"You’re drinking too much," Hugo said with concern, noticing Max chugging down drinks like a man parched in the desert. "If you keep doing that, you might end up very drunk even before the night ends."
Max huffed, glancing at Hugo, clicking his tongue before emptying his glass.
"Damn you," Max cursed under his breath. His gaze shifted towards where Ginnie was seated, glaring daggers at Kiara and Lily.
Why them?
Well, Kiara’s only sin was dating this jerk Hugo! anwhile, he resented Lily for even trying to befriend Kiara, knowing full well that her best friend, Ginnie, was in love with Hugo.
Was Lily even a friend?!
"After all the effort I’ve put in..." he grumbled, pouring another glass of wine.
Setting up dates for Ginnie and Hugo had beco routine. So days, Hugo declined, and other tis, Ginnie was too busy to respond. Yet, Max persisted in trying to spark sothing between them.
It didn’t matter how many tis he orchestrated these etings for them. However, Hugo still pursued Kiara, despite Max’s relentless warnings about her. And now, at Nina’s wedding, poor Ginnie had to pretend she was unaffected.
"Do they think what I’m doing is easy?" Max lanted, his heart heavy with bitterness. "I have to suppress my own feelings so she can be happy. But damn it!"
He drowned his sorrow with wine, feeling overwheld. His heart ached knowing he had chosen Ginnie’s happiness over his own desire to pursue her. For him, her happiness was his happiness, but so was her despair.
While Max drowned his sorrow, Hugo nudged Dean. "Hey, is he alright?"
Dean, sipping his wine, raised an eyebrow at Hugo, glancing at Max, who seed to be drinking more than was wise.
"I don’t know him," Dean replied coldly, dismissing Max. "But I know he hates for ’stealing’ his best friend."
aning Finn. After all, Max and Finn had been best friends.
Dean shrugged indifferently, continuing to sip his wine. Witnessing Finn getting married still felt surreal. Dean couldn’t believe Nina had married him—or that Finn had gotten married at all.
"She seems to have beco respectable," Dean mused, watching the newlyweds return to their table. "But why him?"
Seated beside Dean, Zoren nodded in agreent. "That’s a question I ask myself, too."
Dean glanced at his uncle skeptically, and Zoren avoided his gaze. "You just hate that they have another son-in-law, don’t you?" Dean remarked, and Zoren looked away.
"No," Zoren replied flatly. "It’s just too soon for them to get married."
"But you married Penny without telling anyone."
"..."
"You two didn’t even have a proper wedding."
"..."
"Should I propose to her?"
"Do you want to vanish from this world?" Zoren retorted swiftly after keeping his silence to Dean’s every jab. "Say the word, and I’ll send you to where the eldest brother is."
Dean grimaced. Just ntioning Atlas was enough to remind him of all the painful experiences with the man. Because of him, everyone seed to think Dean was into n, believing Atlas had left Pierson Corporation to continue his relationship with Dean. Hence, every ti soone needed Atlas, they would approach Dean, hoping he knew sothing. Everyone believed Dean and Atlas were still eting in secret.
"Penny and I agreed we’d only have a proper wedding after my eldest brother gets married," Zoren explained casually, eyes on the bride and groom. "I think the second brother plans the sa."
"Yep." Hugo, previously preoccupied with Max, suddenly chid in, smiling at the two. "That’s the plan."
"You’re getting married?" Dean asked in surprise. "When did you propose?"
Hugo humd thoughtfully, rubbing his chin before grinning. "I haven’t yet, but I think it’s better to take her to the marriage bureau one of these days. Proposing invites the risk of rejection, and I don’t want to be rejected."
Everyone: [O.O]
"You’re... you’re going to marry her?" Max scoffed, as if his lover had just confessed to leaving him for soone else. "What about..."
Hugo raised an eyebrow, cocking his head. "What about... what?"
Max opened and closed his mouth, realizing he couldn’t ntion Ginnie’s na. Instead, he blurted out,
"?"
Everyone: [?_?]
anwhile, at another table, Angel and Mark couldn’t help but stare at the commotion unfolding at Hugo’s table.
"My gut tells not joining them was the best decision I’ve made in a while," Angel remarked, shaking his head. "Sothing weird is definitely happening over there."
Mark remained silent, observing the reactions of everyone seated at that table (Hugo’s). It was clear sothing was amiss.
"Don’t let them see us," Mark muttered, but before he knew it, Slater sat down at their table.
Angel and Mark turned to Slater, only to see a sour expression on his face. Slater raised an eyebrow at the two, glancing back towards the commotion.
"Strange things are happening everywhere," Slater comnted. "For once, I want to be around normal people. My father is telling everyone he’s succeeded in raising a normal child, so I’d like to keep it that way."
Mark and Angel nodded quietly, unsure how to respond. They didn’t mind Slater’s company alone, but they should have known he wouldn’t be the only one. It was only the beginning of the ruin of their peace.
Suddenly, Mint sat down and joined them, drawing the attention of Angel and Mark. Their faces soured at her white tux, which made her look like the groom. Mint grinned and adjusted her ribbon, but then froze when she felt an ominous presence take the seat next to her.
"Hello there, beautiful groom."
They turned to look at the newcor, and their expressions twisted in dismay. Seated next to Mint was another man in a white tux, as if he were the groom: Ray.
"Mint, if this is our wedding, it’ll look like a sa-sex marriage, which I don’t mind—" His words were cut short as Mint sent him flying across the garden venue, shouting:
"LEAVE. . ALONE!"
Despite the force of her actions, Ray kept returning, driving Mint to zero options but to run or hide from her relentless stalker for the rest of the night and... for the rest of her life.
Reviews
All reviews (0)