Chapter 3 Forced Resignation

Everyone froze.

For a moment, I thought Phoebe was finally going to let Annie go.

Instead, she suddenly burst into laughter. "Evelyne Grey's sister? Don't tell me you're also about to claim you came dressed as a groom because you're marrying Evelyne today?"

I nodded. "Now that you know, let Annie go—argh!"

Before I could finish my words, Phoebe slapped me viciously across the face. Gritting her teeth, she snapped, "Even now, you're still refusing to come to your senses. Looks like I really do need to teach you a lesson."

She raised her hand again, preparing to slap me a second time, but Julian stopped her. "Enough, Phoebe. Today's our wedding day. Don't waste time on trash like him."

Then, his tone shifted. "Actually, this is the perfect opportunity. Make Cassian write a resignation letter so he won't show up at the company later and ruin our mood again."

Although Phoebe had publicly claimed she was the one who salvaged the Lower Hollow project, the company executives all knew the contract had only been signed because I had personally met with the clients.

Naturally, the commission for the deal should have belonged to me. But if I resigned, everything would fall into Phoebe and Julian's hands instead.

Phoebe's eyes lit up immediately at the suggestion. She grabbed me and forced me toward the resignation letter.

When I refused, she pinched Annie's cheek hard and threatened coldly, "Children this young are so fragile. If she ends up with a scar on her face… or maybe loses a limb, will she still be able to live normally?"

I stared at her in disbelief. Phoebe was actually using a child to threaten me over a commission bonus.

Annie was terrified now, crying as she called out my name.

Phoebe snatched the bouquet from my hands and proudly handed it to Julian like she was presenting him with a treasure.

But I barely noticed.

I only looked straight at Phoebe and asked quietly, "If I write the resignation letter, you'll let Annie go. Is that it?"

Phoebe nodded, mockery curling at the corners of her lips. "Believe what you want. You have no other options, don't you?"

"I already warned you. Annie is Evelyne's sister, and I'm about to marry Evelyne. Aren't you afraid she'll come after you for humiliating her husband and her sister like this?"

The entire crowd burst into laughter.

"Cassian has completely lost it. He came here to crash the wedding, realized Phoebe wasn't going with him, then saw that Ms. Grey was also holding a wedding here today and started imagining he was marrying her instead."

"I bet he doesn't even know who Ms. Grey is. She's the richest heiress in Amberhollow. Ruthless, powerful, untouchable. Nobody dares offend her, and this idiot actually dares to impersonate her fiance? He's basically digging his own grave."

"The Lower Hollow project belonged to Ms. Grey's branch company. That's why the commission was so ridiculously high in the first place."

The crowd suddenly understood, and the looks they gave me became even more contemptuous.

My hand trembled as I gripped the pen. Humiliation and fury crashed through me in waves.

Once I finished writing the last word, Phoebe snatched the letter away. After glancing through it with satisfaction, she handed it to Julian.

"Now, will you let Annie go?"

But Phoebe's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Let her go? She splashed juice all over my wedding dress. Doesn't she owe me an apology?"

Annie and I were completely alone with no one to help us. I didn't want to keep getting tangled up with Phoebe, so I apologized immediately.

Phoebe let out a cold laugh. "You think one little 'sorry' is enough?"

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt and stared at her. "What else do you want?"

Phoebe sneered, then kicked the back of my knee. "If you're apologizing, then act like it. I want you kneeling while you apologize to me."

One knee slammed against the ground, but I still refused to bow my head. In just a little while, I would officially become Mr. Grey. If I humiliated myself here, I would be humiliating Evelyne too.

Phoebe clearly hadn't expected me to be this stubborn. Even after the kick, I still refused to kneel properly. Furious, she reached out to shove me all the way down.

During the struggle, the sleeve around my wrist was yanked upward, revealing more than a dozen luxury watches.

Julian's eyes lit up instantly.

"Well, well," he snapped. "Phoebe, you actually spent money buying Cassian this many luxury watches? Take every single one of them off him right now!"