Chapter 9
em
Chapter 9
In the dressing room, Isabelle sat quietly in front of the mirror, letting the makeup artist apply her eyebrows and lips.
The woman in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful, almost unchanged from when she fled her wedding three years ago, except for an even more aloof look in her
eyes.
She gently traced the lace on her wedding dress, a subtle smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Outside the door, Phoebe peered through the crack, staring intently at Isabelle’s back, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Just as she’d suspected–Isabelle wasn’t truly “gracious” at all!
She was just playing hard to get to capture Elliot’s heart. How calculating!
What made her even more furious was that Elliot had actually agreed to this makeup wedding. Even if it was just going through the motions, it was enough to drive her mad with jealousy.
“Isabelle…” Phoebe whispered, a flash of malice in her eyes. “You think you can show off to me like this? Dream on!”
She turned and left, her heels making no sound on the carpet.
Moments later, Elliot pushed open the door.
He was impeccably dressed in his suit, though his handsome face showed signs of impatience.
He glanced at Isabelle in the mirror and said coolly, “I’ll go through with this wedding today, but I hope you won’t make things difficult for Phoebe anymore.”
Isabelle looked up, meeting his eyes through the mirror with a gaze so calm it bordered on cold.
She didn’t answer, just hummed softly.
Elliot frowned slightly.
Something about Isabelle seemed different today, though he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.
Just as he was about to investigate further, his phone rang.
“Mr. Sinclair, something’s wrong!” His assistant’s voice was panicked. “Miss Evans is missing!”
Elliot’s face changed dramatically. Without another thought, he rushed out of the dressing room.
Meanwhile, in the airport waiting lounge, Sophie was quietly organizing her passport.
Her phone suddenly vibrated. She glanced at it–a provocative message from Phoebe:
“Even on your wedding day, Elliot will still abandon you for me. Tell me, who’s really more important?”
then
She read it expressionlessly, then took out her SIM card and snapped it in half-
11:23
Stand In Bride’s Escape: No More Chains, Only Freedom
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Chapter 9
“Crack.”
The sound of the card breaking was crisp and decisive.
She threw the pieces in the trash, as if discarding three years of endurance and pretense.
Back at the wedding venue, chaos reigned as guests whispered among themselves.
The officiant stood awkwardly on stage, unsure how to announce the wedding’s delay.
In the dressing room, Isabelle waited for a long time but Elliot never returned.
She stood up, about to go check, when the door was suddenly thrown open.
Elliot stood breathless in the doorway, his face terrifyingly dark.
His suit was disheveled, his hair damp with sweat–clearly he’d been running.
“Isabelle,” his voice was hoarse with suppressed anger, “something happened to Phoebe. The wedding has to be canceled.”
Isabelle looked at him quietly, then suddenly smiled. “Elliot, are you sure you want to abandon this wedding for an outsider?”
Elliot was taken aback, then said coldly, “She’s not an outsider! If you hadn’t targeted her before, why would she be in despair?”
Isabelle shook her head, her eyes holding a trace of pity. “How pathetic you are.”
Elliot was enraged by her words and was about to explode when his phone rang again.
He glanced at the caller ID, his face instantly turning pale.
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