From Broken Bride to Tycoon's Trophy Wife

Chapter 4

The smile froze on my face.

"Let me guess, was that design draft really Wendy's work?" I shot back, my voice ice-cold. "Did she not plagiarize it?"

Nolan's face twisted in shock.

"Lily, what happened to you? Where's the person you used to be?" His voice was tinged with disbelief. "You have everything, awards, recognition. Why not let her have this one?"

"Wendy's condition is deteriorating. She's lying in the hospital, hanging by a thread," he continued, his voice soft but desperate. "She just wanted to experience winning an award before she dies. Is that so wrong?"

The anger surged up inside me, making my fingers tingle with fury.

"Of course it's wrong!" I snapped. "Nolan, do you have any idea how hard I've worked for this? My hands were raw and covered in chilblains just to get better. And now, you want me to just hand over my work to Wendy?"

"If she wants to win an award, she should earn it herself. What gives her the right to steal from me?" My voice shook with rage. "People can take a lot from me, but touching my designs? That's unforgivable."

Nolan didn't seem to care about any of that. He just muttered, "You've changed," before walking out the door.

And just like that, my world shattered. My heart skipped a beat, and I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. "Nolan... save me..." I managed to plead, but he didn't even look back.

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed. Lucas was there, his face full of worry as he held me close. "Lily, let's go back to New York."

I closed my eyes slowly, barely whispering, "Okay."

It felt like everything I had hoped for had been burned to the ground in an instant.

Three days later, Nolan realized I had left. He bombarded my phone with calls, but I just couldn't bring myself to answer. So, I blocked him. Completely.

If he cared so much about Wendy, why the hell was he still trying to keep me around?

I curled up on the plush Italian leather couch, looking at the wedding dresses Lucas had picked out. My mind was swirling with options, but nothing seemed to matter right now.

Lucas came over and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "Which one do you like?"

I took my time, finally pointing to a strapless mermaid-style tulle gown. "This one. It's perfect."

He smiled, ruffling my hair. "Alright, it's settled then."

After we chose the dress, Lucas headed off to discuss the wedding details with the planner.

Meanwhile, Charlotte kept me updated. She told me that Nolan had gone completely insane when he found out I was gone. He'd been asking everyone he knew about my whereabouts, and when he finally contacted his parents, they told him I'd gone back to New York.

"Lily, what do you think he's going to do when he finds out you're getting married?" Charlotte asked, her tone both curious and amused.

Before I could even think about it, the doorbell rang.

I figured it was another wedding planner Lucas had arranged. But when I opened the door, my heart skipped. There stood Nolan, his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Lily, you're really here," he said, his voice shaky with disbelief. "Why did you leave without saying anything?"

He stepped closer, almost pleading. "You're just trying to make me angry, right? Come back with me, we'll get married right now."

Before I could even respond, Lucas was already by my side, stepping between us.

"Nolan," Lucas said, his voice calm but firm, "stay away from my wife."

Nolan stumbled back, his face a mask of shock. "What did you just say?"