Forty-Three
Nancy stood frozen, her stomach sinking as two security guards flanked Ari and started leading her towards the exit.
Ari wasn’t fighting them. But her whole body was taut, her chin lifted in defiance, eyes glittering with a dangerous mix of anger and amusement.
Nancy, on the other hand, wasn’t remotely amused.
Paris had wasted no time spinning her tale, her voice ringing out to the hall, perfectly measured to sound both reasonable and wounded as she dropped the knackered necklace into her tiny clutch.
‘It’s honestly sad,’ she said, pressing a delicate hand to her chest as she addressed the watching guests.
Cal appeared at her side, the concerned husband. She took his hand, though she didn’t seem to notice he was there in any meaningful way as she addressed her audience.
‘I always knew she never quite got over me, but to go this far? Over a necklace? She gave it to me when we were together, sure. And when I ended things, I said I wanted to give it back to her. But she insisted I keep it. My god, if she’d asked me this weekend, I’d have given it to her. And now I find out she’s been creeping around my room, going through my things? I feel utterly violated. And on my wedding day.’
Nancy, keeping ten people between her and Helen, clenched her teeth so hard she felt her molars protest.
Paris barely spared her a glance as she continued, spinning her fiction with effortless ease. ‘But I suppose seeing me move on was too much for her. It’s the only explanation, isn’t it?’
Nancy suddenly stopped giving a shit if Helen was going to recognise her. ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ she couldn’t stop herself from saying.
That got Paris’s attention. She turned, one perfectly arched brow lifting. ‘Something to say?’
Nancy folded her arms. ‘Yeah. What a load of bullshit.’
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, but Paris only sighed, like Nancy was some foolish child who just didn’t get it.
Helen was looking at her directly now. Her expression still didn’t betray recognition. Nancy was starting to think she was face blind. Either way, it didn’t much matter now.
‘Nancy, I get that you’re Ari’s little protector or whatever, but honestly—’ Paris shook her head with a pitying smile. ‘You don’t know what she’s like. You think you do, but she’s always been like this. Jealous. Petty. Toxic.’
Nancy’s fists curled at her sides, rage creeping up her spine.
Ari might be a lot of things—reckless, infuriating, a complete pain in the arse—but she wasn’t the villain Paris was making her out to be. And she certainly wasn’t some heartbroken, jealous ex trying to sabotage Ari’s wedding.
‘Where are they taking her?’ she demanded.
Paris’s father appeared. ‘We have a room,’ he said, barely glancing at her. ‘The police have been called.’
The police. Nancy felt a sickening lurch. Nancy barely had a second to process it before Paris’s voice cut through again, sharp and dismissive.
‘You should go.’
Nancy frowned. ‘What?’
Paris tilted her head. ‘You’re her guest. And I don’t want her guests at my wedding.’ Paris took a step closer, lowering her voice just enough so the words were only for Nancy. ‘You can go quietly, or I can have security escort you out as well. Your choice.’
Nancy’s pulse pounded. She wanted to fight. Wanted to shove past Paris and go after Ari, to fix this, to stop it from spiralling into something even worse.
But she couldn’t. Not in a room full of people eating up every word Paris was feeding them.
So instead, she did the only thing she could do. She turned on her heel and walked away.
***
Outside, the night air hit her like a shock.
The sounds of the party still rose right back up from inside—music, laughter, the clinking of glasses, like nothing had happened. Like a guest hadn’t just been dragged off in disgrace and another discarded.
Nancy moved on autopilot, her feet carrying her to the young valet. ‘Mines the silver Maybach.’ He nodded and ran off.
He drove up a moment later, and Nancy got in and drove off the grounds of the manor.
She didn’t get far, only a few hundred metres down the public road. Then she parked up on a dirt layby and got out of the car. She stood there, hands braced against the side of the vehicle, breathing hard.
She should leave. She’d been told to leave. But Ari was still in there. And as much as she’d created this entire situation, Nancy still couldn’t bring herself to leave her.