For the past four weeks, Kai had been secretly searching all over the city for the drunken red-haired beauty who stole from him.
He hadn't been able to let go of her intoxicating scent or her passionate cry after that reckless, unforgettable night with her.
She had come out of the blue, like a beautiful mist, sweeping across his stormy ocean and taking his breath away.
Sadly, before the sun rose, she was gone, leaving behind nothing but her sweet scent and a mark of her innocence.
And to make things more complicated, he never got to know her name or find out the real reason behind her tears.
But he knew it was because of a man, because she never stopped shredding the entire male species–the main reason she had caught his attention in the first place.
After more than a month of searching in vain, Kai was in the process of giving up when his twin brother, Kaleb, came up with a post about a rising fashion brand that was taking the market by storm. And at the bottom of the post was the brand co-owner, Ruby Angelo–the beautiful red-haired lady–smiling to the camera.
Without a moment to spare, Kai dug out every information there was to know about her. And to his shock, he realised that she was about to tie the knot with her co-brand owner, in a traditional countryside wedding that same day.
Taking his fastest sports car, he drove for hours until he finally arrived at the peaceful countryside of Rollington County, where the wedding was set to take place in the evening.
His plan was very simple, stop that wedding from happening and steal the bride from her jerk of a husband..
What he didn't anticipate was that someone else had an almost identical agenda up their sleeve.
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Back to the wedding ceremony...
"I object to this union." Bailey shot up to her feet, unable to hold back her anger as Derek kept ignoring her.
Wild gasps echoed across the church auditorium as every pair of eyes turned to look at her,
Ruby's icy gaze narrowed at Bailey, her hands coiling into a fist and her fingernails digging into her palm. While Derek stood frozen in horror, panic seizing his heart.
"Bailey! What has come over you? Sit down this minute!" Her mother's angry voice chided.
"No mother, I won't." Bailey's trembling voice echoed in the silence, tears streaming from her eyes as she said. "I can't watch him marry her. I just can't. He doesn't love her. It is me he loves."
"Is this some kind of a sick joke?" Derek's father, Augustine, whipped his gaze towards him.
"Bailey!" Ruby's father –Jonathan– angry voice boomed like a thunderclap. "What is the meaning of this nonsense? Have you lost your senses? Sit down before I come down there and make you to."
"Uncle, I'm very sorry but I can't let Derek marry Ruby. He belongs to m...."
"Shut that stinking mouth of yours, your little rat." Donna shot up to have feet, waving her finger threateningly like an angry mother bear ready to pounce on a prey. "How dare you cough out such nonsense on your cousin's wedding day? Have you gone mad?"
"No aunty." Bailey stood her ground, earning herself ridiculing comments and nasty glares. "I haven't gone insane. I'm simply fighting for what is mine."
"Monica..." Ruby's mother, Agnes, rose like a firestorm about to unleash mayhem. "...if you know what is good for you, drag that lunatic you call a daughter out of this church before I strangle her with my bare hands."
"Bailey, you've embarrassed yourself enough. Come, let's go?" Her mother's commanded harshly as she grabbed her by the hand, and started pulling her away to the door.
"Derek, say something." Bailey pleaded. "Tell everyone much much you love me."
Derek's face twisted with horror and rage as he glared dangerously at Bailey, infuriated by her stubbornness.
"Derek what is the meaning of this rubbish?!" Ruby who had been quiet all the while, demanded angrily, pretending not to be aware of their affair. "Are you having an affair with my cousin?"
"I don't know what she is talking about, sweetheart." Derek voice trembled as he took Ruby's hands. "You are the only one I love. Bailey must be mistaking me for someone else."
"How could you say that, Derek?" Bailey wriggled her wrist out of her mother's hold and ran forward. "Tell her the truth for once in your life. You know you don't love her. You only agreeing to this charade because of your family. You said it a million times to me."
"Get out of here, Bailey!" Derek roared. "You are ruining my wedding."
"Bailey please..." Her humiliated mother attempted to drag her away. But she adamantly stood her ground.
