Evie's ears almost exploded from the sudden shock. To avoid looking awkward, she immediately composed herself to fit into the ongoing drama and atmosphere.
"How are you doing, my dear nephew?" Westley asked teasingly, gazing daggers at Lucas, who was having a hard time breathing normally.
"Wh-what are you doing here, uncle?" Lucas' voice shuddered. He squirmed uncontrollably.
He looked completely vulnerable.
Westley, however, clenched his jaw, "Isn't it obvious that I'm here for my wedding, or what do you think?"
Lucas' face paled. He took a step back, darting his eyes around the room as if searching for an escape.
Seeing Lucas' cowardly behavior, Jessica clenched her fists. She'd never seen him so vulnerable like this and couldn't believe her ears when she heard him call the mysterious man in shades 'uncle'.
She immediately ran to check on the man and, upon seeing his face, Jessica couldn't help but let out a deep gasp. She couldn't believe that the man in shades, whom she had insulted all this time, turned out to be the country's mysterious hotshot and also Lucas' younger uncle.
Her gaze now shifted to Evie.
How did this filthy bitch get to meet such a powerful man like him? I'm sure she seduced him into coming to stand places and marrying her, she reasoned, feeling immersed in envy.
"M-mother would be... displeased if she knew you were here," Lucas stammered, trying to regain some composure.
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots, nephew..." With feigned fear, Westley chuckled, the sound sending cold shivers down Lucas spine.
"You know I always get what I want, and what I want right now is to see you handle this little situation with Evie."
His eyes turned icy sharp, "Go on your knees and apologize to her right now!"
This time, Elder Ye came to have a quick look at Westley, who was so serious with his words. There wasn't even a single trace of softness in his expression.
The elder made no move to oppose Westley's demand of his grandson, who came across as quite arrogant. The reality was, if Lucas dared to disobey his younger uncle, Westley, he would have the rest of his life utterly doomed– just as his mother had warned him before.
Fighting away his stubbornness, Lucas fell to his knees and then apologized.
"I'm sorry for treating you badly and disrespecting you publicly. I know I insulted you so much that I deserve to be punished, please forgive me."
Even though Lucas said those words and knelt in front of her with a genuine voice, Evie rolled her eyes at the apology that had all the sincerity of a plastic plant.
However, she decided to play along with her new power. "Apology accepted."
"What should be his punishment, my love?" Evie's heart fluttered as Westley addressed her as 'my love'. A faint blush touched her cheeks, but she promptly said in an uncaring manner, "He should walk out of my sight on his knees."
Lucas instantly shot her a laser gaze.
"Are you deaf? She said you should leave her sight with your knees on the floor." Westley ordered ruthlessly.
"Of course I will," Lucas responded, smiling like an idiot.
"I swear, I will make you regret your entire existence for putting me into this kind of embarrassment." He muttered under his breath, clenching his hand on the red carpet.
Jessica felt her skin itch and moved her gaze to Evie, who turned out to be way more than happy to see Lucas suffer in front of her.
Out of annoyance, she faced Westley and yelled, "You made him apologize to this shameless witch! And now you want to allow him to get punished because of her. You shouldn't be so cruel to your nephew. Don't you have any human sympathy? The person you should be cruel to is no one other than your so-called slutty new wife. Don't you know you're under her seducing spell like she once did to your nephew until this day when his eyes were wide open."
Westley's voice, cold as ice, ordered. "Go on your knees and apologize for disrespecting her."
The command nearly turned Jessica to stone.
She hissed, "Over my dead body."
This time, everyone present in the hall, including Lucas, already knew Jessica was going to be in deep trouble, including the paparazzi who kept taking videos and pictures of this scene.
"Seize her, and deal with her until she's learned her lesson!" Westley commanded in a low, dark voice.
Immediately, two of his escorts moved to grab her, another one joined them and stood in front of her, cracking his wrist bone.
"You're in so much trouble, Miss." He said, smirking.
Jessica was about to scream for help, but then, a sharp slap landed on her face.
Pah!
Another one, Pah!
Pah! Pah!
No one in the hall, including Henry, could stop them.
Lucas, halfway crawling from the hall, appeared looking horrified at the public humiliation of his supposed wife. It was all because of that a*shole!
"Uncle, please tell your bodyguard to stop. They are hurting her." Lucas cried from afar.
Westley ignored him completely.
"Will you apologize to our master's wife or not?" The escort in charge of dealing with Jessica asked.
The taste of blood filled her mouth. She adamantly replied. "I'd better die than apologize to that bitch!"
Five more burning slaps landed on her cheek. When Jessica still didn't apologize, the number doubled to ten.
Jessica finally surrendered. "I'm sorry, please! I will apologize now!"
The escorts left her and watched her fall to the ground miserably. They stepped aside as she slowly went to her knees, facing Evie in tears.
Evie felt sorry for Jessica, despite knowing she deserved far worse.
"I apologize for ever crossing you, for every harsh word, for every deceitful act." Jessica's voice was hoarse, her face swollen and streaked with tears. "Please, forgive me. I know I don't deserve it, but please…" Her words dissolved into desperate sobs.
Evie watched with an expression that was unreadable.
A strange mix of satisfaction and unease churned within her. This was what she had wanted... to see Jessica ruined, to finally witness the downfall of the woman who had caused her so much pain since her childhood. Yet, the sight of such raw despair was unsettling. It wasn't the triumphant feeling she had imagined.
After all, she was too soft to be heartless like the people who betrayed her…
"Get out of my sight!" Westley sharply exclaimed.