Chapter 216: A Declaration Like a Storm
Earlier, in the grand ballroom...
When Vicky and Liam left and most of the guests had dispersed, Sarah’s parents made their move. They had been waiting for this moment—waiting until the crowd was gone, until the glitter of smiles and polite laughter no longer masked the betrayal simmering beneath.
"Benjamin, we need to talk," Dwayne Meyer said, his voice low but razor-sharp. The anger on his face couldn’t be mistaken as well.
The Meyers and the Knights withdrew to the host’s private room. Once the doors closed behind them, civility shattered.
*SLAP!*
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
Lisa Meyer’s palm struck Benjamin Knight’s cheek, her eyes blazing with fury. Gasps filled the room.
No one had expected it—least of all Benjamin, head of the Knight family, far more powerful and wealthy than the Meyers.
But instead of anger, Benjamin only stood still, his jaw tight, bearing it like a man shouldering a burden he knew was partly his fault.
Even Dwayne reeled back in shock. He caught his wife’s wrist, pulling her toward him before she could strike again. "Lisa!" he barked, but she shoved against his hold, her tears spilling freely.
"That’s for hurting our Sarah!" she cried, her voice breaking. "You promised us, Ben! You promised her!"
Her words were daggers. Benjamin’s face remained stone, but Violet stiffened beside him, her lips thinning.
Lisa’s fury only grew. "Sarah gave everything! Her time, her heart, her reputation! She molded herself into the woman you said Nicholas needed. She believed in your word. We believed in your word! And now this?!"
Her sobs shook her shoulders as she turned on Violet. "You paraded your son in front of the world, had him propose to another woman while everyone in this industry knows Sarah and Nicholas have been together! Do you know what that does to her? To us? To our company? Our reputation?!"
Her voice cracked like thunder in the tense room, leaving silence so thick that even the air seemed to hold its breath.
Benjamin stood frozen, his lips pressed into a hard line. He had no defense. No excuse. Not after what Nicholas had done, and worse, there was nothing he could do to undo it.
The Meyers had no idea Nick was already married, but even if they found out, it wouldn’t change anything. Oliver had made sure of that the moment he revealed the ironclad prenup Nick had drawn up himself. Divorce was off the table, and both Benjamin and Violet knew it.
Violet’s silence was telling. Her eyes remained downcast, her fingers clutching her clutch like it was the only thing keeping her from collapsing.
Both she and Benjamin knew the truth: even if they ordered Nicholas to end it, both he and Georgia would never obey.
"You have to stop Nicholas from marrying that woman, Ben! It’s not too late!" Dwayne roared, his fists slamming against the table.
Benjamin drew in a breath, slow and heavy, his shoulders slumping. "I’m sorry, Dwayne. I’m afraid I can’t... No one can. Nicholas signed a prenup. If it’s broken, it’ll cost us dearly. But I can compensate you... in another way."
Dwayne narrowed his eyes. "And what other way is that?"
Benjamin looked at Violet, gave her a firm nod. She straightened, forcing her voice steady.
"My husband and I discussed this earlier. Reagan and Liam are both unmarried. Liam, however, already has his eyes on someone, and we will not risk another disaster. But Reagan—" she paused, her gaze sliding toward the Meyers, "Reagan is single. He’s not seeing anyone. Perhaps we could arrange a match between Sarah and Reagan instead. It would be... better. Stronger. More secure."
Dwayne hesitated. "I will speak to Sarah—"
"Absolutely not!" Lisa’s voice sliced through the air like a whip.
She slammed her palm against the table, her body trembling with rage. "What do you take my daughter for? Some object you can pass around to cover your shame and guilt? You know she’s been in love with Nick for years! She would never agree to this, and I will not allow you to use her. We don’t care what you’ll lose. You promised us Nicholas, and that’s the only outcome we want!"
Benjamin’s jaw clenched, his voice dropping low, sharp as steel. "Then listen carefully. If Nicholas breaks that engagement, he loses everything: his wealth, his properties, his shares in the company. All of it will go to Georgia. And don’t forget, he was the one who insisted on that prenup. That alone should tell you how serious he is about her."
He leaned forward, his gaze burning into Dwayne’s.
"Even if, for argument’s sake, we forced him to end it... Would you really want a son-in-law who has nothing? A son-in-law who doesn’t love your daughter? Who would resent her, and resent you, for chaining him to a life he doesn’t want because he is in love with someone else? That would be hell, Dwayne. For Sarah, for Nick, for all of us."
The room was suffocating with tension. Violet finally spoke, her tone firm but less biting. "The best option, the only option—if you still want what we promised, is to let Sarah marry Reagan. That’s the deal. Otherwise..."
Benjamin’s gaze hardened. "...there is nothing left to discuss."
The tension in the room thickened, Violet’s nails digging into her palm as Dwayne’s voice rose.
"And how sure are you this won’t be another failure? What if Reagan is no different from Nick, hiding a woman from you, making fools of us all? If that happens, our daughter will be left broken and discarded like trash again!" Dwayne’s words cut like steel, echoing through the private chamber.
Before Benjamin or Violet could respond, the heavy silence was shattered by a sudden creak of the door.
The door swung open, drawing everyone’s attention in an instant.
Reagan stepped inside with an unyielding gaze, as though he had been waiting for this very moment.
Unknown to them, he had followed from the ballroom, lingering outside to listen, and now, he seized the perfect chance to strike.
"I won’t let that happen," Reagan’s voice rang out, calm but firm, every word cutting through the charged air. His eyes, steady and defiant, swept over both families.
"I’m not like Nick. I won’t humiliate Sarah, nor will I abandon her. If you doubt me, then let me prove it. I’ll marry her right away. Not someday, now. If it takes a wedding tomorrow to convince you, I’ll stand at that altar without hesitation."
The room froze. For a heartbeat, no one moved, shock painted on every face. Both the Knights and the Meyers stared at him, equally stunned, the weight of his declaration slamming into them like a storm no one saw coming.
*******
Thank you for the Golden Tickets!
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