Chapter 120 Chapter 120 The Wedding
The bridal party sits at a separate table with Gemma and Alek. Sergey is next to me, but I keep my eyes on my boyfriend. Deep down, I feel like I have to walk on eggshells with Dragon. It took over an hour to finish pictures. Now Gemma and Alek are dancing, and they call us up to join them. I take Sergey’s hand. His wife is seated with his family, cradling their baby. I’m hoping Dragon doesn’t get pissed like Mason did. Sergey leads me onto the dance floor, spinning me before pulling me into his chest.
“Your dress didn’t budge,” he chuckles, leaning in.
“Tape, baby,” I laugh.
The song ends, and others join in. It takes Dragon all of two seconds to cut in. I exhale as I take his hand. He spins me away from Sergey, his hand dropping low, resting just above my ass. His lips brush my cheek.
“A lot of your exes are here,” he murmurs.
I glance around, confused. Who is he counting? I spot Mason with Grant, Antony, and Justin—all with dates. Then my eyes widen as Dimitri walks through the double doors. I swallow hard.
“I only have three exes here, babe. Sergey, Mason and Matt. And honestly, Sergey doesn’t even count—that relationship had an expiration date. So really, just Mason and Matt.” I study Dragon’s face. “If you’re uncomfortable, we can leave early.”
Why did I even say that? This is my best friend’s wedding. I’m the maid of honor. I should be here until the end.
Dragon shakes his head immediately. “No way, Elle. Gemma’s one of your closest friends. You have to be here.” Then something darker flickers in his eyes. “I’m just… feeling possessive. And this dress isn’t helping. I don’t like the way guys are looking at you. What Alek said earlier—it got to me.” His voice drops, meant only for me.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I say softly, kissing him.
I scan the room—Matt and Hope, Andreas with his new girlfriend, Dustin, Vince, Nick with Katie. Over a thousand guests fill the space. Sergey’s wife hasn’t moved; she sits beside an older woman—probably Alek and Sergey’s mother. Their father, too, maybe. They look just like him. And they’re all staring straight at me.
Gemma and Alek cut into our dance. Dragon takes Gemma, and I move to Alek.
“Are those your parents burning a hole through my forehead?” I ask.
Alek glances over and chuckles. “Yeah.” He shifts us slightly, out of their direct line of sight. “Did you like your present?”
I pull back, confused. “What present?”
“Dimitri,” he says. “Now that he and Ivan are part of the sad boy club… we made friends with them.”
“The sad boy club?” I laugh, maybe a little too loud.
“Yeah. Every idiot who let you slip through his fingers.” He softens, looking at me. “Dimitri told me about your fight with Ivan. Fucking asshole.”
“What does it feel like to be married?” I ask quickly, changing the subject.
He grins. “Why? You thinking about it?” Then he follows my gaze to Dragon and Gemma laughing together. His expression shifts. “No. He’s not good enough for you.”
I don’t respond.
I’m still angry at Dragon. Pretending everything is fine isn’t easy. Right now, our relationship feels forced—like we’re playing roles instead of living something real. My insides feel hollow, cold. My instincts are screaming at me to run.
I force myself to focus on the wedding.
Every table is decorated with a large candle encased lantern surrounded by pink roses. Sheer tablecloths drape over pale wood. Everything is elegant, soft, perfect.
My eyes drift to the bar. Maybe I need a drink.
Then I glance at Dragon’s table. He’s sitting with Dimitri, Ivan, and Stanislav. Something in his expression pulls at me—like he’s barely holding it together.
I excuse myself from Alek. He kisses both sides of my face, thanking me for the dance.
Crossing the floor, I accidentally brush past Mason. He smiles softly, but his eyes… they’re different. Familiar. Intense. Lustful.
He grabs my elbow, stopping me.
“I never got to say thank you,” he says.
I frown. “For what?”
He leans in. “You saved my life. They let me go because you told them to.”
I swallow. I want answers—but not here, not now. “I want to talk about that. I’ll call you… or we can meet up.”
“Or,” he smirks, dragging the word out, “you could come over.”
I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Glad to see they didn’t scare the humor out of you. Maybe just an extra boxing session.”
“Let me know,” he says, releasing me.
I make my way to Dragon and settle into his lap, crossing my legs, my left thigh fully exposed. His hand rests there instantly. My arm loops around his shoulders, fingers sliding into his hair. I feel him relax under my touch, his grip tightening around me.
“Don’t leave me,” he whispers. “I see all these sad-ass motherfuckers, and I don’t want to be one of them. I have you… and I’m fucking it up.”
I pull back so I can look at him. Honesty is the only way through this.
“I need you to scale back with Penelope,” I say quietly. “I know you think she’s just your friend—but she’s not. She likes you. And all that attention you give her? It’s hurting us.”
“She doesn’t like me like that,” he insists.
“Oh, babe… she absolutely does. And if you can’t see that…” I shake my head. “It’s going to be the end of us.”
I stand and head back to the bridal table as food starts being served. I glance over my shoulder at him, trying to read his face.
I can’t tell if my words landed.
I can’t tell if he understands how close he is to losing me.
But I do know one thing—I’m not competing for my place in someone’s life.
If it comes to that, I will walk away.