Chapter 141 Xav weds Lily

Chapter 141 Xav weds Lily
Author's pov.

Two weeks later, it was finally Lilian and Xavier's wedding.

Dandelion stood at the altar as the maid of honor, her heart so full of joy it felt like it might burst. She wore a soft, blush pink dress that flowed elegantly around her.

Nicholas stood at the opposite side as the best man, with Xavier who was completely frozen at the front.

Baby Genora was now a plump baby, and a bundle of curiosity, she was tucked securely into her designer carriage near the front row beside Alex, watching the world with her curious wide, green eyes.

The wedding was everything Lilian had ever dreamed of. When she walked down the aisle, the look on Xavier’s face was in pure awe.

He was a man who had spent his years in the boardroom, but as he watched Lilian approach, he looked more like a boy seeing his first sunrise.

Their vows were simple yet it was very intimate, like they were in another trance where only both of them existed.

When the officiant declared them husband and wife, the applause was thunderous. The kiss that followed was slow, and really intimate.

............

The reception was a riot of color and music, banners with the tag 'Xav weds Lily' were hung almost everywhere. The outdoor terrace had been converted into a dance floor, and the food and champagne flowed freely.

Genora spent most of the evening being passed from one person's arms to the other, it was like a revolving door of adoring relatives, everyone wanted to carry her.

Even Willow had been invited to the wedding, the massive wolf sat beside the buffet table, accepting pieces of smoked salmon from Nicholas.

"Bouquet time!" Lilian shouted as her face flushed with excitement.

She stood on the terrace stairs, the crowd of single ladies gathered below with competitive glints of excitement in their eyes.

Lilian spun around and tossed the beautiful bouquet of white roses high into the air, she immediately turned excitedly to watch the scramble.

The flowers sailed in a beautiful, high arc....but over the heads of the waiting ladies.

It seemed headed for the crowd, but then, a stray breeze caught the stems of the flower, shifting the trajectory towards the buffet table.

Thwack.

The entire bouquet hit Nicholas right in the face.

He stumbled backward, looking really shocked by the assault.

The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat, then suddenly they all broke into a roar of laughter so loud it must have been heard three estates away.

Grandma Winifred was in her chair, shaking with laughter so hard that Alex who was also laughing had to rush over to steady her.

"Guess the universe really wants you married, Nicholas," Xavier yelled, wiping tears off from his eyes.

Nicholas slowly lowered the flowers, his face a bright shade of pink. "The universe can mind it's business. Always meddling in people's business," he grumbled,

though he didn't throw the bouquet back. Instead, he shoved the stems into his suit pocket, and folded his arms in annoyance, looking like a man who had just been hexed by a wizard.

"You know what they say," Lilian called out, grinning as she danced past him. "It’s a curse! If a man catches the bouquet, especially twice now. He’s definitely going to meet his match no matter how much he resists. There's no escaping destiny, Nick."

Nicholas scoffed dramatically, though he couldn't hide the way his gaze flickered toward the flowers in his suite, his usual confident swagger slightly dulled by the bouquet’s sudden strike.

Why the hell was he always the target.

For a moment he suspected Lilian had purposely targeted him, but then she was facing backwards when she threw the flowers.

Maybe it was truly the universe meddling with his life.

................

As soon as reporters started tropping in, a young lady about Lilian's age walked in, stealing a few glances her way.

She moved through the crowd with an easy and confident posture, her notebook tucked under one arm and a digital recorder in her hand. She was tall, with sharp features and hair that seemed to bounce with each step she took.

She had arrived uninvited, but she was a journalist for the city’s largest society magazine and nobody would kick Aria Sinclair out of a party.

Her gaze caught Nicholas by the bar.

Perfect.

He was very close to the newly wedded couple, so she could get a few information from him about them, for the saturday edition magazine.

"Nicholas Cage," she called, her husky voice confident and unfazed by his aura. "I’m Aria Sinclair. And I’m covering the wedding for the Saturday edition magazine......" She paused when she noticed the flowers roughly shoved in his suit, "Are you always this careless with the flower arrangements?"

Nicholas who didn't pay attention at first, finally straightened up when he looked at her properly, damn she looked really pretty.

He immediately straightened his tie and leaned in with his signature smirk, "Trust me it's not my fault for being the most eligible bachelor in Greenville, I guess it carries a certain....magnetism." he said with a smirk, pointing at the flowers in his suit.

Aria looked him up and down. She didn't look impressed, he seemed to be a narcissist. She knew his type, they were always so full of themselves, "Magnetism, or just bad aim?" She asked indifferently, more like rudely.

Nicholas blinked. Nobody. Like literally no fucking body, had ever looked at him with such disdain and even almost disgust, if he's right about her facial expression.

He felt a rare, flicker of annoyance mixed with something far more unusual. He was intrigued. Who the hell is she. Wait she mentioned magazine.

"Oh....well my media empire," Nicholas started, shifting gears into his bragging mode, "is currently expanding into three continents. I have more influence than most political candidates, and I can have a front page story on any desk in this city within the hour. So since you obviously don't seem to be ready for a polite interview, I have other things to do."

Aria scoffed and checked her recorder, she didn't even blink at his list of accomplishments and his bragging, instead she scribbled something in her notebook. "Good to know. I’ll make sure to put 'modest' on the list of your traits right on the front page like you said. Thanks for the unnecessary quote."

She turned on her heel and walked away, her stride completely dismissive.

Nicholas stood there, his mouth slightly open.

What the hell just happened. How dare she....

"You’re staring," Xavier said, appearing beside him with a glass of champagne.

"I'm glaring," Nicholas retorted with jaw clenched, adjusting his cufflinks that didn't need adjustment.

Alex wandered over, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "Don't listen to him Xav, I saw everything, and trust me, you are so smitten brother."he said referring to Nicholas.

"I am nothing of the sort," Nicholas scoffed, though he immediately began scanning the crowd for her.

He reached into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the bouquet stems, and he let out a short, frustrated exhale. "She’s just....so rude. I wasn't expecting it."

"Sure," Alex laughed, patting Nicholas on the shoulder. "Whatever you say."