Chapter 11
Sylvia got into the car without looking back. As the engine started, she snapped her SIM card in half and tossed it out the wintow.
If no one would love Sylvia Ellery, then she would love herself!
Never again, Washington.
Never again, everyone.
There were no direct flights to the uninhabited island, so she had to fly to the nearest country first then take a boat.
By the time she reached the island, a full day and night had passed.
The estate had already been built according to her specifications. All she needed to do was move in.
Knowing that coming and going from the island might be inconvenient, she’d simply purchased a yacht with her abundant financial resources.
Though she didn’t anticipate needing to leave the island much, she wasn’t sure if her parents and boyfriend would feel the same way, so better dafe than sorry.
Pushing open the estate gates, she found everything inside perfectly equipped.
She looked around, quite satisfied with her surroundings. This would be her home from now on.
Just as she took out her phone to ask when her custom–made family would arrive, the door to the villa opened from the inside, and a handsome young man appeared before her.
Seeing her, he paused briefly, but quickly realized who she was. He smiled, stepping aside to let her in while calling to two other people inside.
Having heard that their employer would arrive today, the three had been waiting for some time. After meeting her, the other two started to introduce themselves.
“I’m Ethel Whitaker, your custom–made mother, and this is Gary Whitman, your custom–made father.”
The kind–faced older woman spoke first, also introducing the man beside her. When it came to the young man she’d met initially, he jumped in before the woman could continue:
“Hi, I’m Ronald Ainsley, your… custom–made boyfriend.”
Edwin and Sylvia’s wedding was set at Washington’s most prestigious hotel.
This highly anticipated celebration had drawn nearly every notable figure in their social circle, all eager to witness what many called the “wedding of the century“.
Just as the ceremony was about to begin, a backstage staff member came running up to Edwin with heavily breathe, and whispered urgently in his ear.
The guests couldn’t hear what was being said, but they watched as Edwin’s smiling face suddenly froze, then gradually hardened.
He waved the staff member away and turned his back to the audience, hiding his expression.
“Sir, the wedding’s starting soon, but the bride’s still not here… Should we ask if something went wrong on their end?”
Recalling what the staff member had just told him, Edwin’s heart pounded like a drum. The sense of unease that had been haunting him since yesterday intensified.
He pulled out his phone and dialed the number he knew by heart without even needing to save it. After a long series of rings, the call was abruptly disconnected.
In that moment, his heart sank completely.
Still refusing to believe it, Edwin stubbornly redialed her number. This time, he immediately got a busy signal.
21:03
Money Heals What Love Destroys
6.4%
Chapter 11
He stared at his phone in disbelief. Itad she… blocked his number?
He quickly dialed the villa’s landline.
This time someone answered, but before they could get a word out, Edwin cut straight to the point: “Where’s Sylvia? Has anyone seen her? She must’ve forgotten what time the wedding starts–go tell her we’re about to begin right now!”
His voice trailed off, losing confidence with each word.
Sylvia had never been the type to lose track of time, especially not for something this important. And she had blocked his number.
Still, he desperately hoped the staff would give him a different answer.
There was a commotion on the other end as people were presumably dispatched to look for her. Soon, a nervous voice came through:
“Sir… we can’t find Miss Ellery anywhere. But the staff found… the wedding dress burned down to just the frame and… and the wedding ring in the garden…”
The words hit Edwin like a thunderbolt. Without thinking, he rushed to the front of the hall, scanning the crowd frantically. When he realized Matt wasn’t there either, something inside him snapped.
He frantically dialed Matt’s number, his mind consumed by one thought only: Sylvia had run away. Nothing else mattered.
In front of hundreds of guests, he bolted from the wedding hall, leaving behind a wave of shocked gasps and whispers.
Matt answered quickly. Hearing Edwin’s breathless voice, he was confused and about to ask what was happening when Edwin’s nearly broken voice came through.
“Where are you?!”
The bride didn’t show up, and the groom walked off in front of everyone. The entire wedding dissolved into chaos. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Ellery took the stage to calm the situation.
No one could have predicted that “wedding of the century” would end in such disaster.
