Chapter 25 A Proposal And A Wedding #2
Sebastian adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, his voice smooth and precise.
“Besides, the Grand Palace Hall is my private property. What gave you the illusion you could call it yours? This place isn’t open to the public—certainly not for some pitiful proposal.
And tonight’s event is private. So leave.
” His gaze flicked over Lucas, sharp and mocking.
“Unless, of course… you’d like to stay as an uninvited guest at my wedding dinner. ”
Lucas’s face drained of color, disbelief and panic clashing in his features. His throat bobbed as he croaked out, “Today? Who—who is your bride? Who the hell is marrying you?” His voice cracked, the demand tangled with desperation.
Sebastian tilted his head toward the glowing golden board, his smirk widening. “Don’t you know how to read?”
Lucas went rigid. His eyes flicked to the blazing words, and his heart clenched so violently it felt like his chest had been split open. A crushing weight spread through him, suffocating, hollowing him out until he could barely stand.
And then, as if to drive the knife deeper, the grand entrance doors swung open once more.
Sebastian glanced toward the doors and watched as Emily walked in, radiant in a flowing white wedding dress.
The flowing white gown hugged her waist, flaring gracefully at her hips, and trailing behind her in a soft, cascading train.
The delicate lace on the bodice shimmered subtly, and the long, sheer sleeves added an ethereal elegance to her striking silhouette.
Her eyes flickered briefly toward Lucas, and Taylor—but then settled on Sebastian. She crossed the distance and came to stand firmly at his side.
“I am the bride,” she said. “Who else would I be?”
Lucas’s eyes widened. He stumbled back, horror etched across his face. “This—this can’t be real. You’re joking, right?”
Emily met him without flinching. “I’m already married to him, Lucas. You knew that.” Her face showed confusion more than cruelty. “Why is this a surprise to you?”
His lips trembled, his face draining of color. “No… no, this can’t be real. Don’t play with me, Emily. Don’t joke around. This isn’t funny.” His voice cracked, desperate. “Don’t scare me like this.”
“It isn’t a joke,” Emily replied, confusion shadowing her face. “Today, Sebastian and I are having our wedding ceremony.”
Lucas’s control snapped. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening. His voice tore through the hall, raw with panic and disbelief. “No! Today was supposed to be our day! I was going to propose to you, Emily. You were going to forgive me—we were going to get married!”
Emily’s eyes narrowed, cold and blank. Her words cut through him like a blade. “Forgive you? I would never forgive you, Lucas. Who even said I would? Let alone accept your proposal. I am already married to Sebastian!”
The world tilted beneath Lucas. His chest heaved, breaths shallow and jagged, as if the floor had dropped away under him. Sweat prickled at his temples; every nerve in his body screamed in disbelief. His eyes flicked between her and Sebastian.
Emily stepped closer, her words sharp. “You keep talking about love and proposals… but tell me, Lucas, when did you ever truly love me?”
“I do love you!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “Don’t you know? For five years, I’ve done everything I could to be with you!”
Emily’s lips curved slightly, but her gaze was cold as ice. “No,” she whispered, her voice low but cutting, “you only ever loved yourself.”
Her words grew stronger, each one hitting like a hammer.
“You never knew anything about me. Do you even remember what my favorite flowers are? The last time you came to me, you brought me Amelia’s favorite flowers.
I told you more times than I can count what mine were—but I was never important enough for you to remember. ”
Lucas’s lips parted in shock, but no sound came.
“You didn’t even know I was lactose intolerant,” Emily continued bitterly. “Something that could kill me—and when I told you, your only response was to ask why I hadn’t mentioned it before. I did. Many times. But you never cared enough to listen. Never cared enough to remember.”
She took a shuddering breath, her eyes unflinching. “To you, I was nothing but a nuisance. A woman who took up your time. Someone bothersome. Someone annoying.”
She inhaled shakily, her grip on Sebastian’s hand tightening. “And now you’re here, not because you love me—but because you can’t stand the thought of the woman who once loved you so deeply… marrying another man. I don’t want to be with you again.”
