Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 93

"You're about to marry Elena, and you won't even let me hug you for a second?" Camille's voice carried clearly through the speakers.

"I already agreed to let you go through with the wedding with her!"

"Alright," Nathan said, his tone coaxing. " I know this is hard on you. I'm doing this for you, for us, for our future."

"I know," Camille replied softly. "You've been stuck in that fake marriage with Elena for five years. That couldn't have been easy."

The entire ballroom went still.

Everyone recognized those voices.

Nathan and Camille.

And the content of that exchange shattered whatever composure remained in the room.

People remembered exactly how it had looked back then. The Hawthorne family had been the one to formally propose to Elena. In the end, the woman who truly married Nathan was Camille, while Elena stepped in under a false identity and spent five full years taking care of the Hawthorne household.

From the way things were unfolding now, it was clear that aside from Charles, who had genuinely been kept in the dark, the rest of the Hawthorne family had known all along.

"That's cold," someone muttered. "They all went along with it and strung that girl along for five years."

"I heard Victoria wasn't even well, and Elena was the one taking her to doctor's appointments every single time. Not even a biological daughter would've done more."

"Don't just blame the Hawthornes. What about the Hart family? Elena was their actual daughter. They shoved her into that mess just to protect the adopted one. That's twisted."

Richard and Catherine were not spared either. Whispered comments followed them from table to table.

Nathan's face had gone beyond pale.

Then someone in the crowd asked, "Where's the bride?"

The ballroom fell abruptly quiet. Nathan's stomach dropped. Elena was supposed to make her entrance by now.

She was nowhere to be seen.

Charles assumed she had seen the video and stormed off. He lifted his cane and struck Nathan hard across the back. "Bring her back. If you can't, don't bother stepping foot in the Hawthorne estate again."

Nathan rushed upstairs.

The door to the bridal suite stood open. He pushed inside. The white wedding gown lay across the bed. The bouquet rested beside it.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Elena's number again and again.

A robotic voice answered each time. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently powered off."

Elena was gone.

At that very moment, Elena stood outside a sixth floor ballroom, dressed in her wedding gown, bouquet in hand.

The off shoulder design highlighted the clean line of her collarbones. A sheer veil covered her face, softening her features, hiding her expression.

Which only made the mystery more compelling. Guests strained to catch a glimpse of the bride's face.

They could not see it. Elena felt the weight of their attention, her palms damp as she moved toward the stage in time with the music.

Alexander stood beneath the lights, composed and steady.

He took her hand and placed it over his arm, drawing her to stand beside him. The officiant began the vows.

When it came time to announce the bride's name, he hesitated.

"Well... and joining Alexander today is..."

He had never been told her name.

A faint smile curved Elena's lips. Alexander had kept his word. Not even now had he revealed it.

She was about to speak.

"Ellie."

Alexander's voice cut in smoothly.

Her heart skipped.