chapter 111

chapter 111
Adrian was no longer smiling.
The joyful groom-to-be had been replaced with a man on edge — calculating, guarded, and relentless. After the tampered cake, the burnt veil, and the threatening message, there was no more room for doubt.
Someone was trying to sabotage the wedding. And Adrian knew exactly who had the motive.
Linet.
She had vanished from public view weeks ago, and every attempt to trace her had hit a dead end. But now, she was clearly moving in the shadows — and Adrian was done playing defense.
The Command Room – Drake Estate
Adrian stood before a table covered in surveillance prints, digital schematics, and GPS logs. The estate’s private security had been doubled, and he had called in his own personal investigator: Agent Max Rowan, a former intelligence officer and close friend.
“She’s smart,” Max muttered, going over the footage of the cake delivery. “No digital traces. She used a burner phone, masked the delivery vehicle’s plates, and disguised herself. But—”
“But she underestimated me,” Adrian finished, tapping on the paused image of a barely visible tattoo peeking from under the sleeve of the impersonator in the footage.
Max grinned. “Exactly. I’ve already matched it to a woman known to have worked with Linet before. Street name: Zia. We track her—we get Linet.”
Adrian’s eyes turned cold. “Then we don’t wait. Find Zia. Bring her to me.”
Meanwhile… Linet’s Hideout
Linet was crouched in a dim, rented room, her hair messy, eyes blazing with obsession. She clutched a tattered photograph of Adrian — the same one she used to keep in her dressing mirror when she still bore the Drake name.
“You were supposed to be mine,” she whispered, tears staining her cheeks. “You chose her. A nobody. And now everyone’s treating her like a queen.”
She rose to her feet.
“If I can’t have the crown, no one will.”
The Breakthrough
That night, Max and his team intercepted Zia outside a warehouse on the city’s edge. A brief but aggressive chase ensued. Zia ran, but she wasn’t fast enough for the well-trained agents.
Cornered and handcuffed, she screamed, “You don’t understand! She’s not just after the wedding. She wants blood!”
Adrian stepped forward, icy calm. “Then it’s time to stop her — before she gets it.”
Back at the Estate
Adrian returned home and immediately hugged Rita, holding her tightly as the babies slept in the next room.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” he told her.
But his eyes said something else.
He was preparing for war.
The grand wedding was just two days away, and the Drake Estate buzzed with activity. Florists arranged towering bouquets, designers adjusted gowns and suits, and media teams coordinated coverage of the most anticipated event of the season.
But amid the sparkle and glamor, something darker was taking shape.
Adrian was orchestrating not just a ceremony—but a sting.
Drake Private Study – Midnight
Adrian and Max stood over a digital map of the estate, highlighting every point of entry, every blind spot, and every route in and out.
“We’ll create a decoy nursery upstairs,” Max explained. “We’ll fill it with replicas—two fake cribs, baby dolls that even breathe and move slightly. Zia confessed Linet wanted to ‘snatch them and burn it all down.’ She’ll take the bait.”
Adrian's jaw tightened. “And what about the guests?”
“Already covered. Security will be disguised as catering, media, and musicians. Everyone will be monitored. Facial recognition software is set to detect Linet the moment she steps foot on the premises.”
Adrian exhaled deeply. “Good. Because if she dares try anything at my wedding, I want her caught red-handed.”
Wedding Day – Morning of the Ceremony
Rita sat in her bridal suite, a breathtaking vision in white and soft gold. The babies were kept far from the estate in a secure location. Only a few knew—Rita included.
Her heart raced, but not from nerves.
“You think she’ll come?” she asked softly as she sipped water, her voice trembling.
Adrian took her hand gently and kissed her knuckles.
“She will. Linet thrives on spectacle. And we’ve given her the biggest one of all.”
The Ceremony – Just Before Sunset
The guests began arriving—high-profile elites, city dignitaries, foreign investors. Cameras clicked. Music soared. Champagne flowed. But underneath the surface, trained eyes were watching every twitch, every unfamiliar face.
And then… the breach.
A woman dressed as a flower delivery worker slipped into a restricted hallway. Her cap was pulled low. She moved too quickly. Too confidently.
The cameras caught her.
The face-mapping system pinged.
Linet.
The Trap Springs
As she stepped into the decoy nursery and crept toward the fake cribs, Linet hissed, “Goodbye, little curses,” raising a pillow to smother the dolls.
Suddenly—a flood of lights. Security agents burst in. The door slammed shut behind her.
“Linet Markson, you're under arrest,” Max declared.
Linet turned, wild-eyed, cornered like a feral animal. “You lied to me! You replaced them!”
Then, as if madness took her, she laughed. “You think it ends here? You can’t silence me forever!”
The Aisle
As the chaos was quietly handled away from the main event, the ceremony proceeded.
Adrian stood at the altar, emotion in his eyes as Rita walked toward him. For the first time in weeks, his smile was real—genuine, soft, unburdened.
As they exchanged vows, neither of them knew that news of Linet’s arrest would explode across social media before the reception even began.
But for now, they were untouchable.
Minutes After the Arrest — Wedding Grounds, Secret Holding Area
Linet sat in a cold, makeshift interrogation tent on the edge of the estate, her wrists bound in cuffs, her eyes burning with fury. Officers secured her in silence while Max documented everything—especially her attempted harm toward innocent children.
“Congratulations,” Max said coldly. “You just guaranteed yourself a lifetime of being remembered… as a cautionary tale.”
She sneered. “I was born better than that little witch. But you all gave her everything—everything that was supposed to be mine!”
“She earned it,” Max said calmly. “You tried to steal it.”
She spat on the floor. “Tell Adrian—this isn’t over.”
Max didn’t flinch. “Oh, I think it is.”
Reception Grounds — A Moment of Magic
The sun dipped low, casting golden rays across the garden as fairy lights blinked to life. Rita and Adrian were now husband and wife, hand in hand as a chorus of applause lifted into the sky.
The first dance began—slow, soft music echoing through the flower-filled courtyard. Rita leaned into Adrian, her heart finally at peace.
“I thought something might go wrong today,” she whispered.
He chuckled lightly. “It did. But we were ready. And now… it’s just us.”
Guests began to join them on the dance floor, unaware of the danger they’d been saved from, content in the magic of the evening. Meanwhile, Max discreetly informed Adrian through a subtle nod—Linet was in custody. Safe.
Rita’s eyes shone. “We’re really free now, aren’t we?”
“We are,” Adrian murmured, resting his forehead on hers.
Social Media Frenzy — Citywide Reactions
As the reception carried on, social media exploded.
#DrakeWedding trended globally—initially for its grandeur… then, for the shock.
“Attempted Baby Abduction Foiled at Billionaire Wedding”
News stations broke the story: A woman linked to prior threats and kidnapping attempts was caught red-handed during the ceremony of Adrian Drake and Rita Marlowe.
Some netizens were shocked. Others delighted in the poetic justice.
“Linet thought she was the main character, turns out she’s the commercial break,” one tweet read.
Memes flourished. The public sided overwhelmingly with Rita and Adrian. Linet’s already tainted name was now radioactive.
Later That Night — The Afterglow
Under a canopy of stars, Rita cradled her twins while Adrian stood beside her. They were back in their private quarters, the party still going on just beyond the tall windows.
“I think they’ll sleep through the night,” Rita said softly.
Adrian looked at the tiny babies, his eyes full of awe.
“We got them back… we kept them safe… and we got married. I think that’s the best ending anyone could ask for.”
“No,” Rita smiled. “It’s not the end. It’s the beginning.”