Chapter 2: Chapter 2: He Brought the Woman Before Her

She listed the villa for several hundred thousand below market price, and it soon attracted a flood of private messages from interested buyers.

It was late by the time she finished replying to the messages.

Wide awake, Cecilia Croft opened an app that was currently trending among women.

As soon as she did, a post on her feed caught her eye.

"My boyfriend is getting married in two months. Today, at the bridal shop, I put on his fiancée’s wedding dress and we did it! It felt amazing and so thrilling."

The comments were filled with people berating the original poster. Some even hoped the algorithm would quickly push the post to the fiancée.

Cecilia Croft’s hand trembled as she tapped on the original poster’s profile.

She scrolled down quickly, all the way to the user’s first post. It had no caption, only a single picture.

In the picture, two hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined.

She instantly recognized the small mole on the man’s index finger and the ring on his ring finger.

The post had been published six months ago, just a week after Jude Sheridan had proposed to her.

Holding her phone, Cecilia Croft stared blankly at the matching ring on her own finger as a wave of disgust washed over her.

A second later, she pulled the ring off, tossed it into the toilet, and flushed.

’There was no point in keeping something that was already tainted.’

The original poster soon updated her post.

This time, her caption lacked its previous smugness, taking on a pleading tone instead.

"Please stop flaming me. He and I have an agreement. In one month, I’ll return him to his fiancée, whole and complete."

The accompanying photo was of a man’s back as he lay in bed.

The back was so familiar it made Cecilia Croft’s heart pound with dread.

’Return him to me, whole and complete?’

Heh...

In that moment, she finally understood why people laugh when they’re at a complete loss for words.

Jude Sheridan didn’t come home all night. He called her first thing in the morning and, without any explanation, told her to meet him at the bridal shop.

「The Bridal Shop.」

Cecilia Croft arrived a few minutes before he did.

Her wedding dress hung in the third-floor VIP showroom, looking dignified and pristine, as if it had never been sullied.

"Miss Croft, Mr. Sheridan is on his way. Why don’t we help you into the dress first, so that Mr. Sheridan can see how perfectly beautiful you look in it the moment he walks in?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The staff member was respectful and courteous, but there was a hint of pity hidden in her eyes.

Cecilia Croft’s expression was impassive. "No, thank you," she refused.

’The thought of it disgusted her.’

The words had barely left her lips when a large hand snaked around her waist from behind, pulling her into an embrace. A familiar scent, mixed with the fresh fragrance of body wash, filled her nostrils.

"Why not? Cecilia, do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day? Put it on for me, can you?"

Cecilia Croft glanced at the man beside her. He looked refreshed, not at all like someone who had pulled an all-nighter. She sneered inwardly.

He hadn’t come alone. A short distance behind him, a girl followed.

The girl wore light-blue jeans and a simple white shirt. A sweet smile graced her face, giving her an air of youthful innocence.

Cecilia Croft’s gaze went past Jude Sheridan and settled on the girl, her eyes turning icy.

’Is this another part of their little game, designed for a thrill?’

Jude Sheridan noticed where she was looking. The arm around her waist tightened, but his expression remained nonchalant.

"She’s a young woman from a partner company. Her personality reminded me a bit of you from years ago. I thought you might like her, so I brought her over as an introduction."

He beckoned, and the girl trotted over happily, extending a hand to Cecilia Croft.

"Hi, Cecilia. I’m Jessica Keller. My name means ’beautiful,’ like a beautiful, dream-like encounter. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Cecilia Croft didn’t shake her hand. She looked away, her voice flat.

"’A beautiful encounter, like a dream.’ That is a lovely sentiment. I imagine few men can truly tear themselves away from such a fleeting, dream-like tryst, can they?"

Sensing the sarcasm in her words, the girl put on an aggrieved expression.

"Cecilia, are you implying I’m good at seducing men?"

The hand on her waist suddenly dug in. Cecilia Croft glanced at the man beside her, saw the displeasure in his eyes, and only then did he relax his grip slightly. He leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.

"If you’re angry, you can hit me or scream at me all you want when we get home. But she’s a sensitive girl; don’t embarrass her in front of everyone."

"For now, let’s just try on the dress."

Snapping out of their shock, the staff hurried to take down the dress and usher Cecilia Croft over to try it on.

