Chapter 4 - The Public Debut
The silence in the living room was deafening.
Emma's mother stared at the check with her mouth wide open.
Her father looked like he was going to faint.
Tessa's fake tears instantly stopped.
"You cannot be serious," Tessa hissed, dropping her tissue.
Adrian looked at Tessa as if she were dirt on his shoes.
"I am always serious, Tessa," he replied.
He tightened his grip on Emma's waist.
The warmth of his hand sent a shockwave through her body.
"Come, darling," Adrian said softly to Emma. "We have a gala to attend."
Emma let him lead her out of the house.
She did not look back at her family.
She climbed back into the black sedan.
"A gala?" Emma asked as they drove away.
"The annual Port Mercy Charity Ball is tonight," Adrian informed her.
He handed her a garment bag from the backseat.
"Everyone who matters in this city will be there, including the press."
Emma unzipped the bag.
Inside was a breathtaking, blood-red evening gown.
"You expect me to face the entire city tonight?" she asked nervously.
"I expect you to conquer them," Adrian corrected her.
Two hours later, Emma stepped onto the red carpet.
The red gown fit her perfectly, making her look dangerous and untouchable.
Adrian stood beside her in a flawless tuxedo.
Camera flashes blinded them as the media erupted in chaos.
Reporters screamed their names, demanding answers about the sudden switch in Marston brothers.
Adrian ignored them all.
He placed a massive, diamond-encrusted ring on Emma's finger right in front of the cameras.
It was ten times the size of the ring Cole had given her.
Emma smiled for the cameras, playing her part perfectly.
Inside the ballroom, the whispers followed them everywhere.
Emma excused herself to go to the restroom to catch her breath.
The hallway was dimly lit and deserted.
Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
She was shoved hard against the wall.
Emma gasped, looking up into Cole's furious face.
"You think you can humiliate me like this?" Cole snarled, smelling of cheap whiskey.
Emma tried to push him away.
"Let me go, Cole!" she demanded.
Cole raised his hand as if he were going to strike her.
Before he could move, a sharp voice echoed down the hall.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Cole."
Emma turned her head.
May you like
It was not Adrian standing in the shadows.
It was Tessa, holding a suppressed handgun pointed directly at Cole's chest.
