Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The Necklace is Lost

Sophie tried on her gowns, but the fit was off, so she had to go through several outfits.

Since they were matching sets, whenever she changed, Alaric Blackwood had to change too.

Since the wedding was fast approaching, time was tight. Custom tailoring was out of the question, so they had to buy off-the-rack.

Just trying on the wedding attire for the bride and groom took over two hours. By the time they finalized their choices, it was nearly one o’clock.

"You must all be hungry. I booked a restaurant in advance," Mandy Halloway said with a smile, then warmly called out to Anne. "Sophie’s friend, please join us."

They had lunch at a nearby Western restaurant. Alaric Blackwood seemed distracted the entire time.

After lunch, the group rushed over to the wedding planning company.

The wedding planner chatted with Sophie for a while, but all of Sophie’s responses were terse—"Okay," "I have no objections," "That’s fine."

Alaric Blackwood, however, remained silent, sitting on the sofa and quietly smoking a cigarette.

His opinion was unimportant, so Mandy Halloway didn’t even bother asking him, treating him like he was invisible for the entire process.

He wore an indifferent expression, one arm draped over the sofa’s armrest. His jet-black eyes held none of the usual warmth from their previous meetings; they were somber and brimming with frustration.

Sophie assumed he was in a bad mood, annoyed from trying on so many outfits. So when the planner asked what kind of wedding she wanted, she replied softly with two words: "Anything works."

’It’s not like I’m marrying the love of my life. For a loveless, sexless marriage, the so-called wedding is just a formality. Besides, the banquet is at the end of the month. With the schedule this tight, there’s no need to run everyone ragged.’ freēwēbnovel.com

In the end, the wedding planner focused on collecting Mandy Halloway’s requests, which all boiled down to one thing: extravagance.

They picked out the invitations and chose a luxurious hotel in Kingsport that specialized in wedding banquets for the venue.

Since Sophie’s injured foot made it difficult to walk, Mandy Halloway let her off the hook and didn’t make her go to the hotel.

Leaving the wedding planning company, Mandy Halloway helped her into Anne’s car.

"We’ll talk about the wedding rehearsal once your foot has healed a bit more. As for the rest, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it," Mandy Halloway said, patting Sophie’s shoulder. "Go home and get some rest."

"Thank you, Mom. We’ll be going then."

Mandy Halloway nodded, closed the car door, and watched Anne’s car drive off. Then she turned, beckoned to the wedding planner, and the two of them got into a black Maybach.

When they arrived at the hotel, Mandy Halloway and the planner selected the banquet hall and continued to discuss wedding details. Alaric trailed behind them, not interjecting or offering any opinion.

That evening, Alaric Blackwood drove Mandy Halloway back to the family estate.

Before getting out of the car, Mandy Halloway gave him an uneasy look. "Why have you been so quiet today?"

"You all can just decide on the wedding. I have nothing to say."

"Are you upset because I rushed you into getting married?"

"No."

"If you’re unhappy about anything, say so now. Don’t wait until the wedding day to pull a disappearing act on me."

’The Blackwood family couldn’t afford that kind of humiliation.’

Her serious expression coaxed a faint smile from Alaric, the first he’d shown all day. "Mom, you’re overthinking it."

"You were abroad for several years. Did you ever have a serious girlfriend?"

"No."

"Really? Not one?"

"I’m single. How would I have a girlfriend?"

Mandy Halloway’s eyes widened. "Then what about all those tabloid rumors about you, young man?"

She remembered how anxious she was when she and Quentin Blackwood first went to the Kane family to propose the marriage, terrified that Sophie would find their son’s playboy reputation off-putting and deem him unworthy of her hand.

She and Mina Ford had been like sisters, friends since they were toddlers. Even though Mina was gone, she insisted on honoring the betrothal they had arranged all those years ago.

"Let me ask you, then. What do you think of Sophie?"

Alaric Blackwood lit a cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring. "She’s very beautiful, and I’m quite satisfied with her figure."

’...He’s never serious.’

"Mom, just focus on the wedding preparations. I came back, so I’m not going to run."

Mandy Halloway was still unconvinced, not until Alaric Blackwood tossed their marriage certificate in front of her.

Seeing his and Sophie’s wedding photo on the certificate, Mandy Halloway’s lips slowly curved into a smile. "That’s my boy. You work fast."

’To think he went and registered the marriage behind her and Quentin’s backs.’

"Satisfied now?"

Alaric Blackwood took back the marriage certificate and unbuckled Mandy Halloway’s seatbelt. "Go on home. I should be heading back, too."

"You’re already here. Won’t you stay for dinner?"

"No, I’ll cook for myself at home."

’Otherwise, his sister, who couldn’t take care of herself, would be pitifully gnawing on raw cucumbers again.’

—

When Sophie returned to the Kane residence, she went straight to her room.

Knowing she had sprained her ankle and couldn’t move around much, Joseph Shaw brought dinner to her room himself.

As she ate in silence at her desk, Joseph Shaw stood nearby, frowning and smoking with a look of profound grievance.

"How did it go today, trying on gowns and looking at the venue? Was it smooth?"

Sophie nodded.

"I forgot to ask. How much did the Blackwoods give you in the welcoming gift envelope?"

"Ten million."

Joseph Shaw froze. "Ten million?"

’That much?!’

’Incredible.’

He was both shocked and overjoyed. He hadn’t expected the Blackwoods to be so generous to Sophie. With the bride price and this gift envelope, they had given twenty million in total. "Sophie, how about you keep ten million for yourself, and give the other ten million to Dad? I’ll put it in savings for Joel."

The hand Sophie was holding her chopsticks with stiffened. "You won’t be able to use that much money all at once," Joseph Shaw continued. "Think of it as an investment in your little brother’s future. With you as the future Mrs. Blackwood backing him, Joel will have more confidence. Once he’s successful, he’ll never forget what his big sister did for him."

The two were, after all, half-siblings with the same father. With Vianne Kane also in the picture, he worried that once Sophie was married, she would grow distant from Joel.

As their father, he was naturally more partial to his other two children.

Sophie remained silent. "Dad’s not trying to seize your money," Joseph Shaw said. "I just hope you can help your little brother out more. I’m getting older. In the future, you and he will only have each other to rely on."

"I’ll think about it."

She kept her answer noncommittal, mainly because she didn’t want to argue with Joseph Shaw again.

That night, Sophie suffered from severe insomnia.

She tossed and turned in bed, Joseph Shaw’s words echoing endlessly in her mind, making sleep impossible.

As the sky began to lighten at dawn, her eyelids grew heavy, and she finally drifted off to sleep, not waking again until dusk.

She hadn’t woken up naturally. A knock at the door had startled her awake.

Joel Kane’s voice came from the other side of the door. "Big Sis, are you awake?"

Her brother’s voice was choked with sobs. She quickly sat up and answered, "I’m awake. Come in."

Joel Kane pushed the door open and rushed to her side, his eyes red as he collapsed by the bed. "Big Sis, I’m so sorry."

Sophie was baffled. ’Why is he apologizing all of a sudden?’

"What are you crying for?"

She reached out and stroked Joel’s head. "Did Vianne bully you again?"

"No."

"Then what are you sorry for?"

"The necklace... I... I accidentally lost it..." he stammered. "Big Sis, I didn’t mean to. I’m so, so sorry..." He broke down, sobbing.