Cecilia Croft looked over at Jessica Keller and saw her staring at the wedding dress in the staff’s hands, her eyes gleaming with desire.

A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she spoke.

"Do you like it?"

Without a second thought, Jessica Keller answered directly.

"I love it."

After replying, she glanced cautiously at Jude Sheridan. Seeing the chill that surfaced in his eyes, she timidly added, her voice full of envy,

"I love it, but not every woman is as lucky as you, Cecilia. Getting to wear the dress you love and marry the man you love."

She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke, her disappointment and sadness palpable.

Cecilia Croft glanced at the man beside her, his expression unreadable, then said to the staff in a flat voice, "I’m not feeling well today and don’t feel like moving. I noticed her build is similar to mine. Let her try it on for me."

’She wouldn’t even touch a dress they had defiled; she was afraid she’d catch something.’

The staff didn’t dare to move, glancing cautiously at Jude Sheridan for approval.

Jude Sheridan lowered his gaze to stare at Cecilia Croft, his face grim.

Jessica Keller, on the other hand, had no such qualms. She stepped forward, her trademark sweet smile plastered on her face.

"Of course. It would be my honor to try on the dress for you, Cecilia."

With that, she reached for the dress.

The staff: "..."

Unsure of what to do, they could only look to Jude Sheridan for help.

A chill radiated from Jude Sheridan’s deep, dark eyes. His expression was grim, a warning hidden in their depths.

Jessica Keller bit her lip, her gaze turning helpless.

Cecilia Croft pushed his hand off her waist, sat down on a nearby sofa, and urged,

"Go ahead."

Only then did Jessica Keller’s smile return. She took the wedding dress from the staff member and walked into the fitting room.

Jude Sheridan frowned, walked over to Cecilia Croft, and sat down beside her. Just as he was about to voice his displeasure, Cecilia looked up at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Aren’t you going in to help?"

The moment she said it, everyone froze.

The staff members who had served Jude Sheridan and Jessica Keller the day before were screaming internally.

’Thank goodness none of them had taken the day off, otherwise they would have missed being on the front lines of this drama.’

Jude Sheridan’s brow furrowed. He pressed his lips into a thin line, his expression wary. "Cecilia, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing. I just thought you’d be eager to help." Cecilia Croft smiled, then turned to an attendant and asked for a cup of coffee.

The large curtain of the fitting room was drawn back. Jessica Keller stood in the center, wearing the wedding dress. She looked shy and demure, a sweet smile on her face.

The dress, which had been designed for Cecilia, looked as if it were tailor-made for Jessica Keller.

Cecilia Croft glanced at Jude Sheridan’s face, the smile in her eyes devoid of any warmth, and asked him.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?"

With a dark expression, Jude Sheridan refused to look over, his voice low and resonant.

"Cecilia, what the hell are you playing at?"

Cecilia Croft didn’t answer. She picked up her coffee and walked slowly toward Jessica Keller.

As she approached, Jessica Keller threw her hands up to cover her face, thinking Cecilia was about to splash the coffee on her.

The expected scalding splash never hit her face. Instead, a series of gasps erupted from the onlookers.

Jessica Keller lowered her hands and looked down, only to see that the priceless wedding dress was now stained with a dark brown liquid.

A staff member rushed over with tissues to wipe it, but the stain wouldn’t come out.

Cecilia Croft stared at her, expressionless, and sneered.

"How can you return something to me ’whole and complete’ when it’s already been stained beyond repair?"

Jessica Keller’s face went deathly pale. She stood frozen, at a complete loss.

Jude Sheridan frowned, his face grim. He strode over, grabbed Cecilia Croft’s wrist, and tried to pull her away.

Cecilia used the momentum to swing her free hand, slapping Jude Sheridan across the face.

SLAP.

The room fell silent.

She had put all her strength into it, and her palm throbbed.

Jude Sheridan stared at her, his face dark, his eyes filled with an indescribable coldness.

The shop staff barely dared to look at Jude Sheridan’s expression. Even Jessica Keller didn’t dare to breathe.

Ever since Vantage had established a foothold in Silvercrest, he had never been publicly disrespected, much less slapped by a woman.

Cecilia Croft looked at the vicious coldness in his eyes, and her heart began to pound. The difference in strength between them was too great; if he hit back, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Jude Sheridan’s gaze fell, sweeping over her trembling eyelashes. He let out a soft breath and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Feel better now?"