Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 24

"Are you unhappy?" The brief flicker of distraction in Louisa's eyes didn't escape Elijah.

Louisa shook her head lightly.

Looking at Elijah before her, she wasn't sure if she really knew him. His presence carried a natural authority, an effortless superiority, as if nobility had been woven into his very being. It felt as though no woman would ever truly be worthy of standing beside him.

Yet by some twist of fate, she had ended up at his side. No wonder Mandy looked down on her. Even Louisa herself thought the whole situation was absurd.

Fortunately, none of it was real.

Louisa withdrew her gaze and exhaled softly. "No. We're not actually married anyway. What Mandy thinks does not matter to me."

Something flickered in Elijah's dark eyes. "Let's go. We do not want to miss the ceremony."

The wedding itself was simple. From beginning to end, Eijah never released her hand, reassuring her in his own quiet way. For Louisa, everything about today, including the setting and the guests, was unfamiliar, except for Flora.

"Lou is so beautiful. You'll live a happy life together…" Flora repeated over and over. It was the only thing she truly wanted to say.

"Elijah, take good care of Louisa from now on. From today forward, she is part of your life," Elijah's mom, Mildred Abair, said gently. She wore an elegant dress, and though she was already in her 50s, she carried herself with warmth and grace.

"Louisa, if Elijah ever mistreats you, tell me. I'll discipline him for you. And this is what Albert and I prepared for you." As her words fell, a line of men in matching suits stepped onto the stage, each holding a tray. On them were bank cards, documents, car keys, property deeds, and jewelry.

This spectacle would probably make headlines tomorrow.

Louisa couldn't help thinking that if she had truly married Elijah, she would have become wealthy overnight.

He had prepared a wedding for Louisa too. He had even arranged wedding photos. However, the Holten family's wedding display showed Louisa's achievements and honors she had earned herself. He had seen those certificates and medals long ago, but had overlooked them.

What he gave her was romance. What the Holten family gave her was honor and recognition. Compared side by side, his love felt shallow and self-centered.

In his wedding photos, Louisa's image had been edited in. Meanwhile, the Holten family presented her in a real wedding gown. When he had those photos retouched, he had completely forgotten that Louisa once said she loved a traditional wedding.

He filled the venue with flowers and thought he had been thoughtful. The Holten family used the same flowers, but they had also given her everything he never could. The Holten family had prepared what he had prepared too.

This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. It had been planned long ago.

A blood feud. A stolen wife. Thaddeus carved every bit of it into his heart.