Best Man, Best Choice

The second I said it, the whole wedding went dead silent.Malcolm, all smug a second ago, went stiff.Lumi played dumb, sticking out her tongue. "Irene, seriously? You mad? We were just messing around. Don't take it so personally. I even got you a sweet wedding gift—from one sister to another."She popped open a box and pulled out a sapphire ring.My chest tightened. That was the Lowell family heirloom.Malcolm once slipped it on my finger, all serious, calling me his future—the next lady of the house. Then he snatched it back, claiming it needed maintenance.Lumi smiled sweet. "Malcolm gave me this to mess around with, but the second I saw it, I thought it suited you more. So hey, consider it my gift."I glanced at the ring, then at Malcolm—his face frozen, caught in the lie.Pain stabbed through my chest.So that "maintenance" excuse was just a setup to hand it to her.I held myself steady and let out a cold laugh. "Shame to waste such a thoughtful gift. My groom and I alre

After the wedding, once the crowd cleared out, I stood by the car, eyeing Emmett.He looked away fast, lips tight—but his ears? Bright red.Bold on stage, but now he's shy over eye contact? Cute.Then he said, "Irene, don't waste your tears on someone who's not worth it."Caught me off guard for a sec.I didn't say a thing—just waved him over.He hesitated, then awkwardly climbed into the back seat. I reached out and pulled him in.He sat stiff as a statue, legs clamped together. I spotted the bruises on his cheek and lip, reached past him, and grabbed the first aid kit."Let me clean you up."He paused, one brow lifted, then tilted his face up without a word.I dabbed gently at the bruises.Eyes still shut, he asked, "What are you planning to do now?""Move out. Cut Malcolm off for good."A flicker of a smile touched his lips, but when he caught the tension in my face, he sighed and looked up, serious."I've got a few things to handle. In three days, I'll pick you up. We

It was Emmett.He sprinted over, untied me fast, and caught me in his arms. "Stay with me, Irene. We need to get you to a doctor."His warmth hit me like a wave—I could finally breathe.But just as he carried me out, Malcolm stepped in the way."Move," Emmett snapped.Malcolm didn't budge. "Who said you could take her?"He flicked his hand. His guys swarmed, blindsiding Emmett's crew.Outnumbered, they went down fast.Still, Emmett didn't flinch. Didn't loosen his grip.Malcolm scoffed. "You're just a rookie off the plane. I only kept you around 'cause you were convenient. With your bloodline? You're not even good enough to shine my family's shoes. And now you think you're some white knight?"Lumi clung to her fake sweet act. "Irene, you barely know him. Why would he care unless you two were sneaking around BEFORE you ditched Malcolm?"She let out this over-the-top sigh. "How could you? Malcolm was heartbroken."Emmett's face went stone-cold."Say that again," Emmett said,

City Hall.Emmett gently wiped the corners of my teary eyes. "Babe, I'm not letting you lose anything else. That home's gone, so I'll give you a better one."He looked down, almost shy. Those eyes? Total puppy mode. "And we already said we'd get the marriage license..."My heart thudded. I tried to say something, but he kissed me first.Still dazed, we kissed on the steps. Dazed, we got in the car. Dazed, we signed the papers.Even holding the marriage certificate, it didn't feel real."We really just got married like that..."Emmett grabbed the certificate, snapped a ton of pics, and started humming as he posted them on Facebook. Dude was glowing.His mood was contagious—I finally let myself breathe.What I didn't see coming? Right after the paperwork, he drove me straight to his family's estate.Smack in the middle of a forest stood this insane mansion—like straight-up fairytale castle vibes.Even the fanciest places I saw back when I was still an Irving didn't come close.

Right as he moved, Emmett signaled. Security hauled Malcolm out without a word.Emmett glanced at Lumi, who looked like a hot mess. "Not vibing with our jewelry? Cool. Don't bother shopping here again."She got dragged out, too.Their screaming echoed down the hall as Emmett called over his assistant, scribbling in big, bold letters: [Lumi Irving and Malcolm Lowell are banned from this property.]"Post it where everyone can see," he said.Watching him go full boss-mode for me? All that built-up frustration just... melted.I bit back a laugh. "What brings you here?"He just smirked, got the green light from my manager, and swept me away to the rooftop restaurant.Candlelight danced inside, the city glowing beyond the glass—warm, soft, kind of magical."What's all this for?""Our legal anniversary. The day we signed the papers."I laughed. "That counts?""Obviously."He slid over a gift box, grinning. "Check it out. Anniversary present."Inside was my old design notebook—th