Chapter 4

"This must be my last day as a delivery girl. That lady must have reported it to the gym manager, and he might have informed my company already," she thought, anticipating the consequences of the incident.

"Why do you always get hurt?" she heard a voice.

Lifting her head slightly, she recognized a familiar face. Stuart stood there with a plaster, while Roy had already gone behind both of the girls. He knew that she would be in a bad mood and Stuart had never done anything to pacify her. Stuart, having noticed Christi at the gym earlier, had thought to provide her with a plaster before leaving.

"Thank you, sir," she accepted the plaster, their fingers brushing slightly, sending a chill through her body. Her ears turned red, and Stuart found himself momentarily captivated, both lost in a silent exchange.

For a moment, Stuart's mind went blank, as if struck by an electric current. Neither of them moved, their eyes locked, until Christi broke the trance, saying, "Thank you, sir."

She quickly tried to stick the plaster to her wound but struggled. Stuart took a seat beside her, gently took the plaster from her hand, and skillfully dressed the wound. Christi, overwhelmed, avoided eye contact, and stared at the floor.

"It's finished," Stuart said.

"Thank you again. I think I won't need it anymore.  By the way, this is my company's address. If you want to compensate, just contact them. I won't be working there anymore," she gave him a small card.

He took the card silently as she left the place promptly. 

Next day:

Stuart and Camilla were in the car heading to his office. The atmosphere was a bit awkward as they hadn't spoken since the incident at the gym. Camilla was unsure if Stuart had witnessed her embarrassment.

"Stuart, I...," she began hesitantly.

He understood her unspoken words and calmly said, "It's okay. When we reached the gym, you had already left. The manager told me what happened. Leave it; the past is past," he remarked, his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," she managed to say.

They soon reached the company, where everyone was engrossed in their work, preparing to sign a significant project. Once the project was completed, they gathered in the hall for a press meeting.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending our press conference. Our CEO, Mr. Stuart, will now answer your questions," announced the host.

After addressing questions about the project, Stuart's father took the microphone and surprised the crowd by revealing Stuart's impending marriage to Miss. Camilla Williams, the daughter of their business partner.

The crowd buzzed with speculation, and a bold journalist asked, "Excuse me, sir, but this is the sixth time you've announced Mr. Stuart's wedding, and it has never happened before. What's the reason?"

Stuart, taking the microphone, replied, "It didn't happen before; that's why I'm announcing it now."

The press erupted in further discussion. Camilla, noticing the chaos, took the microphone and confidently stated, "Hello, everyone. I'm the only daughter of one of the top businessmen in our country. I know about Mr. Stuart's canceled weddings. I don't know about other brides, but I won't disappear. I'm damn sure about it. Stuart and I have known each other since childhood."

Stuart nodded in acknowledgment, and the couple shared details about their engagement and impending marriage.

"Thank you for your immense support for our company and family. We look forward to future cooperation," Stuart concluded.

The press meet concluded, and they headed to Stuart's home to discuss wedding plans.

Despite everyone discussing venue, dresses, and makeup, Stuart remained engrossed in his laptop, seemingly indifferent to the wedding preparations. Camilla approached him, asking, "Stuart, when are we going to select our dresses?"

"I will check my schedule and let you know," he replied, immersed in his work.

"Why are you working now?" his mother chided as she joined them.

"Mom, I need to send an important email. Please understand my situation," he said. Turning to Camilla, he added, "You can buy anything you want. You can even select my dress. I have no problem. Don't worry about money; buy everything you like."

He handed her a black credit card, then excused himself for a phone call. Camilla's face turned pale, but Stuart's mother reassured her.

Soon, all the arrangements were made, and both families decided to celebrate the wedding at the palace where Stuart's parents had married. Everyone traveled there for two days, but Stuart couldn't join them due to a crucial business meeting.

The day before the wedding

Stuart was going in his car alone. He had to travel through a small village on his way. Suddenly his car stopped midway. Stuart, who was working on his laptop, asked the driver, "What happened?"

Stuart, engrossed in his laptop, asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know, sir, but there is a log across the road."

As he looked at the obstacle, a gunshot rang out, and the driver slumped over the steering wheel.