Chapter 4

The next day, news of my upcoming wedding with Adella flooded Lowell City.

Though she favored Raiden, she knew deep down that I was her best option for marriage. I could offer her everything, not just my support, but also the power to skyrocket her career, whether through my reputation or fortune.

I was her best bet, and I knew it, too. Raiden wasn't even in the same league with me in terms of pedigree, power, and fortune.

I used to view a wedding as a sacred testament to our love and the starting line of a lifelong happiness. I remembered being overwhelmed with preparations for the wedding, yet every stressful moment was sweetened by the thought of giving Adella the best, perfect wedding.

Instead, she bailed on me time and time again. She abandoned me at the wedding and ignored my humiliation and the way the guests mocked me.

But now that she was finally settled down, I felt no joy at all. I looked at the way her eyes sparkled as she rattled off a list of media outlets and business partners she'd invited.

Deep down, I let out a self-deprecating laugh at the fact that I was such a fool. It took me this long to realize that she didn't love me anymore.

All she cared about was pushing Raiden, her secret lover, into the spotlight and helping him climb higher.

Leading up to the big day, Adella probably knew she couldn't afford any slip-ups right now and stayed on her best behavior. As for Raiden, he sent me different, daily updates, including intimate photos of them together and even explicit videos.

When Adella was with me, she was all conservative, but it turned out that she just didn't love me. With him, she was a completely different woman.

Perhaps it was her way of making it up to Raiden for marrying me, but she stopped flaunting him in my face. Still, she found excuses to slip away and see him every day.

I scrolled through the texts Raiden sent me daily, recording details of the beautiful life he and Adella fantasized about together, and let out a cold laugh. I truly hoped she could keep it together on the wedding day.

…

Soon, it was the big day. Adella and I stood at the entrance of the grand ballroom, she in her wedding gown and me in my tuxedo.

Everything was perfect, but deep down, we both knew that this wedding wasn't meant to celebrate our love. It was a publicity stunt for the shooting club.

The ballroom was packed with media and reporters. Adella didn't miss a single chance to pitch Raiden to the cameras, gushing about the prodigy athlete the shooting club had discovered. She relentlessly hyped him up and called him a rising star.

In the past, I might have felt threatened. But now, I just watched and smiled faintly.

If the clowns were working this hard putting on a show, the least I could do was show some respect, right?

Adella noticed my smile and thought I was mocking Raiden, so she shot me a warning glare.

Even now, her priority was to protect him. I couldn't help but lament the difference in her treatment of the men she loved and didn't.

When I gave her a half-hearted nod, she beamed, took my hand, and led me to the center of the stage. Smiling, she thanked the guests.

This was the first time she'd ever stood by my side to thank the guests hand in hand. I used to dream about moments like this, but now, it was nothing more than just my path to revenge.

To please me, major investors in the room were willing to drop fortunes just for a chance to dine with me. So with my backing, the shooting club became the ultimate hot asset every investor fought to invest in.

Reporters swarmed forward with questions. "Mr. Blaze, are the rumors true? Is this wedding truly for love, or is it just a business alliance?"

I looked at the smug Raiden standing in the crowd, then at Adella, who looked at me with expectant eyes. Smiling gently, I announced, "It's for love."

The ballroom erupted in congratulatory applause. Investors who hadn't even heard of the club started circling us like sharks smelling blood.

Seeing the plan working, Raiden couldn't even wait for the ceremony to end before he started trading flirtatious looks with Adella, who stood onstage.

Unfortunately for them, they celebrated too early. My seven years of financial funding and connections were reasons for this club's existence. Today, I was going to make sure Adella lost everything in front of the entire world.

As the thought crossed my mind, I gripped the microphone and continued, "But that's all in the past. We're divorced now."

Before anyone could process what was happening, I raised my voice and announced into the microphone, "I'm officially announcing that as of this moment, I'm withdrawing all investment and support from Adella Marlowe's shooting club.

"Let this serve as a warning to everyone in the room that I'll never partner with any firm that's associated with her again."