Celena kept her head lowered, staring at her toes. Her bandaged fingers kept fumbling at the edge of her hospital gown nervously, her hair falling over her face and obscuring her expression.All of a sudden, a hand reached out to grab hers, the warmth surging through her skin and into every fiber of her body. Celena lifted her head and came face-to-face with Liam's soulful eyes. Her face was etched with disbelief and sorrow. The next moment, Liam turned to the crowd and said, "Listen up, everyone! Celena Stone is my wife, and I vow to protect her with my life! Do you honestly think I'd put up with your disrespect and rudeness if it weren't for the fact that you're her family? I will give her the wedding of her dreams! I'm going to make her the happiest, most beautiful bride in the entire country on the day of our wedding! I will make the entire city and country bear witness to our love!"The Stones all gazed at him in shock, and even Celena was staring at him in disbelief. The enti
All of a sudden, Jovie stirred from all the commotion and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing, Dad, Mom?"Celena's first instinct was to reach out and hold her, but she was so frail that a single step made her feel so dizzy that she needed to stop and hold her forehead to ease the discomfort. Liam immediately helped her sit back down on the bed and said, "Lie down, Celena. I'll get her instead."With that, he picked up Jovie in his arms, not forgetting to lightly pinch her cheeks, then brushed a finger against her nose playfully and said, "Mom and Dad were just talking about how adorable you are, Jovie. Dad is going to make you the prettiest princess this world has ever seen."Jovie was so delighted to hear this that she put her arms up in the air, crowing with glee. "Dad said I'm a princess!"The Stones were all staring at the three of them with expressions of disdain and amusement. Cheryl, on the other hand, shot Celena a cold look and scoffed. "I don't even kn
Cheryl looked triumphant at the sight of Celena's disappointment and defeat. She stepped forward with a stuck-up look and said, "You're just deluding yourself, Celena! What kind of majestic wedding do you think you and that b*stard can put on? It's going to be nothing more than two candles and a table full of cheap food! We Stones are one of the most prestigious families in Drunham City, so don't expect us to show up at such a lowly event!"With that, Cheryl paused, lifting her chin haughtily, and continued, "Let me tell you this, Celena; I'm going to be marrying the heir of Abbott Group, Wasyl Abbott, next month, and you'll get to see what a truly extravagant wedding is like! This will teach you that you should keep your eyes peeled when choosing a husband, and not settle for a good-for-nothing like Liam!" The rest of the Stones all froze for a moment, then erupted into cheers and applause. "Cheryl, you're getting married to Wasyl?""He proposed to you?""That's splendid news! Ch
Besides, with the Abbott family's clout, they were pulling out all the stops for their bash, roping in Drunham City's elite and big businesses and even reserving the city's three TV stations to broadcast the wedding live all day. That kind of show takes deep pockets and a towering reputation, two things Celena just did not have, and Liam? Even less so.Liam had blown through his entire military severance on Celena's new ride!Hearing Cheryl's spiel, Celena's confidence shriveled. She hung her head, cheeks burning with embarrassment, and murmured, "Cheryl, congrats on your engagement to the Abbott heir. I'm... I'm just not in your league..."While Celena was desperately searching for the right words, Liam yanked her aside, stepped up like a shield, and gave Cheryl, a proud peacock beside the venerable Reginald, a frosty stare."You want to throw down the gauntlet? Fine, let's do this! You're asking for it, so we'll take you up on that challenge. Our wedding, Celena's and mine, is on
Reginald's face turned a shade of stormy gray, and his icy gaze landed on Liam as he spoke with a voice that cut through the air, "Liam, Celena! Let me make myself clear, even if you go through with this wedding, I won't be caught dead there!""Exactly! Sending us invitations? Please, spare us the trouble. Who in their right mind would want to attend your little circus?""A lost cause and a nobody, you really think we, the Stones, would show up to your wedding? We have our reputation to think about!""You heard us! Don't bother holding your breath, we won't be attending!""What's Liam on about? His wedding would be grander and more lavish than Cheryl's and Mr. Abbott's? He should be ashamed, spouting such nonsense. Doesn't he have any self-respect?""Ha! Whether he's ashamed or not, I'm cringing enough for the both of us!"The Stone family relentlessly teased Liam and Celena, but Liam did not even bother to defend himself. With a dismissive wave, he showed them the door. As soon
The next day, Biskeland was a hive of activity. Every department, every war zone, was in overdrive, all hands on deck for the Commander's wedding.The buzz reached the central Grand Pendragon Department's Four Elders, and Secretary-General Ywain Darryl's face was etched with urgency as he bolted from his office to the main conference room.As Ywain made his way through the corridors, members of the Grand Pendragon Department could not help but notice the worry etched deep into their Secretary-General's face. They paused, whispering and peering around corners, convinced that something monumental must have happened.Reaching the grand doors of the main conference room, Ywain paused, inhaled deeply, and rapped lightly on the wood."Enter!"Quickly adjusting his rumpled suit, Ywain strode into the room.Inside, the Four Elders were deep in a clandestine discussion. The First Elder, Timothy, greeted him with a grin. "What's the rush, Ywain?"Standing tall and respectful beside the co
Chastened by Timothy's stern warning, Ywain fell silent, his head bowed, lost in the weight of the moment.The other three elders frowned in disapproval, their eyes fixed on Ywain. Geoffrey chastised, "Ywain, Liam has been our shield on the Biskeland frontier for seven years. He led hundreds of thousands in the Pendragon War Zone, faced death countless times, and held off the armies of eight nations. He's kept our people safe. Now, he's about to get married. What's so wrong about giving him a wedding fit for a hero?"The other elders nodded in agreement. Timothy, with a thump on the table, added, "He's right! Liam's a war hero, a guardian of our nation. A grand wedding is the least we owe him. Besides, when has a commander ever had anything less than a state wedding? It's been ages since Biskeland has seen such a celebration!"Ywain mopped his brow, nodding fervently. "Absolutely, I've got it!"Timothy, still a force to be reckoned with despite his retirement from the top brass, ra
Geoffrey's feigned disapproval could not fool anyone, least of all Michael and Jim, who could not help but tease him. "Come on, Geoff, you're one to talk about Timothy. Take a look in the mirror. Your grin's so wide it could wrap around your head!""Exactly, Geoff. You act all grumpy, but you're always quick with a jab!"Timothy shot back with a grin, "What's it to you if I'm happy, Geoff? That young man is as dear to me as my own grandson, and I worry about him just the same! And look at you, trying to play it calm while you're practically splitting your cheeks with that smile!"Remembering something, Timothy narrowed his eyes at Geoffrey and added, "And let's be honest, Geoff, you're the king of trash talk, and when it comes to playing favorites, you take the crown. Don't think I haven't noticed all the extra gear you've been sneaking into the young man's unit. The other four zones haven't even seen some of that stuff! If their commanders catch wind of this, there'll be hell to pa