My Toyboy 299
An impatient voice came through the phone. “Not yet, almost there.”
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you here yet? Luke, if you don’t pull this off today, I’m not giving you a cent,” said Shirley.
“Bitch, you think killing someone is as simple as killing a chicken? Don’t I need to check the surroundings and find an escape route?” Luke hadn’t killed anyone before and was feeling a bit nervous.
But thinking about taking that 16 million dollars to gamble in Las Vegas, and his personal grudge against Cynthia, he decided to go all in.
He’d scored a gun on the black market, but doubts lingered. His biggest concern was Shirley. ‘If I went through with the hit, would she keep her word? Or was she just playing me?‘ He wondered.
But then he thought, ‘We were both in this together. If I got caught, I could reveal how she had killed her own father, and she’d spend the rest of her life in prison. Shirley wasn’t too foolish to risk her future on a gamble!
With these thoughts, Luke had already entered. He had an invitation from Shirley, but today it wasn’t even needed at all. The security guards who usually checked invitations at the entrance were nowhere to be seen. Luke casually strolled in. Dressed casually with a baseball cap and mask, he looked a bit sneaky. But in today’s setting, no one paid much attention to him. He quickly found an empty seat close to the stage and sat down. This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
At that table, there were just a few women with children. The women didn’t notice him at all, busy chatting away while holding their kids.
“The wedding’s started, so where’s the groom?”
“We’ve been here for a while, and Filip hasn’t shown up at all.”
“Ugh, I attended one of his weddings before, and he didn’t show up then either.”
“What was the Yates family thinking? They embarrassed themselves three years ago, and here they are again.
“Everyone knows today’s bride was the other woman back then, and now they’re throwing this big wedding with the groom miss. Just like three years ago, their reputation has gone down the drain!”
“That’s it. Look at the bride’s belly; she’s almost nine months pregnant. With the baby on the way, who knows why they’re bothering with a wedding.”
“I heard from Lucy that Pamela tearfully confided the wedding was the mistress’s idea, using her pregnancy to force the Yates family into it, even forcing the ex–wife be a bridesmaid or else she’d abort the baby.”
“Oh dear, how malicious! Ms. Jones is so generous to agree to this.”
“The Yates family must have pleaded with her. After all, he’s their eldest grandson. Ms. Jones really does have the patience of a saint.”
The ballroom had become a huge gossip hub. Everyone was wrapped up in the latest rumors, except for the Yates family, who were in chaos.
At that moment, Lilian was still standing on stage. The emcee hurried over, looking worried. “Ms. Sheppard, we can’t find Mr. Yates. What should we do?”
Without a groom, how could the ceremony go on? Yet, Lilian’s face showed no anger. Her gaze was fixed, her expression somewhat absent. She said, “Start the ceremony.”
The emcee thought he had misheard. “I’m sorry, what?”
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Lilian looked at the emcee and firmly said, “I said start the ceremony. Follow the usual procedure. If the groom is absent, the bridesmaid will take over all the parts of the ceremony.”
The emcee was extremely surprised. He had hosted so many weddings and had encountered brides or grooms having second thoughts last minute.
Typically, such incidents would halt the ceremony, and some excuse would be given to cover it up.
It was the first time he had met such a calm bride, who insisted the ceremony continue with the bridesmaid stepping in for the groom.
However, taking the money, doing the job. Since these were the family’s instructions, he had to follow them.
The emcee stepped to the center of the stage, microphone in hand, and announced with vigor, “Now the wedding of Mr. Yates and Ms. Sheppard has officially begun…”
As the emcee spoke eloquently on stage, the audience below was filled with surprise. How can a ceremony proceed with just the bride?
Even Pamela and Henry both thought Lilian was being reckless. It seemed Lilian was determined to bring embarrassment to the Yates family. Nevertheless, there was no turning back now.
The ceremony began, proceeding step by step under the emcee’s guidance. Finally, they reached the ring exchange. The emcee, holding the microphone, said, “Now, would the bridesmaid please bring up the rings for the bride and groom?”
Everything else was manageable, but the ring exchange was a challenge with only one person–how could it be done?
The audience watched with growing interest, as if they were watching a thrilling drama. Some even stood up and moved closer to the stage for a better view.
A crowd had gathered below, with women and children caught up in the excitement. The kids clapped and skipped, singing “Bride’s alone, groom’s on the run!”
The adults seemed intent on watching for amusement, not stopping the children’s loud singing, instead enjoying the spectacle.
How ever, Lilian’s mood wasn’t swayed by the surrounding commotion. She stood alone on the stage, dressed in a wedding gown, her head covered with a snowy white veil.
A beam of light descended on her from above, making her look like a white flower blooming in a deep pond.
first. Meanwhile, Cynthia heard her name called by the emcee and knew it was time to go on stage. As the bridesmaid, her sole duty was to deliver the rings. Despite her concerns for Jonathan, she had to head to the stage
Yet Cynthia felt puzzled, ‘Where exactly had Filip gone? Why didn’t he show up today? Even without him, why was Lilian so determined to hold the ceremony? Was it some deep–seated obsession?‘ She didn’t understand it, but she respected her decision.
Holding the ornate box with the rings, Cynthia walked onto the stage. She moved step by step towards Lilian, and as she walked, the lights created the illusion of a runway beneath her feet.
A spotlight shone down from above, and with each step she took flowers seemed to bloom–a trail of vibrant red roses, as bright as fresh blood.
At that moment, the lights throughout the banquet hall dimmed. There were only three spots of light across the venue.
One was on the bride standing on the stage. Another was shining on Cynthia, who was making her way forward. The last
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glow lit up a sycamore tree, entwined with moonflowers.
Light and shadows shifted,