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“You stole my bride!” Daniel spits, his voice raw and loud.
“Daniel, this isn’t the place,” I say, my voice low and steady, trying to defuse the situation. My breathing comes out rapid and fast.
“Not the place?” Daniel says with a bitter laugh.
“This is between you and me,” I say, my voice hardening. I grip his arm firmly, moving him to the side, away from the center of the room. “Let’s take this outside.”
But Daniel yanks his arm away, his eyes blazing. “You think you’re the better man, Andrew? You think you can get away with this?”
I lock gazes with him, my patience snapping. “I already have.”
From the corner of my eye, I see his hand fold into a fist. I’m prepared for it but before I can do anything, Jack grabs Daniel and yanks him back, his grip firm as he steps between us.
“That’s enough,” Jack says, his voice calm but laced with authority. “Walk it off, Daniel. Now.”
Daniel’s eyes are still burning with fury, but with Jack in the way, he hesitates. He knows he’s outnumbered, out of his depth. His gaze flickers between me and Jack, breathing heavy, nostrils flaring like a cornered animal.
“This isn’t over. I’ll make sure of it,” Daniel growls, his voice shaky now, less defiant.
His threats don’t bother me in the slightest. “Leave before you embarrass yourself further.” Heat simmers beneath the surface, the need to lash out, but I clamp it down. Daniel’s not worth it. Not here. Not in front of Emily.
He glares at me for another long, tense moment, then staggers backward, pushing Jack’s hand off him with a wild, drunken swing. He stumbles toward the door, his footsteps uneven, muttering curses under his breath.
The room is dead silent. All eyes are on us, the shock of the scene still hanging in the air.My heart is still racing, my chest tight, but the adrenaline is fading.
“Are you okay?” Emily says, stepping toward me cautiously. Her face is pale and her eyes wide with shock, or fear.
I nod, forcing a smile. I don’t want her to worry about me. I can handle Daniel. But a lot of protective feelings come over me. “I’m fine. Are you?”
She nods but she looks tense. She stares at me for a moment longer, then takes my hand again, her fingers cool against mine.
Jack, still standing close, surveys the room, then leans in, his voice low. “You good?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I should have expected Daniel to show up but I’d been sure he wouldn’t be returning home anytime soon after what he had done.
“Anytime,” Jack says, slapping my back lightly before turning to the rest of the room, offering a nod that signals it’s safe to go back to normal.
The tension eases, conversation picks back up, and the music begins to play again, though the air is still thick with the aftermath of what just happened.
“Let’s get through the rest of this, okay?” I say to Emily, trying to lighten the mood, but my voice feels hollow.
She nods, giving me a small smile in return.
The evening resumes, but it doesn’t feel the same.
Chapter 12: Emily
I smile so hard my cheeks hurt as Andrew and I step into the car, waving at the small group of guests still lingering outside. The second the door shuts behind me, my whole body relaxes.
The car starts to move, and I slump into the seat, letting out a long breath. “Thank God. I thought that was never going to end.”
Andrew chuckles softly, but there’s tension in his voice. “Yeah, I’m relieved too.” He pauses for a moment, then adds, “I’m sorry about what happened back there.”
I turn to him, my brows furrowing. I know exactly what he’s referring to—Daniel. The way he stormed in, full of rage and whiskey, ruining what little joy we’d managed to scrape together for this sham of a wedding.
My stomach clenches at the memory of his voice, his wild eyes, the accusations he threw at Andrew.
“You couldn’t have known,” I say quietly. But even as I say the words, I can’t shake the lingering embarrassment. Most of the guests were Andrew’s family, his friends. Watching it all unfold, watching Daniel hurl his drunken anger at his own brother, was humiliating.