Chapter 3

Rachel noticed the surprise in Joshua’s eyes as well.

Eager to spoil a grandchild as soon as possible, she kept trying to push us together. “Louisa, why don’t you sleep in Joshua’s room tonight?”

Joshua refused coldly, “No.”

I quietly let out a sigh of relief. After all, we weren’t officially married yet.

Ever since Joshua returned, Yvonne had been visiting the Carter residence constantly. Every single time, I could hear the venomous thoughts in her head.

[A worthless poor girl actually thinks she can marry into the Carter family? She really has a death wish.]

[The only person who can marry Joshua is me!]

I didn’t know what Yvonne was planning, but the uneasiness in my chest kept growing, leaving me constantly on guard.

That afternoon, the butler brought me an evening gown and informed me that I would be accompanying Joshua to a banquet that night.

As night fell, the ballroom glittered with champagne glasses and flashing lights as I arrived holding onto Joshua’s arm.

A crowd quickly gathered around him to exchange greetings and business talk.

After standing in heels long enough for my feet to ache, I used the restroom as an excuse to slip away and find a quiet spot to sit down and grab something to eat.

The moment I picked up a glass of red wine, I saw Yvonne standing across from me.

She was here too.

Then her thoughts drifted into my ears.

[Once she drinks this wine, she’ll pass out. I already prepared ten men for her tonight. Let’s see how this filthy slut is supposed to marry Joshua after that.]

A chill ran straight down my spine.

Ten men?

Yvonne was truly vicious.

Since she wanted a show so badly, I decided to give her one.

I tilted my head back and drank the wine in one go.

The moment Yvonne saw me finish the drink, a triumphant smile spread across her face.

Not long after, dizziness hit me. I went upstairs and got a room.

Yvonne hurried over to Joshua, pretending to hesitate before speaking.

“Joshua… I saw Louisa sneaking into one of the upstairs rooms with a group of men…”

To make the situation bigger, she deliberately raised her voice so everyone around could hear.

Whispers instantly spread through the crowd.

Joshua’s expression darkened as he followed Yvonne to the room upstairs.

Furious, he kicked the door open.

When they saw the movement beneath the blankets on the bed, Yvonne’s eyes flashed with satisfaction. Pretending to be furious, she pointed accusingly inside.

“Joshua, you’ve treated Louisa so well. How could she do something this shameless?”

Joshua strode forward and yanked the blanket away.

The moment he saw what was underneath, he froze.

All ten men on the bed had their hands and feet tied up with ropes, with rags stuffed into their mouths.

Yvonne stared in disbelief. “How is this possible? I clearly saw Louisa enter this room. Where did she go?”

She tore through the entire suite searching for me, but I was nowhere to be found.

Joshua’s expression darkened as he turned and walked out.

Back downstairs in the ballroom, he spotted me sitting casually on a sofa, eating a slice of cake.

Yvonne followed closely behind him. The second she saw how calm and composed I looked, her expression twisted in anger.

“Louisa Shaw!”

I curled my lips into a smile.

I wasn’t stupid. There was no way I would actually drink the drugged wine. The moment I took a sip, I secretly spat it out.

Yvonne hurriedly tried to explain herself. “Joshua, you have to believe me, I really saw—”

Joshua cut her off sharply. “Enough, Yvonne. How much longer are you going to keep this up?”

Seeing him lose his temper, Yvonne didn’t dare say another word. She could only glare at me viciously.

Then I heard her embarrassed and furious thoughts.

[Why won’t Joshua believe me? Why is he protecting that bitch Louisa? Don’t tell me he’s actually fallen for her?]

Joshua liked me?

How come I couldn’t tell at all?

For the next several days, Yvonne never showed up at the Carter residence again.

Meanwhile, I stayed incredibly busy—trying on wedding gowns, preparing for the ceremony, and handling every detail of the wedding.

Even now, the thought that I was actually going to marry Joshua still felt unreal, like a dream.

On the wedding day, the entire city of Kingsford was shaken by the event.

The venue itself looked breathtakingly romantic, decorated like something out of a fairy tale.

Dressed in an exquisite wedding gown, I looked at Joshua’s handsome face as my heart pounded wildly in my chest.

Soon, it was time to exchange rings.

Joshua lifted my hand and was just about to slide the wedding ring onto my finger when Yvonne suddenly burst into the venue.

“Joshua, I finally found out the truth! The woman who entered your room that night wasn’t Louisa at all. She lied to you!”