Lucas stared at the ground, his chest heaving, his hands clenched at his sides. His whole body was stiff, rigid, as if he no longer trusted himself to move.
Emily’s voice cut through the silence like glass. “I told you many times—I don’t love you anymore. I love Sebastian. But still, you insist I’m throwing an angry fit, instead of believing me when I say it. Do you know why? Because you only love yourself. Nobody else.”
Lucas lifted his head slowly, pain twisting across his face. He took a hesitant step toward her, his voice cracking as he pleaded. “Emily… teach me how to love you. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll love you the way you want to be loved. I promise.”
His trembling hand reached for hers.
But Emily immediately stepped back, pressing deeper into Sebastian’s hold. Sebastian’s arm tightened around her waist, holding her close.
“Leave,” Emily said coldly. “It’s time for me to get married.”
Without another glance at Lucas, she turned. Sebastian clasped her hand firmly and pulled her toward the stage.
At that moment, the second set of grand doors at the far end of the hall opened, and guests began to pour inside, filling the venue with rustling voices and footsteps.
Emily and Sebastian ascended the steps together, standing tall beneath the glowing lights as the ceremony began.
Lucas remained rooted in place. His chest felt as though it were splitting apart, his world dissolving before his eyes. His gaze stayed locked on Emily—on the woman he thought would be his forever—now standing at another man’s side in a wedding gown.
“Enjoying the wedding, Mr. Cantrell?”
The voice behind him was smooth, almost mocking.
Lucas didn’t move.
Jeremy, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, strolled up beside him. He slid his hands into his pockets, his lips curled in a faint smile, his face carrying no remorse.
Jeremy stopped beside him, eyes locked on the stage.
“Now you know how it feels,” Jeremy said, his tone low and edged with cruelty.
“To watch the person you love most choose another man—without a glance back, without even remembering you exist.” He tilted his head, a mocking smile tugging at his lips as his gaze lingered on Lucas’s face. “Are you in pain? Does it hurt?”
Lucas’s jaw clenched, his voice breaking with both hatred and despair. “You went to such lengths… just to take revenge?”
“Obviously,” Jeremy shot back without hesitation, his eyes hard.
“But this?” He gestured toward the stage where Emily and Sebastian stood, radiant under the lights.
“This isn’t even one percent of the pain you put Emily through.
You think you’re hurting now?” Jeremy’s smile vanished, his expression darkening with fury.
“Every time she came to you, every time she tried to talk to you, you broke her. Again and again. She loved you with a heart so pure and na?ve, and you crushed it until she literally died. And you dared call that love?”
Lucas’s eyes blurred with tears, his throat closing. His voice was raw when he asked, “Have you had your fun? Are you done?”
Jeremy didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the stage as the officiant’s voice rang out: “Now, the groom may kiss the bride.”
Jeremy’s lips twisted. “Look at her, Lucas. That necklace around her neck, those earrings, those bangles, that wedding ring on her finger—it’s all worth over five hundred million dollars.
Do you know why Sebastian gave her that?
Because Sebastian wanted her to feel like the most cherished woman in the world.
Meanwhile you…” Jeremy scoffed, disgust curling his words.
“You refused to even give her your mother’s old ring.
The one thing she asked for, just for reassurance that you wanted a future with her.
But made her fucking beg for it for years?
You dangled hope in front of her, waiting for the day you decided she was worthy. ”
His voice dropped, cold as ice. “You never deserved her.”
Lucas’s body sagged. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks, his vision swimming. His chest burned so fiercely it felt like his ribs would cave in. He couldn’t lift his head, couldn’t look at the stage.
Jeremy gave him one last cold look. “Stop pestering Emily. If you ever loved her even for a moment let her be happy now. She doesn’t owe you anything.”
With that, Jeremy turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Lucas trembling in place.
