Chapter 9
Elias stared around the bedroom, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in. The space that had once been unmistakably Charlotte’s was now stripped bare. The framed Michigan diploma that had hung above her desk, the collection of dog–eared Jane Austen novels, the ridiculous stuffed penguin she’d kept since she was ten–all gone.
His pulse quickened as something like panic flared in his chest, though he’d never admit it. He kicked over a nearby chair with enough force to crack one of the legs, his knuckles turning white as a vein pulsed visibly at his temple.
“So Charlotte thinks she can just walk out on me like some angsty teenager?” he snarled, his voice unnaturally loud in the empty room. “After everything I’ve done for her?”
Mrs. Peterson hovered nervously in the doorway. “Should I contact security to look for her,
Mr. Delaney? Or file a missing persons report?”
“Don’t bother,” Elias snapped, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty. “That’s exactly what she wants–attention and drama. I’m not playing her little game. She’ll be back within three days when she realizes no one’s chasing after her.”
Even as he said it, a nagging voice in the back of his mind whispered that something was
different this time.
Over the next several days, Elias threw himself into wedding preparations with almost
manic intensity. From the specific shade of blush roses in Scarlett’s bouquet to the custom
platinum rings engraved with their initials, he personally oversaw every detail–partly to please Scarlett, but increasingly to distract himself from the deafening silence from
Charlotte.
With the wedding now less than twenty–four hours away, he could no longer ignore the fact that Charlotte hadn’t appeared once. Not even a text message asking about her things. The
rational part of his brain knew this was unusual for her–disturbing, even–but he refused to acknowledge what it might mean.
Finally losing patience, Elias called her number from his study, pacing back and forth
across the hardwood floor.
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The Moment I Let Go My Uncle: Escaping the Forbidden Past
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Chapter 9
“Enough games, Charlotte,” he said coldly when the call connected. “It’s time to come home.”
But all he heard was an automated voice: “We’re sorry, but the number you’ve dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again.”
Elias’s expression darkened as an unfamiliar feeling–something dangerously close to fear–twisted in his gut. In all their years together, Charlotte had never blocked his number–not even during their worst arguments. She might give him the silent treatment, but she always kept the line of communication open.
“Fine,” he muttered through clenched teeth, tossing his phone onto the desk with enough force to crack the screen. “I don’t believe for a second you’ll stay away forever.”
The wedding was tomorrow. She would come–she had to. After all, this was the same woman who had allegedly created a fake sex tape to try to force his hand. Someone that
desperate wouldn’t simply give up and disappear.
The thought temporarily quieted his growing anxiety, though it didn’t explain why he found himself checking his phone every few minutes, or why he’d driven past her favorite coffee shop twice that day, scanning the tables for her familiar face.
Charlotte was predictable. She always had been. She’d show up at the wedding, probably
make some dramatic scene. She had to.
Elias and Scarlett’s wedding was set on a private beach in northern Michigan. When Scarlett had once mentioned dreaming of a seaside ceremony, Elias had immediately secured the
perfect location, regardless of the logistical challenges.
The venue was transformed into something from a fairy tale. A ten–foot wall of fresh flowers–flown in that morning from Holland–provided a stunning backdrop. Michelin–starred chefs had been brought in from Italy to create an elaborate dessert display. A discreet security detail of former military personnel patrolled the perimeter, ostensibly to keep out paparazzi, though Elias had privately instructed them to watch for Charlotte specifically.
As guests took their seats amid whispers about the rumored seven–figure cost of the ceremony, the wedding march began to play. Dozens of synchronized drones took to the sky, creating a spectacular light show that formed an image of Elias and Scarlett embracing.
Scarlett appeared at the end of the aisle, resplendent in a couture gown rumored to have
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The Moment I Let Go My Uncle: Escaping the Forbidden Past
Chapter 91
cost millions. Children gasped at the sight of the real–life princess before them.
Yet Elias found his gaze repeatedly drifting to the entrance, checking for a face that never appeared. His jaw tightened each time a latecomer entered who wasn’t her.
Today was his wedding day, yet his phone hadn’t received a single message from Charlotte.
The security team had reported no sightings. No congratulations. No tearful pleas. No dramatic interruptions. Nothing.
A cold, uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach. Could it be true? Had Charlotte
actually meant it when she said she no longer had feelings for him? Had she really walked
away after all these years?
No. Impossible. She was just waiting for the perfect moment to make her entrance. The
“speak now or forever hold your peace” moment, probably. Classic Charlotte dramatics.
The officiant’s voice pulled him back to the present moment.
“Elias James Delaney, do you take Scarlett Marie Yates to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do
you promise to love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer,
from this day forward until death do you part?”
Elias hesitated, microphone in hand, his eyes making one final sweep of the guests. Before he could speak, the massive screen behind them suddenly flickered to life.
As Elias registered what was being displayed, his eyes widened in shock, the words dying in
his throat.
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