Chapter 6 - A Proposition at the Altar
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Ryan’s face flushed red with embarrassment as the two security guards flanked him and Danielle.
"Victoria, this is insane!" Ryan shouted as he was nudged toward the doors. "You're letting a stranger throw us out?!"
"He's not a stranger," I called back, my voice steady and iron-clad. "He's the officiating minister. And the wedding is officially canceled."
Danielle tried to throw a dramatic glance over her shoulder, expecting my mother to run after her, but my father firmly gripped my mother’s arm, keeping her pinned to her seat.
The heavy oak doors slammed shut behind Ryan and Danielle. The sound resonated through the sanctuary like a gunshot.
The church fell silent again. Two hundred people sat waiting, wondering what the bride was going to do next.
I stood beside Sebastian Sterling, the scent of his sandalwood cologne grounding me in the chaotic reality of the moment.
I turned to face him. "Thank you, Mr. Sterling."
"It's Sebastian," he corrected quietly, his gray eyes searching my face. "And you don't need to thank me, Victoria. You held the floor entirely on your own."
I looked down at my white dress, then back up at him. An absurd, electric thought suddenly sparked in my mind—a reckless, brilliant impulse born out of pure liberation.
"Sebastian?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes?"
"Does that dinner offer from last year still stand?"
Sebastian’s lips twitched into a subtle, dangerous smile. "I told you, Victoria. My offers never expire."
I turned toward the altar, taking a deep breath, and looked out at the rows of guests—my friends, my colleagues, my loved ones who had gathered to celebrate love.
I looked back at Sebastian, my eyes shining with absolute clarity.
"Since today's plans have changed," I said loudly enough for the front rows to hear, "how about we skip the tragedy, go straight to the Plaza, and drink three-thousand-dollar champagne?"
Sebastian let out a low, rich laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. He offered me his arm, bowing his head slightly.
"It would be my absolute honor, Miss Vance."
May you like
I placed my hand over his dark charcoal sleeve.
And as we walked down the aisle together, past the white roses and the cheering crowd, nobody in the room knew where to look—but nobody could take their eyes off us.
