Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Glamorous and Bewitching
The wedding ceremony began.
The emcee called Jude Sheridan to the stage, where he gave some opening remarks.
After Jude went up, Mrs. Sheridan followed him, announcing that she also had a few words to say.
Jude frowned slightly, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. But seeing the broad smile on Mrs. Sheridan’s face, he still handed her the microphone.
Mrs. Sheridan took the microphone, cleared her throat, and then began to speak in a condescending, affected tone.
"First, I am very grateful to and welcome all our guests who have come to attend my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding today. Before the ceremony officially kicks off, as the sole elder of this family, I’d like to say a few words."
"Cecilia, being able to marry Jude is a blessing you must have earned in a past life. I hope that after you’re married, as a wife, you’ll be more tolerant and take good care of our Jude. It’s not easy for him as a man, working so hard out there. You need to rein in that temper of yours."
Jude’s expression changed, and he shot Mrs. Sheridan a warning look.
Every word she said was like dancing on Cecilia Croft’s last nerve.
He was afraid Cecilia would get angry and walk out.
Mrs. Sheridan dodged Jude’s hand as he reached for the microphone and hurriedly added a few more words.
"Cecilia, I already know everything that happened last night. Just because our Jude doesn’t hold it against you doesn’t mean I, his mother, don’t have my own opinions. As long as you serve our Jude well from now on, it’s not impossible for me to accept you as my daughter-in-law."
Jude’s face turned ashen. "Mom, what are you doing?"
Hearing Mrs. Sheridan’s speech, the guests below bowed their heads and began whispering amongst themselves.
They had also noticed today that almost no one from the bride’s side of the family had come.
The seats reserved for the bride’s family were all empty.
"Son, you’ll understand after the wedding is over."
As she spoke, Mrs. Sheridan took out a pre-prepared property agreement.
Jude snatched the agreement from her and flipped through a few pages with a cold expression.
It was filled with clauses requiring Cecilia Croft to give up her shares and renounce her assets.
"Today is supposed to be a wonderful day for Cecilia and me. Stop causing trouble!"
With an agreement like this, he wouldn’t even have to show it to Cecilia for her to sign. Just mentioning it would make her turn and leave immediately.
"It’s precisely because I know it’s a wonderful day for you and Cecilia that I prepared this agreement for you, to add joy upon joy. Don’t worry, she’ll definitely sign it."
Below the stage, everyone was speculating about what had happened to Cecilia Croft last night.
Jude looked at Mrs. Sheridan’s smug, determined expression and a dreadful guess formed in his mind. His face changed instantly, his chest tightening with a heavy feeling.
His eyes scanned the surroundings, but he couldn’t find Zane Keller, and his brows furrowed immediately.
"Did Zane Keller come see you?"
He lowered his voice, questioning Mrs. Sheridan. His eyes burned with suppressed fury, and the hand at his side was clenched into a tight fist.
Mrs. Sheridan’s heart jumped, and she took two steps back.
At this point, there was no use denying it. She nodded lightly.
She was his mother, after all. She didn’t believe Jude would embarrass her in front of everyone.
Jude’s chest heaved violently, the fury in his eyes no longer containable.
He glared viciously at the mother before him, clenching his jaw.
"You..."
Mrs. Sheridan knew Jude would be angry, so she had prepared her response and quickly said,
"Jude, all the guests are watching from below, including many of our company’s business partners. Do you want everyone to know what happened to Cecilia Croft last night?"
Seeing everyone below staring at them, Jude’s face darkened. He grabbed Mrs. Sheridan and forcefully dragged her off the stage.
The guests’ murmuring grew louder.
No one knew what was going on.
Jude dragged Mrs. Sheridan into a corner, her meticulously styled hair now a mess.
She quickly steadied herself and looked at Jude with dissatisfaction.
"Jude, what are you doing? So many guests are watching!"
"I’m doing all this for your own good. Don’t you know what kind of temper Cecilia Croft has? If we don’t do this, you’ll be the one under her thumb."
The depths of Jude’s eyes were tinged red with anger. His body trembled, his rage having nowhere to go.
Seeing his state, Mrs. Sheridan quickly said,
"Zane Keller said he didn’t let those people do anything to cause her actual harm. They just took a few photos to use as leverage. Jude, I’m doing this for you. Once we have this hold on her, she won’t be able to walk all over you anymore. You don’t want her to leave you, and this is the only way she’ll stay by your side. Otherwise, if the truth about Jessica gets out, do you think she’d ever forgive you?"
Jude gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the wall.
Mrs. Sheridan jumped in fright.
Seeing that he had finally calmed down, she secretly sighed in relief and pressed the agreement into his hand.
"Jude, this agreement. When Cecilia comes on stage in a bit, give it to her. You must make her sign it. She won’t refuse."
Jude frowned, his gaze shifting toward the grand doors of the hall.
Through the crack at the bottom of the doors, he could see the silhouette of someone rushing to arrive.
The bride had just finished her makeup and was hurrying over, having not heard what Mrs. Sheridan said on stage earlier.
Jude breathed a small sigh of relief. In the end, he tightened his grip on the agreement in his hand and walked back onto the stage.
Cecilia Croft, dressed in a long, black satin gown, stood on the second-floor balcony, taking in every twist and turn of the events unfolding below.
A cold smile played on her lips as she gently swirled the wine in her glass. The red liquid rippled, making her look bewitchingly beautiful and dangerous.
As Jude returned to the stage, the ceremony resumed.
The harsh, chaotic lights went out, and the carefully arranged mood lighting came on. The surrounding crystals refracted the light into a kaleidoscope of colors, creating a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere.
The double doors of the hall were pulled open by the groomsmen standing on either side. Jude stared at the entrance with his full attention.
The bride, clad in a wedding dress, stood in the spotlight with a radiant smile.
Jude’s face went deathly pale in an instant.
He knew exactly what it meant for Jessica Keller to be standing there in Cecilia Croft’s wedding dress.
His inner fears magnified, and panic seized him.
The guests who had met Cecilia Croft before also stared at this scene in disbelief, their whispers erupting once more.
Jessica Keller saw the sudden change in Jude Sheridan’s expression, and the smile on her own face froze.
Assistant Zimmer had come to pick her up, saying that something had happened to Cecilia Croft last night, that she had a mental breakdown and refused to attend the wedding. And that Jude didn’t want to marry a wife who had been "ruined," so he had specifically sent the assistant to get her.
She had rushed over, filled with joy. As she stood at the entrance wearing the wedding dress Jude had designed himself, a single thought echoed in her heart: ’Finally’.
She had succeeded. She had driven out Cecilia Croft and taken her place.
But it seemed Jude had no idea she was coming. His expression was dangerously unpredictable as he rushed down from the stage.
Only then did Jessica Keller realize she seemed to have fallen into a trap.
The murmuring of the surrounding guests and Jude Sheridan’s piercing, murderous gaze made her heart pound. She was overcome with an inexplicable urge to flee.
