Her words pierced Paige’s heart like a dagger. The engagement celebration lay in ruins, the soon-to-be fiance reduced to insignificance, and the soon-to-be fiancee transformed into the evening’s laughingstock.
Everything had unraveled so swiftly that Paige couldn’t process the reversal. Something inside her snapped
As Elliana glided away with her hand firmly in Cole’s, humiliation crashed over Paige like a tidal wave. Her once-prized dress and jewelry suddenly felt cheap and garish. With a primal cry of rage, she tore the hair accessories from her head and hurled them to the floor, where they shattered with a satisfying crack.
The sound echoed through the silent hall, destroying the last vestiges of Raylan’s dignity.
Blinded by fury, Paige gave no thought to Raylan’s reputation. After demolishing the hair accessories, her trembling fingers clawed at the necklace adorning her throat, desperate to rid herself of another symbol of her shattered pride.
Kiara lunged forward, capturing Paige’s wrist in a viselike grip. “Paige, control yourself!” she hissed through clenched teeth.
Fearing her daughter beyond reason, Kiara pinched the delicate skin of Paige’s wrist until it blanched white. “I understand your rage, but Raylan’s reputation hangs in the balance.”
The sharp pain jolted Paige back to reality. Her eyes instinctively sought out Raylan’s face. His complexion had turned thunderous. “Raylan, I-” Paige’s explanation died on her lips, words failing her completely.
The room buzzed with vicious whispers.
“Paige has truly lost her mind. The Evans and Jones families arranged a marriage without specifying the bride, yet she flaunted her supposed engagement to Cole everywhere. She’s crafted her own humiliation with meticulous care.”
“Did you witness how she pushed Elliana earlier? Pure, undiluted jealousy. Her claims about familial love are nothing but elaborate lies. One can only imagine the cruelty Elliana has endured behind closed doors.”
“The apple never falls far from the tree. Paige mirrors Kiara perfectly. Their professed love for Elliana masks their wicked hearts. Both women are woven from the same deceitful cloth.”
The cutting remarks sliced through Paige and Kiara, leaving them adrift in their own scheme’s wreckage. What they had orchestrated as Elliana’s downfall had metamorphosed into their own public disgrace. Darin observed the engagement celebration crumbling around him, a dark desire to punish Kiara festering in his chest. Yet, salvaging the engagement remained paramount-preventing Raylan from abandoning Paige in disgust took precedence. Though the Hudson family…
Though they couldn’t rival the Evans empire, the Hudson family still wielded enough power to crush the Jones family if provoked.
Forcing a placating smile, Darin addressed Raylan with practiced deference. “Raylan, this engagement celebration must continue…”
Paige, now fully aware of her surroundings, latched onto Raylan’s arm with desperate fingers. “Raylan, darling, Elliana’s behavior pushed me beyond reason. This outburst doesn’t reflect my true heart. Please, don’t hold this against me.”
Kiara chimed in smoothly, “Raylan, you’ve known Paige intimately for years-her character speaks for itself. She’s a simple, good-hearted girl at her core. Elliana deliberately orchestrated this chaos today. Don’t allow her manipulation to succeed.”
A suffocating silence stretched between them before Raylan forced a smile, one that never reached his eyes. To claim he was unaffected would have been a lie. But after pursuing Paige relentlessly and finally securing her hand, abandoning her was unthinkable. With reluctance hanging over every move, he agreed to continue the farce.
Just as he prepared to announce the engagement’s next ritual, the Ublento Hotel manager swept in, flanked by a phalanx of black-suited security personnel. Without preamble, they began clearing the room with military precision.
“Miss Paige Jones,” the manager announced, his voice sharp as a blade, “you have been permanently blacklisted from Ublento Hotel. Your presence is no longer welcome at any of our establishments worldwide. Vacate the premises immediately.”
“What?” A collective gasp rippled through the assembled guests. Paige stood frozen, her mind refusing to process this final humiliation. “On what grounds?”
The manager’s expression remained ice-cold. “This comes directly from Lexi herself. Depart now, or security will assist your exit.”
Paige scrambled to recall anything she might have done to warrant such treatment. Lexi Hanson, the enigmatic owner of Ublento Hotel, was known for wielding terrifying influence. Paige had always maintained impeccable behavior during her visits-how could she have incurred Lexi’s wrath? The fleeting superiority she had felt from securing the prestigious venue, her last remaining source of pride after Elliana had obliterated everything else, now crumbled to dust. Being physically ejected would solidify her total destruction.
Desperate panic seized Paige as she clutched Raylan’s sleeve. “Raylan, please intervene!”
Equally bewildered, Raylan straightened his spine. “My fiancee conducts herself with unfailing grace. She could never have offended Lexi. This must be a grievous error. I demand clarification!”
Evicting the soon-to-be fiancee from her own engagement celebration warranted an explanation at the very least, but the manager simply offered a dismissive, “No comment.”
With an imperious flick of his wrist, the black-suited guards advanced toward Paige.
Raylan’s composure fractured. “You operate a business! How dare you display such tyranny? Does the Hudson name mean nothing to you?”
The manager’s response dripped with exquisite mockery. “Mr. Hudson, you remain our honored guest. Ublento Hotel will continue to provide impeccable service to you-but Miss Jones must exit these premises immediately!”
At this, the assembled crowd struggled to contain their collective amusement. How exactly was Raylan supposed to celebrate an engagement party without his girlfriend?
Seeing that Raylan couldn’t turn things around, Kiara roared at the Ublento Hotel manager, “This is a textbook case of a big shot stomping on the little guy! I’m going to blow this wide open and file a complaint!”
Paige jumped in, adding, “Ublento Hotel has always boasted about its top-notch service. Now you’re throwing the soon-to-be fiancee out of her own engagement party? Aren’t you worried about dragging your name through the mud?”
Paige and Kiara thought their words would make the manager second-guess his actions, but instead, he let out a mocking chuckle. “Miss Jones, let’s make this quick. Walk out on your own, or should I call security to show you the door?”
“You!” Paige was so angry that she started shaking like a leaf. In the past, with her self-acclaimed title of Cole’s fiancee and Ublento’s reigning social queen, she had been treated like royalty everywhere she went. She had never been humiliated like this. Today, she was being publicly shamed, and there was nothing she could do to fight back. Biting her lip, she stormed out on her own.
Once outside the Ublento Hotel, Kiara pounced. “Paige, how did you get on Lexi’s bad side?”
Paige was already crying. “I’ve never even met Lexi. How could I have pissed her off?”
Paige had hoped that this engagement party would mark her grand comeback, but instead, her pride was shattered, and the night turned into a complete disaster. She wasn’t about to take this lying down! Choking back tears, Paige said, “Mom, it has to be Elliana pulling the strings. She’s throwing Cole’s name around, and that’s why Ublento treated me like dirt!”
Kiara’s blood boiled at the thought. “Cole wouldn’t fall for someone as plain as Elliana, but as long as she’s his wife, he’s forced to back her in public. It’s all about the Evans family’s image. But if she thinks she can bury us with that hollow title, she’s got another thing coming! Don’t worry, Paige. Elliana’s days of gloating are numbered. We’ve still got a card to play.”
Inside, Elliana’s phone pinged with a message. “Lexi, the person you can’t stand just got the boot from Ublento Hotel.” Elliana smirked and set her phone down.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.