Page 67 of Cruel Betrayal

Aubrey crosses her arms. “Iama fierce woman. Idofight for my clients. And of course I take their problems seriously.”

“Your father and I know that,” Marceline says as she lays a hand on Aubrey’s shoulder. “But that’s not what people think when they look at you and all they see is pink, pink, and more pink.”

“Well, it’s too late now.” Aubrey shrugs, and her mother’s hand falls. “I guess my new era starts after Ludo and I get back from our honeymoon.”

With a sigh, Marceline steps back. “Just remember—there’s a lot riding on this marriage. More than just reputation.”

“Act happy and in love, but not like I have a schoolgirl crush. I know, Mom.”

Annoyance flickers over Marceline’s features, but she decides not to push things anymore. “I’ll leave you girls to chatting and getting ready. Remember, the photographer shows up in an hour and a half. Trust me, time flies on your wedding day. I’ll be here to help keep things on schedule, but try to be aware. Photos alone take forever.”

Aubrey’s eyes soften, and she gives her mom a genuine smile. “Thanks. I have a few reminders set on my phone to help.”

“Good. I’m going to find your grandmother and aunts and make sure they’re comfortable. Oh, and that they know our schedule. We need to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

Once Marceline is gone, Aubrey visibly relaxes. I set my bag on the floor and hang my dress on an empty rack in the corner.

“I know it’s because she loves me,” Aubrey says quietly, “but I’ve never wanted to run away more. I just want to be able to live without all this pressure.”

“I think the flowers look nice,” I tell her as I pull her into another hug. It looks like she needs it. “And just think of it this way. In twenty-four hours, you’ll be nowhere near here, and your new life will be in your hands. No more pressure, no more expectations.”

“And as much pink as I want,” she mutters bitterly. Then she shakes her head and focuses on me. “How are you feeling? Nervous?”

“Incredibly. But I can do this. I know I can.”I don’t have any other choice.

“Well, how about I give you a tour before the others arrive?” She loops her arm through mine. “The least I can do is get you familiar with the place.”

We meander through the ballroom, and she points in a direction that apparently leads to the greenhouse. If I’m remembering correctly, the stairs that I’m supposed to avoid are in that direction as well.

“The stairs we’ll use to get to and from my room are in the foyer,” Aubrey tells me as we meander through the house.

Right.I remember passing them. They were hard to miss, considering how big they were.

Back in the foyer, we pass the front door and take the stairs on the left. They’re much larger than they need to be, but that seems to be the case for the whole mansion. It was obviously made to impress. Between the marble staircase and pillars and the amount of dark woodwork with ornate designs carved in, I’m sure it took a fortune to build this place.

Upstairs, we follow the main hallway for a minute before turning off to one that leads us toward the bedrooms. It’s the same path I’ll be taking by myself later tonight. As we get closer, a door opens, and Ludo slams it before marching toward us.

“Aubrey,” he snaps as he holds up a thin strip of pink fabric. “What the fuck is this?”

“Your tie,” Aubrey replies with mock confusion. “Have you never seen one before?”

“It’s pink,” Ludo says with disgust. “It’s going to hurt my image.”

“What image?” Aubrey asks brightly while she bats her eyelashes. “The one in which you’re deeply in love with your wife and would do anything for her, including letting her have the wedding of her dreams?”

“I’mnotwearing a pink tie,” he grouses.

“Fine. I suppose you could wear a white one.”

“I’ll be wearing a black tie,” he snaps, “with a black shirt, black pants, and a black suit jacket.”

Aubrey rolls her eyes. “At least you’re not insisting on that stupid red jacket of yours.”

“Stupid?!It’s premium leather. I paid over six thousand dollars for it.”

Aubrey winks at me. “Sounds like a waste of money, but whatever. Wear black, I don’t care. But you’d better look happy when you see me walking down the aisle. I expect tears of joy.”

“Likewise,” Ludo drawls before spinning on his heel and marching off.

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