Chapter 1
HAPTER 1: THE BRIDE WHO THREW CAKE AT A STRANGER
The wedding reception at the Grand Regent Hotel was supposed to be the happiest day of Claire Morrison's life.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the ballroom.
White roses decorated every corner.
Hundreds of guests filled the room wearing elegant gowns and tailored suits.
Everything looked flawless.
Until Claire noticed a woman she didn't recognize.
The woman stood near the head table wearing a simple emerald-green gown. She wasn't a bridesmaid. She wasn't listed among the guests Claire knew. Yet several hotel managers seemed unusually attentive whenever they spoke to her.
The sight immediately irritated Claire.
The wedding had already tested her patience. Vendors had made mistakes. Decorations weren't perfect. Small problems kept appearing throughout the day.
And now there was a stranger standing in a VIP area.
"Who is she?" Claire demanded.
Nobody knew.
One bridesmaid casually suggested she was probably hotel staff.
That answer was enough.
Claire marched across the ballroom.
Guests watched curiously as she stopped directly in front of the woman.
"This area is reserved for family and VIP guests."
The woman smiled politely.
"I know."
The calm response only made Claire angrier.
"Then why are you standing here?"
"I was invited."
Claire laughed.
"Invited by who?"
Before the woman could answer, Claire grabbed a plate of chocolate wedding cake from a nearby table.
A hotel manager immediately looked alarmed.
"Ma'am, please—"
Too late.
The cake flew through the air.
Chocolate frosting exploded across the woman's face and emerald dress.
The ballroom fell silent.
Music stopped.
Conversations died.
Every eye turned toward the scene.
Chocolate slowly dripped from the woman's cheek.
But she didn't react.
She didn't yell.
She didn't cry.
May you like
She simply stood there watching Claire.
And somehow, that silence felt far more dangerous than anger.
