Chapter 6%
He was flanked by a group of sharp–suited men, their movements precise, calculated, like a silent warning.”
But he wasn’t alone.”
In his arms, he carried a small, delicate girl, no older than four, her tiny fingers curled around the lapel of his suit./
The moment they stepped inside, his sharp gaze swept across the room, scanning his surroundings like he was searching for something, or someone.“]
“Dad, put me down,” the little girl huffed, wriggling slightly in his hold. “I want to find Mom. She said she would be here today!”
And just like that, Colton, the man known for his ruthless, ice–cold demeanor, smiled.
He crouched down, placing her gently on the ground and ruffled her soft curls. “Go ahead,” he said, his tone warm in a way that no one in this room had ever heard before.”
The bodyguards behind him immediately fell into position, their eyes locked on the little girl as she took her first steps forward.”
A ripple of realization swept through the crowd. People froze. This was her. The child Colton Jagger had hidden from the world for four years.”
Which meant, if she was here… so was Mrs. Jagger. The shift in the room was instant.”
The murmurs started almost immediately. “Mrs. Jagger is here?” someone whispered urgently. “Get a gift ready, now.”
“Everyone knows she’s Colton’s weakness. If we can just get on her good side, there’s no deal we won’t be able to close.“}
The wedding, the spectacle–Jason and Yolanda’s big day–suddenly didn’t matter. Because Colton’s wife was somewhere in this room. And she was worth more than anything.”
Yolanda, sensing the change, scrambled into action. She shoved her way through the crowd, practically lunging toward the little girl.
With a bright, almost desperate smile, she grabbed a handful of candy from the nearest table and held it out.”
“Sweetie, you’re so cute!” she gushed, her voice practically dripping with fake warmth. “I like you so much! Here, have some candy!”
The little girl blinked up at her. Then, slowly, her tiny brows furrowed. She took a small step back, pouting and crossed her arms.[
“Mom told me not to take food from strangers,” she said, her voice firm. Then she tilted her head, giving Yolanda a once–over before scrunching her nose.”
“And she said people who smile like that are usually human traffickers.” Her little lips pursed. “So, no thanks. I don’t like
you.”
Yolanda’s face was burning.
Completely humiliated in front of everyone, she forced a stiff smile, desperately trying to hold onto what little dignity she had left.
She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Jason grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
He turned to Colton, straightening slightly, his voice unconsciously carrying a respectful tone. “Uncle, you’re here. And my cousin too. But… where’s Aunt? I don’t see her.“}
Colton’s face remained unreadable.[
“She came early,” he said casually. Then, with a hint of amusement in his tone, he added, “What? You didn’t see her?”
Jason blinked. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Of course he didn’t see her–he had no idea who she was.
But the way Colton said it, it sounded like Jason should know. Like he was supposed to recognize her.
Before Jason could even wrap his head around it, a small but very clear voice rang out.”
“Mom said before she left home that she was coming to an old friend’s wedding,” the little girl piped up, tilting her head at Jason. “Don’t you even recognize your old friend?”
Jason barely had time to react before she kept going.”
“You’re worse than a kid at remembering things,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “I only had to look at one family photo to figure it out. You’re the one who died and came back to life.“”
Jason’s expression froze. A few guests coughed into their hands, trying to stifle their laughter. Yolanda looked absolutely mortified.”
The little girl–Nora, apparently–wasn’t finished.”
“You’re not dead, so why are you saying you’re alive again after five years?” she asked, her little face scrunched up in confusion. “You’re so old, but you’re not as honest as me! You lied for five whole years! Aren’t you ashamed?”
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Jason opened his mouth, completely lost for words. Then, as if she had just remembered something, Nora frowned. “Aren’t you getting married today?” she asked, voice impatient. “Can you stop wasting time and help me find my mom?” Jason still hadn’t recovered when Yolanda’s voice rang out, sharp and eager. “Sweetheart, we haven’t seen your mom,” she said, stepping forward with a sickeningly sweet smile, “but we have seen a bad woman pretending to be her.”
Nora blinked up at her, nose wrinkling slightly.”
Yolanda, fully aware that all eyes were on her, made sure to project her voice so the entire room could hear.
“Not only did she pretend to be your mom,” she continued dramatically, “she even faked your mother’s wedding ring to try and seduce your father.”
The second the words left her mouth, the entire room fell silent. Colton’s face dropped.
The warmth he had shown his daughter only seconds ago vanished completely. His entire presence seemed to shift, the air around him turning dangerously cold.”
Yolanda, completely oblivious, took his silence as encouragement and kept going.”
“Uncle, you don’t know how disgusting this woman is,” she said, her voice rising with excitement. “Just a few days ago, she was parading around with a fake version of the wedding ring you gave Auntie! I told her that you only love your wife, but do you know what she said?”
Yolanda let out a sharp, dramatic scoff, shaking her head.
“She actually claimed her husband was you!” She nearly laughed, as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “She was so shameless, Uncle! It was absolutely pathetic!”
Jason frowned. Something about this felt… off. Yolanda was trying way too hard.
His instincts screamed at him that something wasn’t right. He reached out, lightly grabbing her wrist in an attempt to rein
her in.
But before he could stop her, Colton smiled. It wasn’t friendly. It wasn’t warm. It was cold. Sharp. Dangerous.
His voice, when he finally spoke, sent a chill through the air.
“Really?” he said smoothly. “Why don’t you tell me, who exactly is this shameless woman?“}
Yolanda, completely missing the shift in the atmosphere, stood a little taller, confident that she was about to expose someone in front of Colton Jagger himself.
With absolute certainty, she declared, “It’s Jason’s ex–fiancée. My sister. Whitney Xavier.”
The words had barely settled in the air before the expressions of the people standing behind Colton changed drastically.
But Yolanda, still completely unaware, was practically glowing with pride.
“Jason has lost his memory and only loves me now,” she declared confidently. “She ran to our wedding just to cause trouble. Says she only loves Jason, but she had your wedding ring on her finger. Isn’t it obvious? She’s trying to seduce you, Uncle Colton. The audacity.”
She let out a dramatic sigh.”
“I may be her sister, but I’ve always known what kind of person she is. Fickle. Vicious. Jealous. She bullied me constantly at home–I endured everything. But this? Pretending to be your wife? That, I can’t tolerate.”
She turned to Colton, her voice taking on a sweet tone.
“But don’t worry, Uncle,” she said smoothly. “We already punished her for you. Cut off her lying finger and threw it out the window. You won’t find it now. And if you’re still not satisfied, you can hit me, kill me, just don’t hold back just because I’m your niece–in–law.“}
Silence. Then->
“Who the hell do you think you are?” The sharp voice cut through the air. One of Colton’s assistants stepped forward, immediately blocking Yolanda.
“You really think he would give you face?” he scoffed before turning to the guards. “Get the young miss out of here.“} Within seconds, bodyguards moved in, carefully lifting Nora and leading her away.”
Yolanda finally hesitated. She turned to Jason, expecting him to back her up. But Jason wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at Colton.
And Colton’s expression was unreadable, but the icy rage in his eyes was impossible to miss. Jason finally noticed it too.” The guest list. He had invited everyone here personally. Except one person.
And then there was Nora. A little girl whose face, now that he really looked at her, was too similar to Whitney’s.”
An absurd, impossible thought crept into his mind. And yet, he couldn’t shake it.”
