She reached for my hand as she spoke. I pulled away before she could touch me.
But the next second, Claire went down—right as I raised my hand, crumpling to the floor with both hands clutching her lower back and a shriek ripping out of her.
"My back! Oh God, my back hurts so bad. What if it's broken?"
"Phil, Phil, come look, please, I'm dying over here!"
I laughed coldly to myself. My hand hadn't even touched her.
Phil's face was all panic. He dropped to a crouch beside Claire, checked her over, then lifted his head and shouted at me.
"Irene! That's way too far! What, you figure since we're getting married today, you can finally drop the act?"
"So all those years of sweetness and kindness—that was fake the whole time!"
"They were right about you. Spoiled little rich girl through and through. It's disgusting!"
The ceremony was getting closer by the minute. I had no interest in wasting more time on them, so I called my security team.
They walked in just as Phil was helping a pain-stricken Claire up off the floor.
The moment the bodyguards came through the door, Phil's face went ugly.
"Irene, what is this? You think there's nothing I can do to you anymore?"
"If you really push me, you will never set foot in the Cox family again. I will never forgive you!"
I didn't bother answering. I just waved the guards forward.
They closed in around Phil and Claire in a tight circle.
"Mr. Cox. Take your companion and leave."
My complete indifference to his threats turned Phil's humiliation into rage.
"Irene! The ceremony's about to start! What are you trying to pull?"
"If anything happens to Claire today, I swear I will make you pay!"
A scoff left my lips and I was just about to respond.
But a low, magnetic voice cut through the room first.
"Phil Cox. You've really outdone yourself."
"Go on, then. How exactly are you planning to not let your sister-in-law off?"
