Somehow, Ahmad felt a chill in her voice that made his heart sink.
Before he could react, the host’s voice suddenly came from the television screen-
“Please take your seats, Mr. Oconnor and Miss Ellison’s wedding is about to begin!”
In the picture, all the guests were seated.
The winding, beautiful corridor was covered with petals. The camera focused on the man at the end, still offstage, dressed in a black suit, looking more solemn than usual.
Callie closed her eyes slightly, realizing this was how he looked when he got married.
The camera moved away. Nelson’s eyes darkened as he pulled out his ringing phone from his pocket. “Speak.”
Hearing the lively background noise on Nelson’s end, the person on the other side hesitated for a moment before quickly saying, “I’ll be there in an hour. Will that be enough time?”
Nelson glanced at the host and the anxious Sienna beside him. “I can buy you forty minutes at most.”
“That’s enough.”
Nelson hung up and looked at Bridger, who was sitting at the table, engaging in lively conversation with industry leaders. He pursed his lips and grabbed Bridger by the back of his collar, pulling him away. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
Bridger rubbed his sore neck. “I can’t get married for you, Nelson.”
Nelson gestured. “Get on stage.”
“What!?”
“Aren’t you always eager to share your useless knowledge? Today you have a big audience, plenty of room to perform.”
Before Bridger could react, he was pushed onto the stage.
He picked up the microphone, smiling amiably. “As the groom’s long-time friend and buddy, I feel it’s necessary to share my thoughts today. Over the years, Nelson has been…”
He had taught at a university and could speak eloquently when giving lectures, not to mention his knack for improvisation.
Sienna frowned from below the stage, weaving through the crowd to stand beside the tall man. “Nelson, what are you doing?”
Nelson smiled. “Sienna, I’ve only had one wedding in my life. My good friend is excited and wants to give a speech. You don’t mind, do you?”
Sienna looked at him meaningfully and asked directly, “Are you stalling for time?”
Nelson’s smile slowly faded.
It seemed so. Sienna straightened up. “I don’t care what you’re planning; stop it immediately. The wedding today is too important!”
Not to mention that key members of both the Oconnor and Ellison families were present, along with numerous guests from various industries and even media coverage. Any mistake would ruin both families’ reputations.
“Sienna, your lack of confidence suggests something is happening. Can you tell me what it is?” Nelson stood with his hands behind his back, taking control of the conversation.
“What? Shouldn’t I be asking you why you stopped my people?” Sienna, already anxious from not being able to reach Ahmad, decided to lay it all out.
“Then why did you stop Joaquin?” Nelson asked directly.
“… He…”
“What are you afraid of? Are you unwilling to let the truth be revealed at the wedding?”
Sienna urgently lowered her voice. “I’m doing this for the good of both the Oconnor and Ellison families! This event is too significant; everything must wait until after the wedding!”
“Sienna!” Nelson raised his voice. “Your indecision led to Maevelyn going missing!”
“Nelson!” Sienna’s chest heaved with anger.
The man looked towards the stage, his voice barely audible in the noisy environment.
“Don’t you want to see what happens? I’m quite looking forward to it.”