The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 536

“He completely freaked me out back there,” Damaris breathed, leaning in. “The way he looked at me... I honestly thought he was actually in love with me and desperate to get married.” Nathalie let out a soft laugh. “You're just overthinking because you're stressed. Didn't he tell you he was just acting?” Damaris let out a massive sigh of relief, the tension draining from her shoulders. “You're right. I'm just paranoid. His acting is just so good he completely fooled me.” The makeup artist walked in, cutting the conversation short. Nathalie sat quietly by her side, watching as her makeup was touched up. The ceremony was only fifteen minutes away. Once today was over, they could finally close this nightmare of a chapter. Lawrence still hadn't shown his face, and as long as they made it through the reception, they were in the clear. Outside the suite, Lance stood against the wall, watching Bagot pace nervously down the hall. Bagot kept checking his watch, muttering under his breath. “Lance, it's been weeks. Why haven't we heard a single thing about him?” Lance crossed his arms. “If he wants to stay hidden, he has his ways. A man like him doesn't survive this long by being sloppy.” In the underworld, Lawrence had countless enemies. Slipping off the radar was practically his specialty. Bagot frowned deeply. “But the silence is driving me insane. I keep waiting for him to kick the doors in and take her. I went through hell to finally marry her.” Lance raised an eyebrow, catching the slip. “Are you telling me you smuggled personal feelings into this fake wedding?” Bagot froze. He let out a defeated breath. “Fine. I'm not going to lie to you. I did it on purpose. I just never factored a lunatic like Lawrence into the equation, and I had no other way to keep her close.” He looked Lance dead in the eye, his tone deadly serious. “Don't tell Nathalie. I want to wait until the dust settles to tell Damaris how I really feel.” Lance held his friend's gaze for a long moment before nodding. “Alright.” He respected the hustle. Risking the wrath of a psycho like Lawrence just to protect the woman he loved took serious guts. “Just prepare yourself for the worst,” Lance warned grimly. “Lawrence is out of his mind.” Bagot forced a tight smile. “The second I pitched this idea, I knew what I was risking. I'm not backing down, no matter what.” Lance clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder in solidarity. The clock ticked down, and the ballroom quickly filled with guests. Bagot took a few deep breaths to steady his racing heart. “It's time. Go grab a seat, Lance.” The lights in the grand hall dimmed, the excited chatter fading into a hush as the officiant took the mic. The heavy double doors swung open, and a brilliant spotlight locked onto Damaris. She looked ethereal in her gown, taking slow, measured steps down the aisle. But right as she reached the halfway mark, Bagot suddenly stepped off the altar and walked down to meet her. The crowd gasped in surprise. Even the officiant scrambled for a second before smoothly adjusting his script to keep the romantic vibe alive. Damaris stared at him in shock. “What are you doing?” she whispered furiously. Bagot stopped right in front of her, his gaze locked onto hers. “We're walking the rest of this path together.” Damaris's heart hammered against her ribs, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief. Crap, crap, crap! His acting was way too good! She had completely missed her cue again! Was he taking secret theater classes or something?