LOGINElsieThe music began playing softly and everyone turned toward the entrance.My heart was already beating so hard that I could barely hear anything around me. I stood at the entrance with grandpa beside me, holding his arm as we waited for our cue. The open doors the guests were seated on either side of the aisle, and cameras flashed as soon as they caught sight of me.I took a slow breath, trying to calm myself.This was it.I was about to walk down the aisle and marry Alistair Grant.Grandpa gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re doing great.”I turned to him and managed a small smile. “I don’t want to do this Grandpa.”He smiled back refusing to acknowledge what I just said but I noticed the emotion in his eyes. He had been looking forward to this day, and I knew how much it meant to him to see me getting married to the man he choose for me The music grew louder as my grandfather guided me forward.I stepped onto the aisle, holding his arm tightly as we began walking. Every eye
ElsieSo apparently today was my wedding day.The words still felt strange whenever I repeated them in my head, especially considering how little time had passed since my divorce. Everything had happened so fast that I barely had the chance to catch my breath and now I was sitting in front of a mirror while two beauticians worked on my hair and makeup.I was already wearing my wedding dress, a beautiful white gown that Ariel had helped me picked out.The fitted bodice hugged my figure, while the flowing skirt spread elegantly around me. The delicate lace detailing and off-shoulder neckline made it look elegant.Ariel had taken charge of nearly every wedding arrangement and judging by the number of people moving around the room she had spared no expense.“Please tilt your chin slightly,” the makeup artist instructed snapping me out of my train of thoughts. I nodded trying not to move while she finished applying the final touches.Even my wedding with Adrian wasn’t as planned as this.
Elise I had been staring out of the car window for the past fifteen minutes, trying to convince myself that dinner with Alistair’s parents was not something worth getting nervous about but the closer we got to their house the more difficult that became. My fingers were intertwined in my lap and I kept rubbing my thumb against my engagement ring. Everything was happening so quickly that I barely had time to process one thing before another came along. Two days ago I had stood on a stage while Alistair proposed to me in front of hundreds of people, and now I was on my way to have dinner with his parents as their future daughter-in-law. The last time I had seen them was years ago, before my parents died. Back then our families were close, and visiting the Grant family house had been something I looked forward to. So much had changed since then and I wasn’t sure what to expect from them now. “You’re going to wear a hole through that ring if you keep twisting it,” Alistai
ElsieSo apparently today was my wedding day.The words still felt strange whenever I repeated them in my head, especially considering how little time had passed since my divorce. Everything had happened so fast that I barely had the chance to catch my breath and now I was sitting in front of a mirror while two beauticians worked on my hair and makeup.I was already wearing my wedding dress, a beautiful white gown that Ariel had helped me picked out.The fitted bodice hugged my figure, while the flowing skirt spread elegantly around me. The delicate lace detailing and off-shoulder neckline made it look elegant.Ariel had taken charge of nearly every wedding arrangement and judging by the number of people moving around the room she had spared no expense.“Please tilt your chin slightly,” the makeup artist instructed snapping me out of my train of thoughts. I nodded trying not to move while she finished applying the final touches.Even my wedding with Adrian wasn’t as planned as this.
AlistairIt’s been two days since my engagement with Elsie went viral and the announcement had become the only thing anyone seemed capable of discussing. The publicity had been useful in one respect: the board had stopped questioning the engagement and the press had accepted the story so far without digging too deeply and if we’re able to pull this off, we’ll be good to go. I was currently in my office reviewing a report Henry had left on my desk when my phone began vibrating beside my laptop. The name on the screen made me stop reading.Mum.I returned to the report ignoring it but It started ringing again less than a minute later. She had seen the photographs and realised her only son was engaged without telling her first.I had been avoiding her calls for two days because I could already imagine the lecture waiting for me. One thing mum has a talent for is turning a simple conversation into an interrogation, and she rarely stopped until she got what she wanted. She was very go
ELSIEIsabell and I walked out from the bathroom hearing applause coming from the ballroom.Alistair was on the stage with a microphone in his hand. He looked effortlessly confident as he addressed the guests, speaking about Grant AI’s partnership with the Sterling Foundation and its commitment to cybersecurity research and education.I stopped beside Isabella watching him and just immediately his eyes found mine.I could almost swear that he seemed to lose track of what he was saying as his gaze remained fixed on me and something about his expression made me uneasy.He looked almost relieved to see me.I quickly looked away wondering whether he had noticed my red eyes.“Before I conclude,” he said returning his attention to the audience, “there is something I’d like to announce.”The room quietened.“I’ve never been particularly comfortable discussing my personal life in public but tonight, I’d like to make an exception. There is a special someone here who has become an important par







