and held her tight.
“Lily, sweetheart, are you ready?” she whispered.“We have to move quickly. No one can see us.”
I nodded.
We left the Nest and went back through the bridal suite. I grabbed my suitcase and purse, and together we slipped down a narrow staircase to a side exit where a black Mercedes G-Wagon waited, engine running.
