Chapter 3

"You know my parents can't stand anything that brings bad luck," Eliza complained into the phone. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Maverick's voice immediately tightened.

"Where is she?"

Eliza shot me a sideways glance.

"She's still in my dressing room."

She rolled her eyes.

"She's nothing but a gold digger. She even tried to make me pay for that pile of cheap makeup she brought. Absolutely disgusting."

Before she could say anything else, Maverick cut her off.

"Don't touch her."

His voice was so sharp that even the women holding me went quiet.

"Stay exactly where you are. I'm coming right now."

The call ended.

Eliza stared at her phone for several seconds, clearly caught off guard.

Then one of the bridesmaids broke the silence.

"Maverick really does adore you. The second he heard something happened, he dropped everything to come."

"Exactly. The ceremony hasn't even started yet, and he's already rushing over personally."

"Eliza, you're so lucky."

The confusion on Eliza's face disappeared beneath their praise.

Her chin lifted again, smugness returning as though Maverick's urgency could only have been about her.

Then one of the bridesmaids glanced at the vanity.

"But what are you going to do about your makeup?"

Eliza paused.

Her eyes moved over the shattered cosmetics scattered across the marble floor before settling on me.

"You."

She pointed at the vanity.

"Do my makeup."

I stared at her.

"And when you're finished, you're going to pay me ten thousand dollars for ruining my wedding morning."

Her lips curved.

"On your knees."

I almost laughed from disbelief.

"You destroyed my makeup, insulted me, and now you want me to do your face for free?"

I met her gaze.

"Then kneel and pay you ten thousand dollars?"

My voice turned cold.

"No."

"You!"

Eliza shot to her feet.

"I'm giving you a chance to make this right, and you're still acting arrogant?"

One of her bridesmaids suddenly laughed.

"Eliza, I have a better idea."

There was something ugly in her smile.

"A perfect way to teach a woman like her a lesson and give everyone a little entertainment before the ceremony."

Before I could react, she snatched several cash envelopes from the wedding table and shoved them down the front of my dress.

The stiff corners scraped painfully against my skin.

I jerked backward, but the women beside me tightened their grip.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The bridesmaid stepped back, pleased with herself.

"When the groomsmen come upstairs later, we'll tell them there's a little wedding game."

She nodded toward me.

"They don't get into the bridal suite until they find every envelope."

Eliza's eyes lit up.

"That's perfect."

Another bridesmaid laughed.

"Hide some where they'll really have to search."

Eliza looked me over, her smile turning cruel.

"Maverick's crew is going to love this."

Blood rushed in my ears.

The moment I saw another woman reaching for the remaining envelopes, I started struggling.

"Stop!"

They only laughed.

"Touch me again and I'll have every one of you dragged in front of the Family council."

Eliza burst out laughing.

"The Family council?"

She folded her arms.

"Go ahead. Tell them whatever story you want. Who do you think they're going to believe? Maverick's bride, or some woman pretending to be his sister?"

She snapped her fingers.

"Hold her down."

They moved at once.

One woman seized my wrists while another grabbed my hair.

I fought as hard as I could, but there were too many of them.

They kept shoving the envelopes into my dress, ignoring every warning I gave them.

"Stop acting so offended."

"Please. A woman like you probably loves the attention."

Their laughter filled the room.

Humiliation burned through me, quickly turning into rage.

But the more I struggled, the more entertained they became.

Only after they'd hidden the last envelope beneath my clothes did they finally step away.

Then they twisted a bedsheet around my arms and secured me to one of the carved posts of the bridal bed.

Eliza calmly dusted off her hands.

Satisfied that I couldn't move, she returned to the vanity and sat down.

"Forget her."

She looked at her bridesmaids through the mirror.

"One of you can do my makeup."

Her smile returned.

"Whoever does the best job, I'll have Maverick give her a nice cash envelope after the wedding."

The bridesmaids exchanged excited looks.

Within seconds, they had forgotten all about me and crowded eagerly around Eliza's vanity.