The Price of His Youth

The emcee had tried to warm up the atmosphere awkwardly for quite some time on stage, and when he saw us come out, he finally sighed in relief.

“Let’s give a warm round of applause to welcome the lovely couple!”

Lucian stood beside me with a practiced smile on his face, yet he did not look at me.

Instead, he kept glancing back toward the main table.

That table had originally been reserved for my parents.

My parents had passed away, and that seat was meant to remain empty as a gesture of remembrance.

But now, Marisol sat there without shame.

She had changed into a pale pink dress, her makeup delicate and pitiful, yet when Lucian looked her way, she secretly formed a heart with her fingers.

I took in everything before me and let out a silent, cold laugh.

When it came time for the vows, Lucian appeared distracted.

“Mr. Lucian Drake, do you take Miss Evangeline Cross as your wife, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, for better or worse?”

Lucian glanced at his watch and recited the vows quickly, “I do. In sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, I will stand by you.”

After he finished, he did not even wait for my response. Instead, he lowered his voice and urged me, “Let’s wrap this up quickly. Marisol’s medication will wear off soon.

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone—I need to take her home right away.”

I had lifted the microphone, about to speak.

At that moment, Marisol suddenly reacted.

She clutched her chest abruptly and let out an exaggerated, dramatic sob before her entire body went limp and slid from the chair onto the floor.

“Lucian… I feel so awful… am I going to die…”

The commotion was so loud that everyone’s attention instantly turned toward her.

Lucian reacted as though he had been burned.

He shoved my hand away without a word and rushed off the stage.

“Marisol! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

He lifted Marisol into his arms and shouted anxiously, “Call an ambulance! Hurry and call an ambulance!”

Marisol trembled in his arms, clutching his collar as she cried, “Don’t worry about me… today is your wedding…

“I shouldn’t have come… just let me die…”

“Don’t say something so stupid! How can a wedding be more important than your life!”

Lucian’s eyes reddened as he turned and shouted at me on the stage, “Pause the wedding! I need to take Marisol to the hospital!

“Use your head—she’s a patient! Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it when I get back!”

The entire hall was in an uproar.

The guests exchanged shocked glances.

“What’s going on? The groom ran off holding another woman?”

“Isn’t that Lucian’s childhood friend? This is way too much!”

“The bride is being publicly humiliated… this is heartbreaking.”

I stood on the stage, silently watching Lucian carry Marisol toward the exit.

“Stop.

“No need to pause the wedding. And no need to go to the hospital.”

Lucian stopped in his tracks and turned back to glare at me, his voice filled with anger, “Do you even have a shred of humanity? Marisol is about to die!”

“She won’t die.”

I looked at him coldly.

“Since everyone is here, allow me to present you with a small gift.”