The wedding reception buzzed with chatter, the clink of glasses, and the soft glow of fairy lights, but Lara felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her. Her parents had pulled her aside after Jake's outburst, their faces stern—her mom in a floral dress, her dad in a gray suit, both looking at Ethan like he was a criminal. Ethan stood nearby, his green eyes downcast, his hands shoved in his pockets, the weight of his debt now a public shame.
"Lara, how could you bring someone like this into our family?" her mom asked, her voice sharp, her arms crossed. "Ten thousand dollars in debt? What kind of future does he have? We can't give you the loan—not with him involved."
Lara's heart sank, her hazel eyes filling with tears, the bakery flashing in her mind—Sweet Haven, her dream, slipping away. But then she looked at Ethan, his head bowed, his shoulders tense, and something fiercer rose in her chest. She loved him—debt or no debt, loan or no loan.
She stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tears. "Ethan's not perfect, but neither am I. My bakery's failing, and I've been a mess since Jake broke my heart. But Ethan makes me better—he believes in me, and I believe in him. I don't care about the loan. I care about him."
Her dad's face softened, but her mom shook her head. "Lara, we can't support this. You're on your own." The words stung, but Lara felt a strange relief—she'd chosen Ethan, chosen love, and that felt like enough.
She walked back to Ethan, taking his hand, her fingers lacing through his. "I meant what I said," she whispered, her hazel eyes meeting his green ones, a small smile breaking through her tears. "We'll figure it out—together."
Ethan's eyes lit up, a mix of gratitude and love, and he pulled her into a hug, his arms tight around her, his voice low. "I don't deserve you, Lara. But I'm not going anywhere. We'll save your bakery—I promise."
They rejoined the reception, dancing under the fairy lights, Lara's head on Ethan's chest, their love stronger than ever. But as the night ended, a man in a dark suit approached Ethan, his voice cold. "Ethan Cole, your creditor sent me. Payment's overdue—pay up by next week, or we take your studio."
Ethan's face paled, his grip on Lara tightening, the new threat looming over their fragile happiness as the wedding music faded into the night.
To be continued…