CHAPTER THREE

SOPHIA’s POV

“Will you be my groom?”

The entire hall went dead silent as my voice echoed through the microphone. Even the reporters stopped moving for few seconds.

I stood in front of Eric Prescott, my heart pounding so violently I could hear it inside my ears. From the corner of my eyes, I could feel hundreds of dazed gazes fixed on my body, all waiting for him to reject me publicly.

But Eric remained seated, calm and impossible to decipher. His grey eyes stayed on my face for a long moment, like he was trying to figure out whether this was desperation, revenge, or both.

My father pushed through the crowd instantly. “Sophia, step away from him now.” I ignored him completely.

Eric finally spoke, his voice smooth and dangerously calm. “You’re asking me to marry you in front of your former groom?”

I smiled faintly at the sound of that. Former groom sounds so accurate. I lifted my eyes to him, and for a brief second, the noise inside the hall faded into nothing.

Up close, Eric looked far more dangerously beautiful than I had ever seen him across business magazines or distant meeting rooms, his features were breathtaking. His body filled out the black suit perfectly, finely crafted jawline, straight nose, dark neatly styled hair, his grey eyes. I was close enough to smell the richness of his cologne.

Daniel’s voice suddenly cut through my thoughts. “Enough with this madness.” He glanced nervously toward the reporters still recording and back at me. “We can settle this privately.”

I held his gaze for a second longer before finally speaking. “No, you wanted privacy when it benefited you.”

Vanessa suddenly shouted forward from the front row. “Sophia, stop humiliating us.”

“Nothing is as humiliating as seeing you pant down with my fiancé a night to my wedding.” I snapped back.

“Enough, you both,” my father roared as he stormed toward me.

Then he looked directly at Eric, his gaze burning with anger. “If you have any respect for yourself, you’ll walk away from here now.”

Eric slid one hand into his pocket casually, looking at my father calmly, then his gaze returned to me. His expression was flat and devoid of emotion.

Without saying a word, he stood up. My breath caught mid-air as he moved closer to me. Then he reached for my hand, my heart race quickened as he interlocked his fingers with mine.

My father was completely stupefied, Daniel’s face darkened while Vanessa watched on in total disbelief. The guests were all stunned into silence, all media team attention were on Eric and I.

Eric’s eyes lingered on my face for another long second like he was searching for hesitation, but he found none.

The truth is, I had already lost everything the moment I opened that suite door upstairs last night. The woman who walked into that room believing in love, no longer existed.

“You ungrateful child!”

I flinched slightly at the rage in my father’s voice, but Eric’s grip around my hand tightened just enough to steady me.

Daniel’s composure finally cracked from his dazed position “Sophia, don’t do this.”

I looked at him one last time, I felt pitiful for myself. I could not believe I was once in love with this man for the past six years and once planned my entire future around him.

Daniel finally lost his patience. “Are you seriously going to throw your life away because of a little mistake?”

My eyes sharpened as I laughed quietly. “A little mistake?” I asked in a low sultry voice “Like you accidentally fell into Vanessa for a whole year?”

A few guests covered their mouths to hide shocked laughter.

Daniel looked humiliated. Yes, that was what I wanted. To feed him a taste of his own medicine.

“That’s enough drama for today. Sophia, you’re leaving with me.” My father said with stern cold eyes.

“No, I’m not.” The firmness in my voice echoed through the entire hall while I clenched tightly to Eric’s hand.

My father stared at me like he no longer recognized the daughter standing before him. I had never disobeyed or turned away from his words. Never, until now.

Eric suddenly spoke for the first time in minutes. “She said no.” The calmness in his voice somehow sounded colder than shouting.

My father’s eyes snapped toward him. “Stay out of this.”

Eric looked almost amused. “That became difficult the moment she asked me to be her groom.”

The way he said her groom sent another wave of whispers through the hall.

I felt sparks racing through my veins.

My father pointed furiously at Eric. “This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? To embarrass me publicly.”

Eric’s expression remained calm. “You overestimate your importance, Roman.”

That landed hard, my father cursed under his breath while reporters nearly climbed over themselves trying to capture every second.

Nothing will be more interesting than tonight’s headlines.

Roman Carter’s daughter chooses Eric Prescott publicly over her own family.

Eric tightened his grip slightly around my hands as he guided me towards the altar, all eyes followed us judiciously.

Eric glanced toward the priest calmly. “Continue with the ceremony.”

The priest looked absolutely terrified. “Mr. Prescott… this is highly irregular.”

“I’ll pay triple your fee,” Eric interrupted smoothly.

The priest immediately went silent, several reporters rushed closer, while my father looked seconds away from shutting the entire wedding down himself.

Before anyone could speak again, Eric leaned closer to me, my eyes widened as his lips crashed into mine.

The entire hall gasped loudly, and for one shocking second, my brain stopped functioning completely, goosebumps spread across my skin.

Then Eric pulled back slightly, looked toward the altar, and said coldly—

“Shall we?”