Chapter 19

The girl in the wedding dress was Nathaniel's niece, and she desperately needed a last-minute bridesmaid—which was how Evelyn got roped into this.

Evelyn arched a brow. "Are you serious? Bridesmaids are supposed to be single. And since I'm your wife, doesn't that make me her aunt? Since when does an aunt stand as a bridesmaid?"

Nathaniel's lips twitched. Did she just insult my intelligence?

The bride-to-be gasped in delight. "Oh! So you're Aunt Evelyn!"

Evelyn nearly choked. Aunt?

Sophia—Nathaniel's bubbly niece—grabbed Evelyn's hands excitedly. "I'm Sophia Bennett! My bridesmaids are stuck in traffic, and I need someone to fill in. Rules don’t matter right now!"

Evelyn sighed. "Fine."

"Perfect! Let’s get you into a dress!" Sophia dragged her toward the dressing room before Evelyn could protest.

Evelyn shot Nathaniel a glare over her shoulder. This was the "job" he promised?

Nathaniel smirked, thoroughly amused by her irritation.

Dominic appeared beside him, champagne in hand. "Why are you standing here grinning like an idiot?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "No reason."

"Payton’s waiting. Let’s grab a drink."

"Lead the way."

Inside the dressing room, Sophia gestured to four elegant gowns. "Pick whichever you like!"

Evelyn, never one for fuss, grabbed the simplest one.

"This one works."

Sophia beamed. "Great! Change quickly—I’ll check if the others arrived!"

Once alone, Evelyn slipped into the sky-blue dress. The delicate ruffles gave her an ethereal glow. As she waited, she checked her phone—Sebastian had sent multiple messages.

The door swung open abruptly.

Evelyn looked up—it wasn’t Sophia.

A man stood frozen, staring at her. "Who—?"

Sophia burst in just then. "Adrian! What are you doing here?"

Adrian—Sophia’s fiancé—smiled warmly. "Just checking on you. Everything ready?"

"Of course!" Sophia pulled Evelyn forward. "This is my aunt’s replacement bridesmaid! Gorgeous, right?"

Adrian extended a hand. "Nice to meet you. We appreciate the help."

Evelyn shook it politely, though something about him felt oddly familiar.

His grip tightened unexpectedly. Then—subtly—his thumb brushed her palm.

Evelyn stiffened.

What the hell was that?