Chapter 3

3.

The next morning, Harrison was gone by the time I woke up.

The housekeeper hurried me out of bed to begin the hair, makeup, and dress routine.

I checked my phone and saw a mountain of messages from Willow.

To calm her down, I called her back immediately.

"Harrison showed up unexpectedly last night. I couldn't check my phone without him noticing."

"The plan is still on."

Willow let out a long breath of relief. "Good. Milo spent the entire night with Seraphina."

"How do you know that?"

I couldn't hide the anger in my voice, which startled the makeup artist working on my hair.

I knew Milo was a flirt, and he had broken Willow's heart many times.

But I couldn't believe he'd be so cruel as to spend the night before his wedding with another woman.

"Seraphina used Milo's phone to text me in the middle of the night."

"But enough about me, Quinn. Are you sure about this? Harrison is like a stone, but he isn't a cheat like Milo."

For a second, I wondered if I was being too impulsive.

But Lydia's post from last night was all the confirmation I needed.

The room was getting crowded, so I couldn't say much more to Willow.

When I finally looked in the mirror, I was stunned by my own reflection.

My makeup was flawless, and the high-end custom gown hugged my curves perfectly.

I usually preferred loose, comfortable clothes, so this was a transformation.

Someone must have sent a photo to Harrison right away.

A second later, a text from him popped up.

"You look well-rested. I guess I didn't tire you out enough last night."

"Wait for me."

The words sent a shiver down my spine.

Harrison almost never texted me personally; he usually sent his assistant or just showed up.

He definitely never said things that were this suggestive.

But there was no time to overthink it now.

I was already being ushered into the car that was supposed to take me to the venue.

This was the most critical part of the plan.

I had used the generous allowance Harrison gave me over the last two years to bribe both of our drivers.

As I made the transfer, I felt a twisted sense of gratitude for his wealth.

If he hadn't been so rich, I wouldn't have been able to afford to betray him.

At the next intersection, the driver was supposed to bypass the venue and head straight for the airport.

The red light was counting down.

Three, two, one…

I was so nervous that I didn't realize at first that the driver was staying in the straight lane.

The turn for the airport was to the left, but we were heading straight for the church.

"Uncle Frank, aren't we supposed to be going to the airport?"

I asked, my voice trembling with panic.

The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with guilt.

"Miss Jenner… I mean, Ma'am… I just couldn't go through with it."

"If the boss found out, my life would be over."

Well, my life was about to be over instead.

I couldn't really blame him. The Millers held the power of life and death over half the people in this city.

A simple driver stood no chance against them.

If Frank had flipped, Harrison definitely knew what I was up to.

Was his text a warning or a request to stay?

My phone started vibrating on the seat―it was Willow. I knew her driver had probably flipped too.

"We've been exposed. Just play along for now," I texted back.