Chapter 644 Samuel's Wedding: A Spectacle to Remember 1
Maybe it was revenge against Taylor.
Samuel had spent the night with Zenobia at the villa. They had been intimate before, so the moment they stepped into the master bedroom, there was no pretense — they were in each other's arms, seeking pleasure without restraint.
Samuel had been drinking, and it was over quickly.
But for Zenobia, it was a triumph like no other. She had finally crossed the threshold as more than a guest. She had replaced Taylor as the mistress of this house.
Her wish fulfilled, she felt an unfamiliar tenderness toward him. When Samuel collapsed into sleep, she wasn't offended. Instead, she slipped into the bathroom, wrung out a hot towel, and returned to tend to him.
Half kneeling beside the bed, she gently wiped his skin. As she turned his arm, something small and bright slipped from his hand.
A diamond ring, dazzling under the lamplight.
It was Taylor's wedding ring.
Taylor, a surgeon, had rarely worn it over the years. After seven years, it still looked brand-new. Zenobia, not knowing the truth, assumed it was meant for her. Delighted, she slid it onto her own ring finger.
She turned her hand, admiring it from every angle, unable to hide her joy.
Then Samuel murmured in his sleep, "Taylor."
The sweetness in her chest curdled instantly. But she told herself it didn't matter. Soon, she would be Mrs. Collins. Who he thought of in his dreams didn't change that.
She lifted her hand again, gazing at the ring with a possessive smile.
By morning, Samuel stirred awake.
His fingers instinctively closed, searching for Taylor's ring — the one he remembered keeping in his palm all night.
In the next instant, he sat bolt upright.
The ring was gone.
He began searching the bed, ignoring the sleeping woman beside him. Zenobia woke to the rustle, her voice still husky. "Samuel, what's wrong?"
She reached out, resting her hand on his thigh.
His eyes locked on her ring finger. His voice went cold. "Who told you to wear that?"
"Isn't it your engagement ring?" she asked, smiling. "I'm saying yes."
His expression darkened.
Without a word, he seized her hand, yanked the ring off, and grabbed a few wet wipes, scrubbing it clean.
That was when Zenobia understood — this was Taylor's wedding ring.
Humiliation burned through her. She snatched up a pillow and hurled it at him. "You bastard! You've been carrying your ex-wife's wedding ring around? What does that make me?"
Samuel's temper was notorious. In business, he was always surrounded by people eager to please him. No woman dared raise her voice to him.
His face hardened. "Whatever you think you are — that's exactly what you are."
Zenobia knew when to retreat.
She was already in his bed. She couldn't let a ring drive a wedge between them. Softening her tone, she bit her lip and whispered, "I only acted that way because I care about you. Don't be angry with me, Samuel."
She knew men.
And she knew that mornings often came with certain needs. Curling against him, she began to coax and tempt him.
At first, Samuel was unresponsive. But Zenobia was persistent, and soon the two of them were tangled together again.
In the heat of it, Samuel's control slipped. "Taylor," he breathed.
Two weeks later.
The air had turned crisp, the first hints of winter settling in.
Taylor sat on her office sofa, reviewing a medical paper. The room was warm from the heater. On her desk, a crystal vase held fresh flowers — Julian's latest delivery.
He had been sending them every other day, always replacing them before they wilted. He'd told her he wanted her to think of him whenever she had a quiet moment.
'Childish,' she thought.
Yet the corners of her mouth lifted when she thought of him. Her mood was light, helped along by recent progress in her research into Thalassa's condition. With the right donor heart, she was confident she could make the surgery a success.
Taylor wasn't endlessly forgiving. She was a doctor — and a realist.
A knock sounded at the door. Molly's voice came through. "Dr. Montague, Thalassa's mother would like to see you."
Taylor frowned. "Zenobia?"
She had no fondness for the woman, but Zenobia was family to her patient. Refusing would have been unprofessional.
The moment she nodded, Zenobia swept into the room, radiant as ever. For the mother of a sick child, she was dressed to impress.
Once Molly closed the door, Taylor set aside her papers and asked evenly, "What do you want?"
Zenobia's smile was edged. "Aren't you going to offer me a seat, Dr. Montague?"
"I don't keep chairs for patient relatives," Taylor replied.
Zenobia's temper flickered. "Aren't you curious about how things are going between me and Samuel?"
"No."
From her designer bag, Zenobia produced an invitation and placed it on the table. Her tone was triumphant. "Samuel and I are getting married. Three days from now."
"That's… quick," Taylor said. "You divorced Leo?"
Zenobia's smile faltered.
She had visited Leo recently, even offered him two million dollars to end the marriage. But the stubborn man refused until after Thalassa's surgery.
Samuel, however, was eager to marry. So she had promised him a wedding now, with the legal paperwork to follow after the New Year. Samuel had agreed.
"We're having the ceremony first," Zenobia said coolly. "Dr. Montague, you're not going to refuse my invitation just because you can't let go of the past, are you?"
The challenge in her eyes was unmistakable.
Taylor's smile was faint. "Of course not. If the future Mrs. Collins invites me, I'll make the time."
Zenobia felt a rush of satisfaction. She knew Samuel still carried a torch for Taylor. That was why she wanted Taylor to see them together — to crush any chance of reconciliation.
Her mission accomplished, Zenobia rose to leave. But her phone buzzed.
Geraldo.
He was a known figure in Evergreen City. She hadn't seen him recently, though he had reached out several times. Persistent, but ultimately not in Samuel's league. If she ignored him, their brief fling would fade into nothing.
She blocked the number.
Taylor, watching the flicker of expression on her face, said quietly, "Samuel?"
Before Zenobia could answer, the door swung open.
Samuel walked in.