h the hotel. Behind the scenes, it was controlled chaos. Colette was in the

me! Ma

here's a problem in the bridal suite. A big one. The bride's moth

ach clenched.

It was her job. Refusing wou

he nodded and made he

usual security detail posted outside the suite was gone. The

door to the bridal

ide, grabbing her arm and

She stumbled forward, catching her balance. Her stepmother,

The slap was sharp and loud, stinging

on this family,

nch. She met her stepmother's hatefu

stepped out from behind a decorative screen. They

Colette's feet. It was a wedding dress. An old one, torn, s

he bodyguards. "Let's show everyone

r a vanity table. Glass bottles of expensive perfume shattered o

rced the ruined, filthy dress over her head, pulling her arms through the sleeves. They t

r face. "You see? It doesn't matter what you do. Y

f adrenaline, she wrenched one arm free. Her hand closed around a pair of s

rs broke her skin, but the other guard was f

he convulsed, a scream trapped in her throat, and

nd ballroom, the weddi

lcony, Leo watched the security feed on his laptop. He saw

rage escaped his lips

override the suite's electronic lock.

d her toward the private elevator-th

m the booth. He took the service stairs, flying down them two at a ti

i-conscious body into the private elevator that co

boomed, his voice echoing through

urtains behind the

apped on, illuminating the f

s Col

od there, swaying slightly, her hair a mess, a bruise forming on

ed in disbelief. His shock quickly c

rom her head, and ripped it off, exposing her complete

he shouted, his voice shaking with rage, "is a patheti

e forced herself to stand straight. Her cold, clear

cry. She di

od. Her voice, when she spoke into the microphone Pres

carrying to every corner of the silent room, "i

anor, her face contorted with rage, rush

s at the back of the ballroom were thrown op