"Arabelle, I'm really sorry! Please don't misunderstand things between Jonah and me. That was truly just an accident! If it weren't for my mother insisting on seeing a marriage certificate, I wouldn't have asked Jonah for this favor. I beg you, please don't cause trouble at the wedding."
She even made a move to kneel before me.
Before she could, Jonah—now looking perfectly composed—grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. His glare was ice-cold.
"Arabelle, I'm warning you—don't take this too far. If things spiral out of control, you won't be able to fix it."
His voice was laced with authority, a command I was supposed to obey.
"From today until the wedding is over, you are to stay at home and behave yourself. I'll arrange for a bodyguard to keep an eye on you."
Jonah didn't even hesitate. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant, instructing him to send someone over to keep an eye on me, making sure I wouldn't "cause trouble."
Then, after glancing at the time, he hurried off with Nadia to the City Hall.
As the elevator doors slid shut, I caught the fleeting smugness in Nadia's eyes—the subtle arch of her brow, the slight tilt of her lips. A silent taunt.
And then, Jonah's voice drifted through just before the doors fully closed.
"Nadia, did you bring your ID?"
It was never about her mother. This whole show was just for me.
Before the bodyguards Jonah arranged could arrive, I grabbed my keys and left. I had something more important to do.
The bridal shop was quiet when I arrived. The familiar scent of fresh flowers and delicate fabrics filled the air, but something felt off. The shop owner, usually warm and welcoming, looked startled to see me.
"Miss Arabelle... you're here?"
I nodded. "I came to pick up my wedding dress."
At that, the owner's face twisted in hesitation. "Oh... Mr. Jonah already picked it up a few days ago."
A cold prickle ran down my spine. "What?"
"He even brought a woman to try it on," the owner added, voice dropping. "I wasn't in the shop at the time, but..."
My expression must have darkened because he immediately turned to the computer.
"Let me pull up the surveillance footage."