Chapter 4
Gloria West, Mark’s mother, entered with the help of two assistants, her eyes brimming with contempt the moment she saw me.
Mark broke free from the bodyguards as if he’d seen his savior and rushed to her side. “Mom, you’re finally here.”
Gloria patted his hand before turning to me with thinly veiled disgust. “Via, you’re about to become a member of the West family. And yet you dare have your own fiancé arrested? Do you even understand what this means in high society?”
I met her gaze coldly. In my previous life, I had bent over backward trying to win her approval–buying her limited–edition handbags, helping her make appearances at charity galas–only to be rewarded with scorn and humiliation.
Gloria strutted straight to my office chair, sat down like she owned the place, and ordered me to pour her tea. She even waved off my bodyguards, forbidding them from re–entering without her permission.
“Sofia’s pregnant, and instead of planning the wedding, you’re here throwing tantrums. What do you think you look like?”
I sneered. “Whatever happens to the West family has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
Gloria slammed her palm on the desk. “How dare you speak to your elders like that? Mark told me you’ve been playing hard to get lately. I didn’t believe it at first. Turns out, you really are poorly raised.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Looks like you need to be taught some respect and the rules of the West family.”
She shot Mark a look. He immediately stormed over, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me toward the bedroom.
Kate tried to intervene, but Gloria’s bodyguards held her down. “Once it’s done, let’s see how arrogant this little tramp still is.”
Mark shoved me onto the bed. In the struggle, he slapped me several times across the face.
Unbuttoning his shirt, Mark glared down at me with vile satisfaction. “My mom’s right. Women like you–you give them an inch, they take a mile.
“Once we’ve slept together, you’ll be damaged goods. So what if you’re an Anderson heiress? Let’s see who’ll still want you after this.”
His hands yanked at my collar, ripping it open. His eyes darkened with lust. “Damn… didn’t expect you to have such a body. If I’d known earlier, I would’ve taken you long ago. What a waste–almost thirty and still a virgin.”
Shaking with fury, I grabbed the bedside lamp and swung it at him. But Mark caught my wrist mid–air.
“Still trying to fight me, bitch?”
“I’m the heir to the Anderson family! You really think I won’t bankrupt the Wests for this?”
Mark snorted. “And? Your mom’s already agreed to the wedding. We’re practically husband and wife. What happens between an engaged couple is nobody’s business!”
He lunged, trying to kiss my neck. Revulsion surged through me- -I wanted to vomit.
But the next second, Mark was violently thrown off me, crashing hard to the floor.
I scrambled to pull my torn clothes together, my tear–filled eyes locking on the figure standing between us–Robert, panting, chest heaving.
He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it tightly around me, then pulled a gun and pressed it straight to Mark’s forehead.
Mark turned ghostly pale, his body trembling. “Robert Black… have you lost your mind?! In three days, Via will be my wife. I’ll be the Anderson family’s son–in–law, You dare threaten me?”
Robert’s finger tightened on the trigger. Seeing that, I grabbed his arm in panic.
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Chapter 4
+15 Bonus
I could utterly destroy Mark’s reputation, but I wouldn’t let Robert ruin his life over someone like him.
After a long silence, Robert finally lowered the gun.
Gloria’s entire body trembled with rage. “You shameless thing! Seducing another man behind my son’s back. I’ll make sure the whole world knows what you are!”
I let out a cold laugh. “Be my guest. I’ll make today’s little incident public too. Let’s see whose name hits the headlines first.”
Gloria’s mouth snapped shut. If word of this got out, the West family would be finished.
Left with no choice, she dragged Mark and Sofia away, their faces ashen. But even as she left, she spat viciously, “Just wait. Three days from now, at the wedding, you’ll be utterly humiliated.”
Three days later, Robert and I stood at the altar in the Anderson family estate.
True to form, the West family did send a ‘gift‘–a live turkey.
The servant delivering it swaggered in and jeered, “Miss Anderson, hope you enjoy marrying this turkey!”
Before he could say another word, Robert–dressed in a tailored tuxedo–punched him square in the face.
The man went sprawling, then scrambled to his feet and bolted, running to report back.
Moments later, Mark came charging in. But by then, Robert and I were already standing at the altar.
The priest’s solemn voice rang out. “Will the couple now exchange their vows?”
Mark’s face twisted with panic. He shoved Robert aside. “You’re impersonating me! I am Via’s groom!”
Then he turned to me, instantly softening his tone. “Via… I know you’re mad because Sofia’s pregnant. That’s why you’re doing this–to provoke me. But look–the wedding invitations clearly have our names on them. How can you betray me like this?”
I sneered and pulled out a set of documents prepared by my lawyers. “This prenuptial agreement–signed from the very beginning—has only one pair of names. Mine… and Robert’s.”
Mark stared at the signatures like he’d been struck by lightning. His eyes bulged. “This… this is impossible! You love me! You spent years trying to marry me–groveling to everyone around me, delaying your company’s IPO just to wait for me. You’ve always wanted to be my wife! How could you possibly not want me?”
His shaking finger pointed at Robert’s masked face. “He’s disfigured! Hideous! How is someone like him even worthy of you?”
“Enough!” I shouted. “This is my wedding. Either sit down and watch quietly… or get the hell out. If you dare insult my husband again, I’ll make sure the West family is wiped off the map in New York.‘
I scanned the stunned guests in the audience.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today’s wedding is a celebration of true love. Please, don’t let irrelevant people ruin this beautiful
moment. As for the Wests… they simply don’t know their place.