Chapter 5
finally raised her heail to look at him, her usual indifference replaced with a hint of excitement and joy.
“Your uncle is back?” she asked, her voice almost betraying a trace of eagerness,
Seeing her react this way, Charlie couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and smiled knowingly.
“Yeah, so you’re really that eager to marry me? Don’t worry, I’ll attend the wedding. Just stop with the games, okay? The whole ‘cat–and–mouse act might work once or twice, but if you keep it up. I’ll get tired of it.”
He said this while opening the car door for her.
Jenna knew explaining wouldn’t get through to him, so instead of arguing, she made up her mind to say very little. “I want to go home first, do my makeup, and change clothes.”
Seeing how important this event seemed to her, Charlie assumed she was simply eager to look her best for his uncle. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “Fine. Do what you need to do.”
After they returned to the Spencer family’s estate, the banquet hall was filled with guests. No one seemed surprised to see Jenna–people greeted her as she made her way inside.
She politely returned the greetings, then sat in a corner, waiting for Chad to appear.
She had no idea what the reunion would be like, and so her heart raced with anticipation. The more she thought about it, the more restless she became.
Charlie quickly noticed her distraction and shot her a displeased look.
“I’m here, but you’re just zoning out? This is your last warning. I’ve already agreed to marry you. Don’t keep acting like this. If you keep pulling these stunts, I’ll reconsider!”
Jenna almost blurted out a retort, but she swallowed her words. After all, soon enough he would know that the groom wasn’t going to be him, so there was no need to waste her breath.
A few minutes later, the doors to the banquet hall opened. Everyone turned to look, eager for the grand entrance.
But instead of Chad, it was the family’s patriarch, Old Master Spencer, who appeared on stage. His steps were shaky as he made his way forward and spoke in a voice that commanded attention.
“Chad was involved in a minor car accident before he left. He missed his flight and is still overseas, so he won’t be able to attend tonight’s banquet
Hearing this news, Jenna’s heart sank, and she sprang to her feet, voice trembling with concern.
“Grandfather Spencer, how is he? Is he seriously injured?”
Old Master Spencer waved his hand to reassure her. “It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine, and it won’t
Chapter S
affect anything. Jenna, you can relax.”
Charlie, frowning, gently pulled her hack down into her seat, his tone sharp as he reprimanded her quietly,
though the marriage contract is settled, you’re not married into the Spencer family yet. Don’t go showing too much concern for my uncle to try and prove your status as a future madam. It’s not appropriate.”
Jenna clenched her fists, barely holding herself back from snapping at him. But before she could respond, Old Master Spencer cleared his throat, signaling for everyone’s attention, and the room fell silent.
“Tve called everyone here today to officially announce the marriage between the Spencer and Hall families. The wedding date has been set for seven days from now, and it will take place at the Mountain Manor.”
There was a collective murmur in the room. Jenna’s heart skipped a beat as she tried to stay composed.
“The bride will be Miss Jenna, the daughter of the Hall family…”
At that moment, Charlie’s phone buzzed. He glanced down at the screen, his expression changing suddenly. He quickly stood up, excusing himself in a hurry, leaving the room without hearing the rest of Old Master Spencer’s speech.
“And the groom will be none other than our family’s head, Chad!”
The announcement stunned the entire room. A wave of whispers erupted, growing louder and louder.
“Wait, did I hear that right? Chad? Not Charlie?”
“Yeah, how is it possible? Isn’t Chad indifferent to women? Why would he marry a girl like her?”
The crowd buzzed with disbelief and speculation, but despite their shock, they all kept their voices down out of respect for Chad’s position. As they rose to offer their congratulations to Jenna, the tension in the air remained palpable.
After the banquet, Jenna couldn’t shake her worry about the car accident. She made her way to see Old Master Spencer in private.
The old man patted her shoulder reassuringly, his face glowing with excitement.
“Chad sent me a photo; it’s just a minor injury. He’ll recover quickly. Don’t worry, Jenna. Just focus on preparing for the wedding.”
With those words, Jenna’s heart finally settled a little.
For the next few days, she busied herself with wedding preparations sending out invitations, choosing a wedding dress, and getting the dowry ready. She shut herself off from everything else, her mind focused solely on the task at
hand.
During this time, she received numerous messages from Charlie’s friends. She hadn’t opened a single one until, one day, by accident, she clicked on one.
Chapter 5
The messages were all about the same thing.
“Big Brother Charlie’s in the hospital. He got a bit injured. He’s at the City Center Hospital, room 609. Are you
visit him? Don’t forget to bring some of his favorite chicken soup.”
To
“Why are you ignoring us? Still playing those childish games of ‘catch me if you can‘? Enough already.”
coming
“Jenna, what are you doing? Are you pretending to be a lovesick fool? Get over here already!”
Reading these messages, Jenna felt a surge of amusement.
She typed a short reply, not bothering to spend much time on it:
“Charlie got into an accident. He has a nurse, you guys, and Xena, What does that have to do with me?”
She hit send, then opened her instagram.
Scrolling through, she found several selfies of Charlie posted from the hospital. She was surprised he rarely updated his social media.
But she didn’t dwell on it, dismissing it with a quick glance. Instead, she reached out to the people she’d added recently from the Spencer family, asking about Chad.
