Chapter 10

For three days, the Horton brothers hadn't come home. Melissa's messages, however, arrived with unwavering regularity.

On July 1st, photos arrived. Anthony gently applied ointment to her ankle; Marcelo arranged a bouquet; Connor fed her fruit slices. "Look, Ms. Richmond," she messaged. "I just twisted my ankle, but they're all over me, pampering me like I'm royalty. I don't even know how to repay them."

Emelie glanced at the photos, then scrolled past, seemingly unmoved. She was busy organizing everything related to the Horton brothers over the years: the veil from their childhood games, the white dress, crystal shoes, and diamond tiara from her coming-of-age celebration, and the unsent love letter. Every piece went into the fire pit. As the flames devoured the items, Emelie felt the past vanish into smoke and ash.

The Horton brothers returned just as the last embers died down. Their hearts leaped.

"What are you doing, Emelie?" Connor's voice cracked with panic as he scrambled for water. Anthony and Marcelo joined him, but Emelie stood silently. The fire was out; nothing remained but ash and charred fragments.

Marcelo stared, disbelief etched on his face. "Emelie, why the hell would you burn all that stuff?"

"I told you," she replied, her tone detached. "I'm getting married. If my husband sees these, he might misunderstand, so I decided to burn them all."

The brothers were thrown into a frenzy. For a moment, they believed her. Then, they reassured themselves. No way. She'd never actually get married.

Anthony's eyes darkened. "Emelie, this little act has gone far enough. Stop playing games."

Calmly, Emelie replied in an icy tone, "Mr. Anthony, Mr. Marcelo, Mr. Connor, you're warmly invited to attend the wedding tomorrow at noon."

The next day, Emelie, dressed in her wedding gown, prepared to leave. Ezra and Kaitlyn watched, Kaitlyn wiping away tears. "Emelie, if things don't go well, promise you'll come back. We'll always have your back."

Emelie smiled and squeezed Kaitlyn's hand. Footsteps echoed from upstairs. Anthony, Marcelo, and Connor descended.

As they headed for the door, Kaitlyn called, "Stop! Today is Emelie's wedding. Where do you think you're going?"

Anthony's gaze lingered on Emelie, a flicker of awe momentarily breaking his stoicism, but he quickly masked it. "Mom, Dad, come on. Emelie's just messing around."

"Messing around? Emelie is getting married! Can't you see?" Ezra's face flushed with anger.

Marcelo remained unmoved. "We see it. A tantrum, as usual."

Connor, nonchalant, stood with his hands in his pockets. "Alright, Emelie. If you're so into this little play, we'll humor you. Let's see if someone shows up."

Noon arrived, yet no one came. Connor sighed, smirking. "What happened to the great performance? Couldn't even hire someone?"

Marcelo relaxed. "Enough's enough. Take off the dress, Emelie. The show's over."

Autumn's eyes were sharp. "This is because we bailed on you at city hall, isn't it? Fine. We'll go now. Pick one among the three of us."

Just as Emelie opened her mouth, Melissa's name flashed on Anthony's phone. Her voice was tearful. "Anthony, Marcelo, Connor, my mom was in a car accident! She's all I have! If something happens to her…"

Their faces paled. "Calm down. We'll be there right away," Anthony assured her.

Without hesitation, they rushed for the car.

"Stop!" Kaitlyn yelled. "None of you are going anywhere near Melissa today! Emelie is getting married! If you leave, you'll regret it!"

The brothers exchanged impatient glances. "Lance belongs to us. Who'd marry her? Mom, Dad, quit playing along. Once we deal with Mel's situation, we'll come back and marry her."

Before anyone could respond, they were gone.

Ezra slammed the cup in his hand. "They'll regret this. Mark my words!"

The sound of screeching tires followed. Ezra and Kaitlyn stepped outside to see a line of luxury cars. Bodyguards stood by, showering the cars with petals and confetti. A man stepped out. "Apologies for the delay, Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn. Traffic was awful."

He smiled, his eyes red-rimmed. "Mr. and Mrs. Horton. I'll be leaving."

Ezra and Kaitlyn rushed to hold Emelie's hand. "You have to be happy, alright?"

Emelie smiled, then glanced at the house where she'd spent many years with her teasing brothers. She stepped into the car, brushing back her hair, ready for a new chapter in her life.