Chapter 112
Juliana turned around and gently touched his cheek.
"Don't stress. He needs time. We need to give him time too. His emotions are all over the place right now—maybe he just doesn't want to be found. When he's ready, he'll show up."
Lucas took her hand and kissed it.
Everything David went through was connected to him, to the Sharp family. He had to find him. Had to give him answers.
"I'll keep looking," he said, his voice heavy.
Juliana nodded and leaned into his embrace.
The dressing room door was knocked on again—the wedding coordinator reminding them the ceremony was about to start.
Lucas took Juliana's hand. They walked out together.
Outside, the venue was packed with guests and decorated with elaborate flower arrangements.
Ashley's figure stood out starkly in the crowd. She wore a dark formal gown, her face ashen, walking step by step toward the main stage. Her appearance instantly silenced the lively reception.
Lucas and Juliana stopped, their eyes landing on Ashley.
Ashley walked to the center of the stage. Her gaze swept over the guests below before finally settling on Lucas and Juliana.
"Lucas, tell me—what exactly do you think you're doing?" Ashley's voice echoed through the venue. "Throwing a wedding reception? With this woman? Where does that leave me, your mother?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The Sharp family's internal conflicts were now completely out in the open.
"Mom." Lucas's voice was steady, emotionless. "Today is my and Juliana's wedding. Please show some respect."
"Respect?" Ashley let out a cold laugh. "Why don't you ask everyone here—who doesn't know what this woman really is? A nobody from nowhere who seven years ago willingly became a surrogate for money! What gives her the right to stand on the Sharp family's stage and become my daughter-in-law?"
The room erupted in shocked whispers.
Juliana's face went pale.
Lucas stepped forward, completely shielding Juliana behind him.
"Mom, are you done? Juliana is my lawfully wedded wife. She's Damian and Matthew's mother. She gave the Sharp family sons. She's given me so much. I know everything about her past, and I accept all of it."
He pulled two documents from his jacket and held them high.
"This is our marriage certificate. Juliana and I are legally registered. We're a married couple protected by law."
Then he took Juliana's hand and faced all the guests.
"Everyone, I, Lucas Sharp, hereby announce that Ms. Juliana Wells is, from this day forward, the rightful wife of the Sharp family. Anyone who dares show her the slightest disrespect will be making an enemy of me—and of the entire Sharp family!"
The guests exchanged glances. On one side was the Sharp family matriarch. On the other was the man who actually ran the Sharp family empire. The choice wasn't hard to make.
"Congratulations, Mr. Sharp!"
"You two are a perfect match!"
Well-wishes erupted from all corners. Guests came forward one after another, bowing respectfully to Juliana and addressing her as "Mrs. Sharp."
Ashley's face turned ashen. Her entire body shook with rage.
"You... you shallow opportunists!"
Ashley grabbed a champagne flute from a nearby table and hurled it to the floor.
Glass shattered everywhere. The sharp sound was quickly drowned out by the guests' congratulations.
She shot Lucas and Juliana one final venomous glare, then turned and stumbled out of the reception.
Lucas didn't go after her. He just watched her figure disappear through the doorway.
……
Back at the estate, Ashley slammed through the front door, fury churning in her chest.
"Call him! Call David!" she barked at a servant. "Tell him to get here now!"
The servant shakily dialed David's number, but all they heard was the robotic voice: "The number you have dialed cannot be reached..."
"What's going on?" Ashley snatched the phone away and dialed herself.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Same result every time.
That's when it hit her—something was wrong.
David. How long had it been since she'd heard from him? Ever since he'd handled that business with Juliana, he seemed to have vanished. She'd assumed he was just laying low or handling some other "dirty work."
But now his phone was off. He was nowhere to be found.
An ominous feeling crept up Ashley's spine.
"Go! Find him now! Track down David's whereabouts! I want him found—alive or dead!" she commanded her most trusted people, her voice laced with unprecedented urgency.
"Also, send someone to the hospital. Find out if those doctors actually did what they were supposed to!"
……
As night deepened, Ashley sat alone in the empty living room, a chill creeping from her feet to the top of her head.
David—the most obedient, most capable "son"—how could he just disappear?
She had a vague sense that something had spiraled out of her control.
……
Europe. Rome.
Juliana and Lucas strolled along ancient cobblestone streets.
Juliana held up her phone, capturing shots of the Colosseum's weathered ruins and street performers. She casually posted the photos and videos to social media.
The comments section lit up almost immediately.
[Happy honeymoon!]
[Dr. Wells finally got her happy ending! So well deserved!]
……
Back at the Sharp Estate, Ashley sat in the living room.
A servant carefully offered her a cup of tea. She swatted it away violently. Tea splashed across the floor.
"Honeymoon? And posting it online!" She jabbed her finger at her phone screen, which displayed one of Juliana's photos.
Ashley was so angry her chest heaved. The wedding she refused to acknowledge—and Lucas had the audacity to go on a honeymoon and flaunt it publicly. This was clearly a challenge to her authority.
Her phone rang. It was the butler.
"Mrs. Sharp, please don't upset yourself. It's not worth damaging your health..." Before the butler could finish, Ashley felt a wave of dizziness. Everything went black. Her phone slipped from her hand, and she collapsed onto the couch.
The butler panicked and immediately contacted Lucas.
……
At that moment, Lucas and Juliana were sitting at a sidewalk café in Rome, sipping espresso.
His phone buzzed. The butler's call.
Lucas answered. The butler's anxious voice came through. "Mr. Sharp, your mother... she passed out!"