“Vanessa!” She screamed, her eyes filled with anger and the urge to kill.
Noelle stepped down the stairs with her white gown flowing behind her.
Her hair was still wrapped in curls, and her makeup was as perfect as ever, but with the expression on her face, she looked like a witch ready to sever Vanessa limb from limb.
“How dare you touch my future husband?!” She demanded, glaring at Vanessa.
Vanessa yanked her hand free from Tristan’s grip once again, rubbing her wrist lightly because he had held it too tightly.
“Are you blind?” Vanessa questioned with narrowed eyes.
“Or are you just too slow?
You saw him hold my hand, and you’re accusing me of touching him?
I think you get more stupid every day, Noelle.”
SMACK!!
Vanessa’s cheek stung from the impact of the slap.
She had expected it.
After being provoked nonstop by Noelle for the past few days, she had known she would eventually have to let some of her anger out, even if it meant getting slapped by her.
And she had been right.
“How dare you talk to me like that?” Noelle questioned, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Vanessa held her cheek as she turned toward Tristan.
She had no idea why she was waiting for him to interfere and clear up the misunderstanding, but she quickly realized that she was an even bigger fool for expecting him to defend her.
Her eyes burned with rage.
With every passing second, she was already thinking of a million ways to get rid of Noelle, Tristan, and everyone else who had turned her life into a living hell.
“You have no shame!” Noelle continued.
“You’re trying to seduce your sister’s husband.
I would like to hear what Father has to say about this once I tell him.”
Vanessa’s mind instantly went to her grandmother.
She was the only leverage they had against her, and they would use her however they deemed fit, even though she was a part of their family.
Noelle reached for her phone, clearly ready to embarrass Vanessa on her special day.
“I think you might want to retrace your memory before you accuse anyone of anything,” someone said.
Tristan turned toward the familiar voice and found Sophia, his sister.
Vanessa’s eyes landed on the beautiful woman walking toward them with a graceful stride.
Her face was neutral, almost devoid of emotion, but there was something calm about her expression.
Something unreadable.
“I saw everything, Noelle,” she added.
“This doesn’t concern you, Sophia.
Go back to Mother and Father,” Tristan ordered. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
Sophia released a small grin, one eyebrow arching in confusion.
“But why?
So you can shame our brother’s soon-to-be wife for something she didn’t do when you know the truth?” She asked.
“You know how Matteo can be.
When I tell him that you and your…” Sophia turned to Noelle with a judgmental look, a crease forming between her brows as she tried to find the right words to address her properly.
“…second choice tried to embarrass his woman, things aren’t going to end well for either of you.”
The hair on Vanessa’s back instantly stood on their ends at the words his woman.
Noelle glared at Sophia, a remark hanging on the tip of her tongue.
But all she could do was force it back down.
Once Sophia made eye contact with her again, a practiced smile appeared on her face.
“I see.
I must have misunderstood things.
You see, Tristan and Vanessa used to be a thing in the past, so I thought she was trying to sabotage my wedding.”
Sophia didn’t respond.
Instead, she took Vanessa’s hand and walked away with her, leaving Tristan and Noelle to watch them in silent rage.
Noelle quickly turned toward Tristan, her nostrils flaring.
“And why were you holding her hand?” she demanded.
“I wasn’t,” Tristan responded curtly.
“I have to go do something.
Finish getting dressed and come out.”
He didn’t wait for a response before leaving.
Noelle’s hands balled into fists.
Meanwhile, Sophia opened the door to a room that was almost as big as the living room of the mansion.
Vanessa’s jaw dropped instantly as she stared at the spacious bedroom.
“Who lives here?
The patriarch of the family?” she blurted out.
“Of course not.
This is my bedroom.”
Vanessa’s head whipped toward her so quickly that Sophia almost pitied her neck.
“What?”
“I’m my mother’s favorite out of all my siblings.
She tried three times because she wanted a girl she could spoil.” Get faster updates on g.com.
Vanessa nodded, still dazed by the size of the room.
Sophia’s eyes shifted toward Vanessa’s swollen cheek.
“Sit here.
Let me get you an ice pack for your face.”
Sophia walked toward a corner of the massive room and opened a refrigerator that was big enough to be used by the entire household.
She retrieved an ice pack before returning to Vanessa.
“Put it on your face.
It should help with the swelling,” she said, stretching it toward her.
Vanessa took it with an unsteady hand and placed it against the cheek Noelle had struck earlier.
“It’s your big day today, and your sister is treating you like that.
Have you said anything to your family about it?”
Vanessa scoffed.
“What can they possibly help with when they’re in support of it?”
Sophia blinked at her in confusion.
“It’s nothing.
Thanks for the ice pack.
I think I should go back now.
The makeup artist should be done with Noelle by now.”
Sophia held her back.
“Are you sure you want to go back there?
I can do your makeup for you if you want.
I’m quite skilled at everything, you see.”
She gave Vanessa a sheepish smile.
Looking at her more closely, Vanessa realized that Sophia shared a striking resemblance to Matteo.
Not only that, Sophia looked like she could be around her age.
They weren’t exactly strangers.
They had met a few times in the past when Vanessa was still dating Tristan, but they had never been close.
They only shared brief nods of acknowledgment before going their separate ways.
“That will be too much trouble.”
“I don’t mind at all.
After what Tristan did to you, it’s the least I can do.”
Sophia smiled warmly.
“I’m going to make you the most beautiful bride today.”