Chapter 502 Cooperating in Acting
Then Garrett added, "And there's a check included—the groom said you can fill in any amount you want."
When Landon overheard Garrett's words, he immediately felt cheated. If he'd known, he would have joined Victoria's bridesmaids instead.
Lila and the others were stunned.
She couldn't help but marvel at Alexander's wealth. Rich people truly lived differently—not only giving away multi-million-dollar properties but also blank checks.
This sudden windfall felt surreal.
"May I go upstairs now?" Alexander asked politely.
Lila, clutching the property deed, could barely contain her smile. "Of course, go ahead!"
Her earlier plans to prank the groom had clearly been forgotten.
Upstairs, Victoria checked the time. Ten minutes had passed.
They should have arrived by now. What was taking so long?
Just then, the door opened.
She looked up to see the familiar face she'd been waiting for.
They exchanged smiles.
Alexander approached the foot of the bed, knelt on one knee with a bouquet of flowers, and said, "Darling, I'm here to take you home."
Behind him, a crowd of onlookers poured in, all mesmerized by Victoria's exquisite appearance.
The couple was undeniably stunning together.
Lila retrieved the shoes she had hidden earlier.
"Come on, hurry and put the shoes on your bride," she urged.
Victoria gave her a knowing look—this sudden helpfulness was quite transparent.
Lila stuck out her tongue playfully. "Don't look at me like that, darling. You said it yourself—once the money's right, we can drop the games."
Victoria couldn't help but laugh.
Later at Wind Sleep Villa, Victoria hugged her grandmother and mother goodbye before heading to the wedding venue—the grand ballroom at Golden Crown Hotel.
Victoria hadn't been involved in decorating the venue, so she had no idea what it looked like.
In the waiting room, Alexander suggested she rest since they would be standing for a long time later. He then left to greet the guests.
Victoria still needed to change into her wedding gown.
"Mrs. Howard, you should rest a bit. We have about an hour before the ceremony begins, so there's no rush," Kimberly said.
"Thank you, I will. You should take a break too—don't worry about me," Victoria replied, glancing at her.
"Of course."
"Wait," Victoria called after her. "Where's Ignatius?"
"Mr. Mitchell should be on his way from Serenity Grove Manor with Sawyer and the others. They should arrive soon," Kimberly answered.
Victoria nodded. "Good. When he arrives, please bring him to me."
"Certainly, Mrs. Howard."
A few moments later, her phone buzzed on the table.
She picked it up, immediately straightening as she examined the message and attached photo.
It read: [You have ten minutes to come to the hotel rooftop, or he falls. Come alone. Tell no one.]
The message was from an unknown number.
Just then, Winter entered the room.
"Winter, come here," Victoria called.
Winter noticed her troubled expression immediately.
"What's wrong?" Winter asked.
Victoria showed her the message and whispered something in her ear before leaving the waiting room.
Winter left as well.
In the elevator, Victoria tried calling Alexander, but he didn't answer. She sent a text instead.
On the hotel rooftop, under the blazing sun, Victoria stepped out onto the empty space.
After taking a few steps forward, she heard a noise behind her. Turning, she saw the door being closed from the inside.
She narrowed her eyes.
Footsteps approached from behind, and she turned again. The person standing there surprised her slightly.
"Victoria, it's been a while," said Clara.
Her once-refined face now bore a frightening scar. She stared at Victoria with a twisted smile, her eyes dark and venomous, creating a chilling atmosphere despite the sunny day.
Victoria hadn't expected Clara to escape from the psychiatric hospital on her wedding day.
Lila had mentioned Clara's mental instability, but she seemed perfectly lucid now.
Standing in her wedding attire under the bright sun, Victoria created a stark contrast to Clara.
Victoria didn't miss the hatred and jealousy in Clara's eyes.
Looking her up and down, Victoria's lips curved into a slight smile. "Yes, it has been a while. I didn't expect to see you in such a pitiful state."
Clara's face tightened with rage at Victoria's haughty demeanor. In her mind, this woman was responsible for her downfall.
Clara truly was in bad shape—beyond the prominent scar on her left cheek, she had lost all the poise of a socialite. Her once-beautiful face was now rough and marred, and her long hair had been chopped haphazardly.
If Victoria hadn't been familiar with Clara, she might not have recognized her.
Victoria wondered how Clara had managed to escape from the psychiatric facility.
"Victoria, my condition is entirely your fault," Clara snarled. "If I can't be happy, neither can you!"
Victoria remained unfazed by the threat.
"Clara, this is between you and me. Let Ignatius go, and I'll grant any request you make," she said calmly.
Clara was skeptical. "Any request? Even if I demand you divorce Alexander and cancel today's wedding?"
Victoria narrowed her eyes. "I could agree to that."
Of course, whether Alexander would agree was beyond her control, but she kept that detail to herself.
"Just release Ignatius, and we can talk," she continued.
She needed to avoid provoking Clara, especially since she wasn't sure about Clara's mental state. If Clara had a breakdown, the situation could spiral out of control.
More importantly, who was helping Clara behind the scenes?
Clara seemed unsettled by Victoria's unexpected cooperation.
Victoria noticed the suspicion in Clara's eyes.
"What? Afraid I'm setting a trap?" she asked, voicing Clara's unspoken concern.
"How can I trust you?" Clara demanded.
Victoria studied her, a name coming to mind.
"Actually, I have a question I'm curious about," she said casually. "Answer it, and I'll give you what you want."
Clara noticed the sudden coldness in Victoria's eyes and stepped back to maintain distance.
She was well aware of Victoria's physical capabilities. Despite having leverage, she remained cautious.
"It was Lavinia who got you out, wasn't it?" Victoria asked.
Clara hesitated, then denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any Lavinia."
Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Alexander had just seen Victoria's message after being detained by guests.
His expression changed instantly.
"Alexander, what's wrong?" Gideon asked, noticing immediately.
"You handle things here," Alexander said. "Something's happened with Victoria. I need to resolve it."
Back in Victoria's waiting room, Winter had returned.
Surprisingly, "Victoria" was sitting there as if she had never left.
Winter gave her a cursory glance before saying, "Victoria, the custom wedding dress was accidentally damaged by a hotel staff member. Ms. Phillips will have a new one delivered soon. There's still time, so you should continue resting."
"Damaged?" asked Lavinia, wearing Victoria's face, her brow furrowing.
"Yes, damaged," Winter confirmed.
"Fine, I understand. Now leave, and don't come back unless it's important," Lavinia said curtly before looking down at her phone.
Winter noticed that even the phone case matched Victoria's. The preparation was thorough.
Outside, Russell and Eugene were waiting.
Winter made a hushing gesture, and the three moved to another room.
"Did Victoria say anything?" Eugene asked.
"She wants us to play along. She'll handle the rest," Winter explained.
"I just saw Mr. Howard heading to the rooftop," Russell reported.
Winter sat on the sofa, watching a large screen displaying live footage from Victoria's waiting room.
"I'm curious who did her disguise," Winter remarked critically. "The technique is amateur at best."
The resemblance was there, but anyone familiar with Victoria would spot the fake immediately. The disguise technique was indeed subpar.
'If she's going to impersonate Victoria, at least pay attention to her mannerisms,' Winter thought.
Lavinia wasn't even trying to act convincingly.