Lucas broke down, sobs tearing out of him. His tears poured freely, his cries silent but agonized, his eyes red and swollen. Dillon and Taylor tried to steady him, but he shoved them away violently.
“She was supposed to be my bride!” he roared, his voice ragged.
“She spent five years with me. She was supposed to marry me. And today—” his chest heaved violently , his words breaking into sobs, , his tear-filled gaze dragging back to the stage “—today I’m watching my wife marry someone else in front of my eyes. ”
On stage, Emily arched up on her tiptoes, Sebastian bending to meet her halfway. Their lips met in a slow, sealing kiss. The hall erupted in cheers, claps echoing against marble walls.
Lucas’s breath caught. His chest seized so painfully he thought his heart had stopped. He staggered, the world spinning around him.
“Lucas!” Taylor rushed forward, caught him just as his body collapsed, dragging him out of the hall.
But even as his vision blurred, Lucas’s gaze clung to Emily and Sebastian, burning their kiss into his memory. Only when the grand doors shut behind him—cutting her from sight—did his body finally give out.
He collapsed.
***
“Come here.”
Sebastian’s voice was low but commanding as he reached out, grabbing Emily gently by the arm and pulling her into his lap.
She had just slipped out of her heavy wedding gown, her makeup mostly faded after the long evening, her hair loose and cascading in waves down her back.
Now, dressed in a deep red satin nightgown, she looked softer—exhausted, yet breathtaking.
She collapsed into his lap, resting against his chest as he pressed a sleek tablet into her hands. “Look at this.”
Emily blinked, frowning in confusion, but obediently unlocked it.
Her eyes widened when she saw what was displayed—rows of photos of sprawling houses in the country and abroad, luxurious estates she had only ever seen in magazines.
The next folder opened to collections of rare jewelry—necklaces, earrings, rings that sparkled like captured stars.
Her brows knitted together as she looked back at him. “What is this?”
His eyes softened. “Your wedding gift,” he said. “From my family. All of this belongs to you now.”
Her lips parted in disbelief. “All of this?” she whispered, her voice caught between awe and protest. “But… I don’t want it. I only got married today. This should belong to you, not me.”
Instead of answering, he took the tablet from her, setting it on the nightstand with finality. Then his hand slid to her face, cupping her cheek gently, his thumb brushing across her skin as if she were made of glass. His eyes searched hers.
“Are you drunk, baby?” he murmured, his voice rough with concern. “Did you drink at the party tonight?”
Emily shook her head, her hair brushing against his arm. “No, I didn’t want to be drunk on our wedding night.”
A slow, soft smile curved Sebastian’s lips. Before he could say anything more, Emily rose up on her knees and pressed her mouth to his in a sudden kiss.
He caught her immediately, his strong arms tightening around her. In the next breath, he shifted, lowering her onto the bed, his body covering hers as their life truly began.
***
“I’m busy. Solve your matters on your own.”
Every time James Sinclair said those words, the light in Mia’s eyes dimmed a little more.
For five years she was his wife. Sweet. Obedient. Devoted. He believed she wanted his money and status. That was why she married him at nineteen. Why she would never leave.
Until one day, a call came…
“Miss Mia Bennett, your parents died in a car crash. Please come to collect their bodies.”
Shattered, she reached out to her billionaire husband. His only reply was, “I’m busy. Solve your matters on your own.”
“Okay,” she whispered. That night, she handed him divorce papers and walked out of his life, leaving all his wealth behind.
She never wanted money. She wanted love. He gave her nothing—so she took nothing.
James thought she wouldn’t survive without him. That she would crawl back. Instead, she vanished.
And when he found her again… she was living in luxuries far beyond his reach.
For some reason, Alexander Graves, one of the most powerful, cunning, and possessive billionaires in the country, was madly devoted to his ex-wife.
Now James is unraveling. Jealousy burns him alive.
But didn’t he already get exactly what he wanted?
Trilogy 2- The Billionaire’s Obsession Trilogy
Book 1- Craving The Obsession
Release Date: October 29, 2025
(Preorders Open)