Chapter 324

Chapter 324

In the banquet hall, everyone's eyes were fixed on three people: the disheveled woman in a maternity dress, Richard, and Maya.

The woman clutched her belly with both hands, her eyes red-rimmed, tears streaming down her face:

"Richard, you're willing to abandon your own child just to cozy up to the Coleman family? Yesterday you went with me to my prenatal checkup, and today you're here marrying another woman!"

Her voice was hoarse and desperate, every word dripping with anguish.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd below.

"I'd heard Richard was quite the player, but I never thought he'd let his mistress crash his wedding."

"How embarrassing."

Richard's face turned ashen.

He didn't look at the woman. Instead, he immediately turned to Maya beside him.

Maya's expression remained unchanged.

She didn't even let go of Kinsley's arm. She simply tilted her head slightly and picked up a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter's tray, taking a small sip.

Her posture was impeccably elegant and composed.

As if everything happening before her had nothing to do with her.

"Maya, I..."

Richard stepped forward, his voice carrying a rare hint of panic.

"Richard."

Maya set down her glass, her voice steady without a trace of emotion:

"Your mess—handle it in five minutes. Don't delay my wedding."

Richard stared into Maya's eyes. Only after confirming she wasn't angry did the tension in his jaw slightly ease.

He turned to face the crowd below.

The panic in his eyes was instantly replaced by ruthlessness.

Richard walked down from the stage, his leather shoes crushing rose petals beneath them.

He stopped two steps away from the woman, looking down at her.

"Who sent you?"

Richard's voice was ice-cold.

The woman flinched, then forced herself to hold up a stack of documents, her neck stiff:

"I came on my own! These are records of you accompanying me to prenatal checkups! And the two million dollars you gave me for pregnancy care!"

"Richard, you heartless bastard! You said you'd marry me, you convinced me to have your baby, and now you're turning around and marrying someone else. You'll get what's coming to you!"

Luca, sitting not far away, stood up, adjusted his suit jacket, and spoke with fake concern:

"Richard, if you did it, you need to own up to it. Making a scene like this—where does that leave the Allen family and the Coleman family's reputation?"

Richard let out a cold laugh and snapped his fingers.

The giant LED screen behind the main stage suddenly lit up.

Everyone looked over curiously.

On the screen was high-definition surveillance footage and several bank statements.

The footage clearly showed Luca's assistant in an underground parking garage, handing a black briefcase to the woman standing before them.

Then the screen switched to bank statements.

Luca's private account had transferred ten million dollars to the woman's offshore account in three separate transactions.

The whole room erupted.

"So this woman was planted by Luca?"

"Luca's trying to use this opportunity to seize power, right? An illegitimate son is still an illegitimate son—what a dirty move!"

The smugness on Luca's face froze. He whipped his head toward the screen.

The screen flickered again.

This time it showed hundreds of photos, all taken from extremely hidden angles—of Maya.

Maya's routes to and from work, scenes of her dining with clients, even footage of her drinking coffee on the Coleman family villa's balcony.

Of course, these photos had been specially processed to avoid exposing Maya's private details.

The air in the hall dropped to freezing.

"Luca."

Richard loosened his tie and walked toward Luca step by step:

"You covet the Allen family's assets—fine, I'll take that as competition. But you find some woman pregnant with who-knows-whose bastard to disgust me, and you have people stalking Maya? You really think I'm dead?"

The pregnant woman's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

Luca's face went pale as he backed away repeatedly:

"You're lying! This is fabricated!"

"Whether I'm lying or not, tell it to the police."

As his words fell, the banquet hall doors opened again.

Five uniformed police officers strode in, heading straight for Luca's table.

"Luca, you're suspected of violating trade secrets and illegal surveillance and stalking. Please come with us."

The lead officer showed his credentials.

Cold handcuffs snapped directly onto Luca's wrists.

Luca froze for a moment, then realized what was happening.

He struggled violently, shouting:

"It wasn't me! This is all a frame-up! I want my lawyer!"

With solid evidence, the police didn't care what he said and forcibly took him away.

As for the pregnant woman, she was also scared senseless by the situation and was escorted out by hotel security.

The whole farce wrapped up cleanly in less than five minutes.

Richard turned and walked back to the stage.

Without any hesitation, he knelt on one knee before Maya and raised his right hand.

"I, Richard, swear before everyone here today that I will be loyal only to Maya for the rest of my life. If I ever betray this promise, all Allen family assets will go to her, and I'll leave with nothing."

Richard's voice carried through the microphone across the entire banquet hall, resounding and clear.

Maya looked down at Richard kneeling before her.

After a few seconds, she extended her hand and pulled Richard to his feet.

"Continue the wedding."

Maya addressed the officiant.

Thunderous applause erupted below.

Lily, sitting beside me, nudged my shoulder:

"Sue, this Richard is something else. He dared to say he'd leave with nothing—this isn't a business marriage, this is him handing over everything he has."

I picked up my water and took a sip:

"You're really smart."

I honestly hadn't thought Richard was sincere before, but it turned out Lily was right.

Lily lifted her chin proudly:

"Did you see how Richard looked at Maya just now? Like he wanted to devour her. Maya's really met her match this time."

I shook my head gently. Who's controlling whom is still up in the air.

After the two exchanged rings on stage, the banquet officially began.

Richard held a wine glass and walked to our table with Maya.

He'd changed into a custom-made toast outfit, his left hand pressed firmly against Maya's lower back, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the fabric of her dress.

It was an extremely possessive and protective gesture.

Jason picked up a water glass, blocking the red wine a waiter was offering me:

"My wife can't drink. Richard, Ms. Coleman, congratulations."

Richard downed his drink in one gulp, his gaze sweeping over Jason's hand protecting me, a smile playing at his lips:

"Mr. Cooper is very fortunate. But my fortune isn't bad either."

As he spoke, he tightened his grip, pulling Maya closer into his embrace.

Maya was forced against his chest.

Her brow furrowed slightly as she glanced at Richard's hand on her waist, but she didn't pull away, tacitly allowing his action.

Standing together, these two gave off a strange yet harmonious tension.

The night breeze was cool. After the wedding banquet ended, Jason directly declined the follow-up activities and left with me.

The black Maybach drove along the cross-sea bridge.

The car was filled with a faint scent of leather.

I leaned back against the passenger seat, my stomach suddenly churning.

I covered my mouth and dry-heaved.

Jason slammed on the brakes!

The tires screeched against the asphalt!

The car stopped steadily by the roadside. Jason unbuckled his seatbelt, cupped my face in both hands, his voice trembling with anxiety:

"Sue! What's wrong? Does your stomach hurt? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

"Nauseous."

I gasped for air, stomach acid rising in my throat.