Chapter 505 Our Shared Path
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for this unexpected interruption," Victoria announced.
The guests immediately fell silent.
Victoria continued, "I'm sure you're all wondering who that bride on the red carpet is and why she has my face. Don't worry, all will be revealed shortly." She paused. "Though I should clarify—I don't have a twin sister."
With that simple statement, she established herself as the real Victoria and took control of the situation.
Her next words stunned everyone in the ballroom.
"Ms. Harrison, I heard your wedding to the Tudor family is next month. Have you perhaps arrived at the wrong venue?" Victoria's clear voice, tinged with icy disdain, resonated throughout the hall.
Lavinia had frozen the moment Victoria appeared. She'd been assured Victoria was trapped on the rooftop with Clara, with no means of escape. How was this possible?
The guests fell into confused silence.
"Wait—the Harrison heiress?"
"Where is she?"
Some were bewildered; others quickly understood.
"Is that the Harrison heiress at the altar?"
The Harrison family, who had also been invited to the wedding, suddenly found themselves under scrutiny from neighboring guests.
Ezra, seated between Knox and Selene, whispered, "Dad, Lavinia didn't come with us. Could she be..."
"Enough," Selene cut him off.
Victoria's voice rang out again, "Ms. Harrison, while I've long been aware of your infatuation with my husband, your actions today have crossed all moral boundaries, and I can no longer remain silent."
"I'm giving you two options. First, you can leave now and turn yourself in to the police for orchestrating Ignatius's kidnapping to threaten me. Or second, my people will escort you out and personally deliver you to the police station to file charges," she added.
The crowd gasped, then fell silent.
Could the Harrison family really stoop so low?
The shamelessness was beyond comprehension.
Everyone found the behavior utterly appalling—completely outrageous!
Alexander and Victoria were already legally married; today was merely their wedding celebration. For Lavinia to attempt such an underhanded "substitution" to sabotage Victoria's marriage was unconscionable.
This was a blatant attempt to destroy someone else's marriage—surely a criminal offense!
However, Lavinia's next words left Victoria utterly speechless.
"That's not true! I am Alexander's wife! I am Victoria! You're the impostor!" she shouted, pointing at Victoria with wild emotion.
Victoria had never encountered such brazen audacity—someone impersonating her right to her face.
She exchanged a glance with Winter, who immediately moved toward Lavinia alongside Kimberly.
"What are you doing? Stay back!" Lavinia panicked, backing away.
She turned toward Alexander, crying out, "Alexander, I'm your wife! You..."
Kimberly swiftly twisted Lavinia's arms behind her back and kicked the back of her knees, forcing her to the ground.
Winter yanked off her veil and firmly held her head in place. She then produced a small spray bottle from her pocket and spritzed Lavinia's face several times.
The guests watched in stunned silence.
The scene was somewhat brutal, but that didn't diminish their fascination with the unfolding drama.
All eyes turned to the altar, where Alexander remained perfectly composed, as if the spectacle before him was of no concern—just another observer to the chaos.
Moments later, the crowd watched as Winter peeled off a lifelike face mask.
Another wave of shocked silence swept through the room.
Most had only seen such technology in movies; they never imagined seeing it used in real life.
The guests felt a mixture of amazement and disgust. How twisted must someone be to go to such lengths to destroy another's relationship?
By now, both those in the know and those who had been in the dark were equally captivated by the spectacle.
With the mask removed, Lavinia's face appeared bright red with patchy welts—hideously inflamed, likely an allergic reaction to the mask's material.
She could feel her cheeks burning as if on fire.
"Mom, Dad—it really is my sister," Ezra exclaimed, pointing at the figure on the red carpet.
The Knox couple was mortified beyond words.
Yet she was still their daughter, and they couldn't simply abandon her.
As Knox began to stand, Victoria spoke, "I gave you choices, but since you made none, I'll choose the second option for you."
At her words, Winter and Kimberly each grabbed one of Lavinia's arms and dragged her off the red carpet.
Several uniformed police officers stood waiting at the ballroom entrance.
Lavinia was promptly removed from the premises, her shrieks silenced as the doors closed behind her.
The "battle of the brides" concluded as abruptly as it had begun.
The emcee's voice returned, and the music resumed.
Victoria, wearing the wedding gown Alexander had personally designed, took Preston's arm and began her walk down the long red carpet.
She had only just learned, while changing into this gown, that its designer was none other than Alexander himself—the man closest to her every day.
In that moment, her heart had filled with complex emotions: happiness, surprise, and a profound sense of being cherished.
Though she hadn't been involved in planning the ballroom decorations, her influence was everywhere.
One day, he had asked her what kind of wedding she wanted. She hadn't known exactly, so she'd shared her scattered thoughts and vague ideas.
Now she saw those dreams made reality—what had once been merely imagined was now tangible before her.
Suddenly, the ballroom's ambiance transformed. The lighting shifted to a misty purple base, accented with ethereal blue touches—a perfect combination.
The cosmic colors blended into completeness.
Simultaneously, the guests watched as the giant star-studded ring overhead gradually transformed, morphing into a cascade of blue roses.
In that moment, everyone felt a pang of envious admiration.
The meaning of blue roses was well-known: pure love, precious treasure, romantic beauty, and true love above all else.
Every element spoke volumes about the groom's deep love for his bride.
This long red carpet felt to Victoria like the happiest path she had ever walked.
It was the road to happiness, leading her to the side of the person she loved most.
Preston placed her hand in Alexander's, saying, "I entrust Victoria to you. Remember the Howard family men's code—when you marry, you protect and cherish. I wish you both eternal harmony and a lifetime of happiness!"
"I will," Alexander replied.
His warm palm enveloped her delicate hand, sending warmth flowing through every part of her body.
The wedding vows began.
The officiant turned to Alexander and said, "Do you promise to honor your marriage vows—for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in beauty or aging, in prosperity or adversity—to love her, respect her, and protect her? And do you promise to remain faithful to her throughout your lives together?"
Alexander responded, "I do."
Then officiant turned to Victoria. "Do you take Alexander Howard as your husband, to live together in holy matrimony? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in beauty or aging, in prosperity or adversity—to love him, respect him, and cherish him? And do you promise to remain faithful to him throughout your lives together?"
Victoria answered, "I do."
"Very well. The bride and groom will now exchange rings."
Someone in the crowd called out, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
In truth, no encouragement was needed—Alexander had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
The crowd erupted in cheerful noise.
Victoria smiled broadly. "My darling, thank you. I love you. Sharing this journey with you, steadfast together, is my greatest happiness."
Alexander gazed at Victoria in his arms, his eyes momentarily reddening with emotion. "Loving you for one lifetime is too brief, but in this lifetime, I will protect and love you with everything I have."
Finally, Victoria's bouquet—worth thousands of dollars—landed in Lila's hands.
Lila had no intention of catching it and had even stepped back discreetly.
Yet somehow it "crashed" right into her, and she reflexively caught it.
When she realized what she was holding, she instantly regretted it.
She initially thought to toss it to Sarah nearby, but Sarah had already retreated dozens of feet away.
Meanwhile, Owen's eyes burned into her like twin flames, making her uncomfortable.
In desperation, she thrust the bouquet at Grant, who happened to be closest.
"Grant, I'm passing this to you—hope you win back Marlowe!" she said, darting away immediately.
She feared both Grant's reaction and the possibility he might throw the bouquet back to her.
Grant looked down at the bouquet in his hands, his brow furrowed in silence.
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