"If you don't have the balls to tell her then I will."
"Bailey...." Derek growled, stepping forward to shot her up but Ruby stopped him, her voice sharp and final.
"Let her speak."
"But baby..."
"I'm listening, Bailey." Ruby rudely cut him off, whipping her icy gaze to her cousin.
A sly smile curled up Bailey's lips as she tilted her mocking gaze to Ruby.
"I'm sorry you have to find out this way cousin but Derek and I have been together for the past three years. We even made love last night and he confided in me how he wishes I was his bride."
"Ah..."
Wild gasps echoed across the room, with murmurs rising as every judgmental eye flickered to the groom.
"Shut up, Bailey." Derek roared and Bailey flinched. "You no that is not true."
"Derek!" Donna whispered breathlessly, her hands cupping her open mouth.
Agnes froze momentarily, her alarmed gaze shifting to her future son-in-law.
Both fathers were temporarily dumbstruck and so were the rest of the family.
Even the priest officiating the wedding ceremony was paralyzed by the revelation.
"Three years!" Ruby's shimmering eyes flared up. "You've been cheating on me with my cousin for three years and you even slept with her last night?
"No..." Derek shook his head, his voice cracking as he fell on his knees before his bride. "Baby....please. don't listen to anything she's saying. She's lying."
"I'm not lying." Bailey quickly dug her hand into her side pocket as she observe Agnes marching towards her. She yanked out some printed sheets which she waved in the air for everyone to see. "I have proof of four abortions and a..."
Smack!
The sound of a reverberating slap echoed in the auditorium as Agnes's hand connected with Bailey's cheek, cutting off her words.
Bailey's head whipped to the side, her shriek of despair filling the entire church, causing a deafening hush to fall across the room.
The report sheet in her hand fell, fluttering like a wingless butterfly–some landing on the floor and others caught by curious guests eager to know the truth.
One of the report sheets fell close to Donna's feet and she slowly picked it up with trembling hands.
It was a recent pregnancy test report which showed that Bailey was seven weeks pregnant.
"Oh God!" Donna's head suddenly began to spin, and her legs wobbled like jelly as she leaned on the nearest pew for support, her alarmed gaze flickering to her son.
Meanwhile, Agnes, who was blissfully unaware of Derek's treachery, turned on Bailey like a wounded tigress trying to protect her cub.
"Get out of this place right now, you shameless girl," Agnes yelled at the top of her voice.
"I'm sorry, Aunty..." Bailey cried bitterly holding her burning cheeks, her teary eyes flickering to Derek to protect her like he promised.
"Out!" Agnes screamed, and Bailey's parents hurriedly dragged their daughter out of the church in shame while apologising to Agnes.
Sadly, the damage was already done as a visibly enraged Ruby picked up from where Bailey stopped.
"Four abortions! Really Derek." Ruby's voice cracked like a whip, the sting of Derek's betrayal hitting deeper than a venomous snake bite. "How could you do this to me. To us."
Murmurs and side whispers rose like a tidal wave, with the confirmation report sheet of Bailey's abortion claims gaining more recognition.
"Baby, please...I can explain."
"Explain what!"
Tears of betrayal and rage clouded Ruby's eyes. But she refused to let it fall. Not for this cheating bastard. She stared him straight in the eyes and spat out.
"I saw you, Derek. I saw both of you on our bed, entangled underneath the sheet."
"What?!" Donna's jaw dropped.
"No!" Agnes froze mid-step as her daughter's trembling voice filled the church.
Elena's grip tightened around the bouquet, her inflamed gaze shooting daggers at Derek as she finally realised the reason behind her bestie's cold feet.
"Baby, please.... Don't do this here." Derek tried to hold Ruby but got a fierce slap across the cheek.
"Don't you dare touch me," Ruby screamed at the top of her voice. "I was willing to go through this wedding because of the love I had for you and our family. But this...is too much."
Derek ignored the humiliation and the burning sting on his cheek as he continued to beg Ruby.
"This marriage is over." Ruby spat out between clenched teeth. "I'm done." She turned around and took to her heels.