Cruel Fortune (Cruel #2)(78)

Penn Kensington pitied me.

I’d told Lark that I wouldn’t run. But I hadn’t known until that moment that I’d been hoping it was Penn who would talk me out of it. Not just stand there as I went through with it. He really wasn’t going to stop it.

I swallowed and turned back to the man I was marrying. I was finally close enough to see the smirk on his strong features. A beautiful exterior hiding a dark interior. His look said only one thing—mine.

After tonight, I would belong to him.

He’d own me.

And no one was even going to object.

Not even me.





Natalie





34





Katherine and Camden said I do.

They kissed before the huge crowd.

Sealed their union.

It took a solid hour with mass, and when the wedding party finally filed out, it felt too loud for what had just happened. I knew it wasn’t just me that thought whatever we had witnessed was…wrong.

I had no affection for Katherine. And I liked Camden even less. They probably deserved each other. And yet, I’d seen something in Katherine’s eyes when she walked down the aisle. Fear.

Then, she’d found my face in the crowd and glared at me. As if, of all the attendees, I was the only one who didn’t belong. I probably should be reveling in the fact that she was getting what was coming to her after the shit she’d put me through. But that wasn’t me.

Lewis directed me out of the pew and down the aisle. His mom and sisters were clustered around us, discussing how beautiful and over the top and amazing the wedding had been. It felt like we’d been at two different weddings.

I glanced up at Lewis. “That was painful.”

He frowned. “Yeah.”

“I don’t think anyone else noticed.”

“Well, no one else knows that it’s arranged.”

I hadn’t thought about that. “I almost feel bad for her.”

“She could have gotten out of it.”

“Then, why didn’t she?”

He shrugged. “I really have no clue.”

But I had a hunch, and he was walking right past me. Careful not to touch me or even really look my way. Penn Kensington. Katherine must have thought he’d save her. Her knight in shining armor. But no one was there to save her. She’d had to save herself, and for some reason, she’d thought this was how she did it.

I shook my head as I ducked into the back of the car with Lewis. It was only a half-mile walk between St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the reception at The Plaza. But the snow was coming down even harder than it had when the ceremony first started. No one was going to make that walk when most of the attendees had drivers or had hired someone for the occasion.

We were whisked the scant blocks up to The Plaza, and Lewis helped me out into the cold. We rushed across the snowy sidewalk and up the steps that led into the historic twenty-story building that occupied the prestigious space on the corner of Fifth and Central Park South.

Lewis dusted snow out of my hair and off my coat. “It’s practically a New York City blizzard out there.”

“I am not fully equipped for it.”

He drew me in for a quick kiss and then walked through the lobby and into the foyer that led into the Grand Ballroom. The interior of the ballroom was decorated with thousands of red and white flowers. The classical style of the ballroom was highlighted with the intimate chandelier and flickering candlelight. The entire effect was effervescent and utterly romantic. I had to hold my breath to capture the entire image in my head.

Lewis put his hand on my arm to hold me from walking out of the foyer. I glanced up at him in question.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

“Well, more for us tonight.”

He removed a small plastic card from his pocket. He passed me the card with The Plaza logo stamped onto it. And, suddenly, I understood.

“You got us a hotel room?”

He shrugged. “I thought it would be romantic. A way to reset.”

Reset was an interesting word choice. I knew why he’d done this, of course. I had been more cautious about our relationship since all of that had come out. I hadn’t been staying at his apartment like I had before. I was the kind of person who lived by the motto, If someone shows you who they are, believe them.

It was why I still didn’t trust Penn. Why I detested Katherine. I couldn’t stomach Camden. And now, I’d never be able to look Edward Warren in the face.

But Lewis…I just felt unease about his actions. I wanted to move on from them. Reset, as he’d said. Maybe this would be the way to do it.

I pocketed the key and smiled up at him. “It’s a good idea.”

He grinned from ear to ear, wrapped his arm around me, and directed me through the doors to the reception. We gave a host Lewis’s name and were immediately directed to our table. As we got closer through the maze of tables, it became quite clear who was also seated at our table.

“Shit,” Lewis muttered.

Neither of us had considered it.

Katherine had put the crew together.

Penn and Rowe were already seated at the table along with a model, who appeared to be Rowe’s date, and four other people I didn’t recognize. There were three vacant seats. One between Penn and Rowe. One for Lewis. And one…for me.