Skipped At The Altar, Taken By His Uncle novel Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Chapter 62

“Hey, Whitney.” Dustin was the first to break ranks and actually sound friendly.

The other two mumbled halfheartedly, “Hey, Whitney.”

Klein wasn’t having it, and his brow furrowed. “Louder. And mean it.”

Eric rolled his eyes internally and drawled out, “Hey, Whitney.”

Oliver did the same.

It wasn’t that they had anything against Whitney. They just didn’t appreciate Klein pulling the seniority card on them.

“Whitney, you look really familiar,” Dustin said, tilting his head. “Have we met before?”

Whitney’s chest tightened. ‘Of course we’ve met,‘ she thought. ‘The Campbell family and the Grant family were both at that wedding.

Oliver leaned in and nodded. “Yeah, Whitney, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere too.”

A second later, he sucked in a sharp breath, and it was obvious Joanne had just pinched him. He pressed his lips together and went quiet.

The guys were all childhood friends, and they quickly fell into their own rhythm, talking about things only they understood.

Joanne stepped forward and took Whitney’s hand. “Let’s go check out the other side. You guys keep chatting.”

Whitney wasn’t used to kindness from strangers, and it caught her off guard.

They hadn’t gone far when Joanne let go of her hand. She stuck out her tongue playfully and grinned. “Don’t you think what they were talking about back there was super boring?”

Whitney laughed softly. “Yeah, a little.”

“I’m Joanne, by the way. What’s your name?”

“I’m Whitney. I actually know who you are.”

Joanne blinked in surprise. “Oh, have you seen my work?“,

“No.” Whitney had actually recognized Joanne the moment she saw her.

When Whitney first graduated and joined PrimeBridge Law Firm as an intern, she’d seen Joanne walking out of Ivan’s office with red–rimmed eyes.

She’d been to their firm before.

Joanne could tell Whitney didn’t want to elaborate, so she let it go. “You hungry? Want to grab something

to eat?”

7

Whitney nodded, but this dress was so eye–catching that she had to move carefully there wit could actually sit down and cat properly in it.

Joanne smiled. “Your dress is gorgeous, by the way. You could walk a red carpet and outshine had the

celebrities there.”

“Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say.”

Joanne was clearly outgoing and bubbly, a sharp contrast to that Oliver guy from earlier She had primary

extrovert energy.

Whitney felt a strange sense of disconnect. ‘She’s changed so much, she thought, remembering that brief glimpse from years ago. “I saw you at the firm that day.”

Joanne froze for a second, her mind clearly going back to that time. “Wait, you work at Prime Bridge Law Firm?”

Whitney nodded. “Yeah, I’d just started. I was still an intern back then.”

“That explains how you know me. God, I was such a mess that day.” Joanne let out a rueful laugh. “My agency had just screwed me over, and I was staring down this insane breach–of–contract penalty. I must’ve looked awful when you saw me.”

Whitney just smiled. “You look really good now.”

Joanne’s eyes sparkled with quiet humor. “Compared to back then? Yeah, I guess I am doing better.”

But she was still miles away from where she wanted to be.

Joanne asked, “How long have you been seeing Mr. Harris?”

Joanne had been working alongside Oliver for three years, so she’d run into Klein more than once. Sometimes they called him Klein, and other times it was Mr. Harris–it all depended on the setting and their mood.

But Joanne knew one thing for sure: a low–profile powerhouse like Klein rarely showed up anywhere with a woman on his arm. So she couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is this girl actually his girlfriend?‘

Whitney’s ears turned pink. “Um, not that long.”

They weren’t even dating.

The two women kept chatting while Klein and the others headed upstairs to the second floor.

Oliver watched Klein glance back every few steps and let out a light scoff. “Quit looking back like some lovesick fool. Relax, your girlfriend’s with mine, and my girl’s sweet. She’ll take good care of Whitney.”

“This is all your fault. We’re going to be late,” Hannah said, and her voice had an edge to it.

If her mom hadn’t insisted she bring along a friend’s daughter, she would’ve been there ages ago. They’d agreed on six–thirty, but Tina didn’t show up until seven–thirty.

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Chapter 62

“I’m so sorry, Hannah. My car broke down on the way here,” Tina said, and she looked frazzled.

Her palms were already sweating when she thought about what she had planned for tonight. The more guilty you feel, the more things go wrong, she thought.

She’d been sure the drug was in her purse, but then she’d realized she had left it at home and had to rush back to get it.

Hannah shot her a look but didn’t say anything else. ‘Well, we’re late now, she thought. I just hope Oliver hasn’t left yet.

Hannah was also one of Paul’s students, in the same year as Oliver.

She wasn’t particularly close to Paul, but she’d been crazy about Oliver for years now.

And then he started dating a no–name actress. ‘An actress is fine, but why not me?‘ she thought bitterly. I’m a Wills family heiress, for God’s sake!

The Wills family wasn’t quite top–tier, sure, but they were leagues above bottom–feeders like the Moores. That was why Hannah looked down on Tina so much.

As soon as they walked into the banquet hall, Hannah left Tina behind and went straight to find Paul.

Tina felt a flash of anger, but she didn’t dare offend her. She scanned the room, looking for Klein, but he was nowhere to be seen. ‘Did Mom get it wrong?‘ she wondered. ‘Is he not even here?‘

Then her eyes landed on a figure in the corner, and her breath caught. It was Whitney.

*****

Whitney and Joanne hit it off surprisingly well, and they got so caught up in conversation that they lost track of time.

A sharp female voice cut through the air. “Whitney. What are you doing here?”

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