All Chapters of My Teenage Sweetheart : Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

{Vanessa’s POV} The boutique smelled faintly of lavender and leather, the air-conditioned silence broken only by the quiet shuffle of attendants moving about. Vincent had insisted on bringing me here himself. “Why am I even here?” I whispered as we walked between shimmering gowns that looked like they belonged on red carpets, not on someone like me. “Because,” Vincent said smoothly, tugging me closer by the hand, “if I’m taking the most beautiful woman to the gala, she should look like she owns the night.” I rolled my eyes, though my heart fluttered. “You’re impossible.” “And you love it,” he teased. An attendant ushered me into the fitting room with an armful of gowns—silk, velvet, sequins catching the light like falling stars. The final dress they slipped over me was a midnight-blue satin that hugged my curves and spilled to the floor in waves. A slit climbed daringly up one thigh, and the off-shoulder neckline left my collarbones exposed. When I stepped out, the room f

{Vincent’s POV} It had been three weeks since that heartbreaking incident. The mansion was filled with silence; the corridors felt colder, emptier than before. The staff avoided my eyes, their whispers dying whenever I passed. It was as though even the walls themselves judged me. I was pouring a drink in my study when a hesitant knock broke the silence. “Come in,” I said sharply. The door creaked open and Mrs. Alder, the house manager, stepped inside. Her hands trembled as she clutched her apron. “Sir… can I have a word with you,” she began, her voice low, almost fearful. “I can’t carry this guilt any longer.” My brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?” Her eyes filled with tears. “That night… with Vanessa. It wasn’t what it seemed. Lady Sinclair and Miss Lisa… they drugged her. Paid that man to stage it. I—I helped serve the drink, but I didn’t know until it was too late.” Her words crashed over me like thunder, tearing the ground from under my feet. “What did y

{Vanessa’s POV} The lunch rush had hit Hearth & Home, and the place buzzed with energy. Servers hurried past with trays, customers leaned in close over meals, and the smell of garlic butter and rosemary hung thick in the air. I was wiping down the counter myself—sometimes the only way to make sure it was done right—when the door opened, and the whole room seemed to pause for just a second. Three men walked in, dressed too perfectly to blend in. The one in the middle caught my eye immediately. Tall. Immaculate. He carried the kind of confidence that made people move aside without a word. He looked like a man who’d never stood in line, never worried about rent, never lifted anything heavier than a pen. Wealth clung to him like a second skin Still, I didn’t know who he was. Maybe some businessman, maybe some politician’s son. All I knew was that he looked like trouble—the arrogant kind. “Hello,” I said with a polite smile as they slid into a booth by the window. “Welcome to Hear

(Vanessa’s POV) When I saw him, my entire body froze. The world seemed to tilt for a moment, the polished floor beneath me threatening to swallow me whole. Sitting at the far end of the table, dressed in a navy suit that looked like it had been cut to his very soul, was the same man from my restaurant. The arrogant customer who had ordered me to “impress him” and tossed money on the table like it was nothing. Only now… I realized why he looked so untouchable, why even his silence demanded attention. He wasn’t just some arrogant stranger. He was Alexander Marshall—heir to the Marshall Group empire, the man whose company’s invitation had landed in my inbox. A billionaire. A titan. And the person who now held my future in his hands. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. I couldn’t afford to show weakness. Not here, not now. “Miss Taylor,” one of the executives said, breaking the heavy silence. “Please, come sit.” I nodded, but my legs felt like they were made of sto