A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 179

Amidst the cheers and laughter, Holden stood up. He extended a hand with solemn grace. "Miss Morgan, would you please stand before me?"

Iris, her cheeks flushed a vibrant pink, pressed manicured fingers to her lips. Encouraged by the rowdy applause of the crowd, she slowly stood and stepped in front of him.

Holden opened a velvet box, revealing a breathtaking diamond tiara.

"Put it on her, Holden!" Madeleine cheered, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

The room erupted in good-natured teasing. Holden chuckled, the rare sound softening the sharp, intimidating angles of his face. The deep-set eyes, the proud nose, the razor-sharp jawline—everything about him suddenly radiated a profound, exclusive devotion meant for one woman alone.

With long, elegant fingers, he lifted the heavy tiara from its resting place. It was designed with a hidden comb to secure it in place. Carefully, purposefully, Holden slid the combs into Iris's hair, his hands hovering just above her head.

Winifred noted the meticulous detail: he didn't even brush against a single strand of her hair. It was a display of utter reverence and care.

The tiara was entirely custom, the glittering diamonds spelling out the words *Forever* in an elegant, sweeping script. It was undoubtedly worth a fortune, but the real value was in the message: this level of devotion belonged solely to Iris Morgan.

As Iris beamed, the families crowded around them, flashing cameras to capture the perfect moment.

Seizing the distraction, Madeleine walked over to Winifred.

"I think I've had enough excitement for one night. Shall we go to my room for my treatment, Dr. Shultz?"

Winifred nodded. She excused herself to Nelly and followed Madeleine toward the stairs.

As they reached the doorway, Mrs. Lockwood from the Sixth Branch and the socialite, Coco, called out. "Can we come hang out in your room later?"

"Come by in a bit," Madeleine replied with a gracious wave.

Winifred's voice trembled with cold fury.

Years ago, the Lockwoods had illegally bulldozed Sterling Peak to develop the land, destroying the ancestral estate of Chester Shultz. Furious, Chester had dragged the powerful Lockwood family to court.

Terrified of the bad press and Chester's relentless legal assault, Roland Lockwood had sought a mediator. The mediator, a superstitious fortune teller, declared that the Lockwoods' young heir, Holden, was cursed with a tragic fate and required a "spiritual shield"—a child with specific astrological ties—to absorb his bad luck.

So, the Lockwoods offered a deal: they would adopt Winifred, promise her a life of luxury and the best education, if Chester dropped the suit.

Given his old age and failing health, Chester had agreed, moving to Emerald Mountain to rebuild, hoping Winifred would have a bright future.

But as Winifred grew up, she realized the bitter truth. She wasn't family. She was a tool.

Because her sole purpose was to "absorb" Holden's bad luck, Holden's sisters treated her worse than the hired help. Madeleine paraded her around to look like a charitable savior, giving her whatever the other girls had so the outside world thought she was loved. But behind closed doors, she was nothing more than a ghost taking up space.