My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey)

Fiona wasn't stupid and quickly raised an eyebrow. "Eliza, are you seriously pretending to be sick? Why are you lying to us?"noveldrama

They hadn't attended Audrey's wedding because of Eliza's supposed illness. If this was all just a ruse, they could never shake off the guilt.

Eliza momentarily looked taken aback. Deep down, Eliza knew she had to keep her composure in front of Fiona, or else everything she had worked for would go up in smoke.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and said with an air of innocence, "Mrs. Rhodes, I'm not faking being sick. I've had health issues since I was a kid, and I've been to countless hospitals without getting any real answers."

Her voice dropped, sounding genuinely defeated. "Who wants to be unwell? There's no gain in pretending to be sick. Honestly, Audrey, I didn't realize you were holding onto my medical reports from childhood all this time. What are you trying to achieve by digging that deep?"

As she spoke, another fit of coughing overtook her, leaving her lips pale. No one could tell she was acting.

Dominic and Fiona looked concerned. Eliza caught her breath and added, "Audrey, you set this whole thing up to make Mrs. Rhodes think I'm faking just to drive a wedge between us? Are you scared I'll take her away? Because I'd never dream of stealing anything from you."

Eliza knew her knack for winning over Fiona and Dominic went beyond just being soft-spoken. In just a few sentences, she turned the focus right back to Audrey.

Fiona, still feeling a bit guilty, gave Audrey a skeptical look when she heard that. She frowned and asked, "Seriously, Audrey, why did you dig up Eliza's medical report? You two used to be close, and you said you were fine with her being here. What's up with that?" 'Was it all just an act? Did she really not want Eliza around in our family, maybe even trying to undermine her?' Fiona thought. She couldn't believe Audrey had turned out this way and felt a wave of disappointment.

Meeting Fiona's frustrated gaze, Audrey let out a bitter laugh. She looked down and said, "Honestly, whether Eliza is in the Rhodes family or not doesn't concern me anymore. And since you both missed the wedding, there's something you probably don't know." The three of them exchanged confused glances. Audrey added, "I'm married now. I just came back to grab my things and won't be in your way anymore."

Clearly, how they chose to pamper Eliza was no longer her problem. At those words, the three people in front of them reacted in their own ways. Eliza had a spark of joy in her eyes, Fiona looked completely taken aback, and Dominic was just confused. "Who did you marry when I wasn't even around?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.

Audrey couldn't help but feel a bit ridiculous. With a casual smirk, she shot back, "The truth is, there are plenty of people in Riverdale who would marry me-not just you, Dominic."

Dominic's expression shifted as his jaw tightened. "Audrey, I know I messed up by missing the wedding, but come on, you're really trying to get under my skin with that?"

In Riverdale, everyone knew she was his. No one would dare marry her.

Not wanting to get into it, Audrey shrugged it off and pushed past them to grab her luggage in her room before leaving without looking back.

Dominic's body was tense, his hands clenched into fists, but he didn't chase after her. He thought Audrey was playing hard to get. She'd bowed to him before, and he didn't think this time would be an exception.

Dominic's phone rang out of nowhere, and in an instant, Zephyra's furious voice pierced through the line. "Dominic, get back here! Do you even see the kind of woman you've picked? She's out here marrying another man right at your wedding, totally humiliating the Hayes name!"

Dominic felt a sharp jolt in his chest. His fingers were trembling as he ground out, "Who the hell did she marry?" He couldn't believe some guy dared swoop in and take what was his.

Meanwhile, Audrey was pushing her suitcase out of the Rhodes family estate, making her way through the villa area. A couple of people turned to her, whispering to one another. "Isn't that Audrey? I heard she was ditched by Dominic Hayes son at the wedding and even switched grooms on a whim."

"What a crazy move! No surprise she was thrown out by the Rhodes family."

"I can't imagine who she ended up marrying. If he's not as good as Dominic, she's really missing out."

Their eyes sparkled with a mixture of pity and mockery, and Audrey felt the weight of their judgment. She quickened her pace, trying to ignore them.

Her mood was already in the dumps, and with her head down, she rushed out of the neighborhood, barely avoiding a collision with a utility pole.

"Careful!" A pair of hands reached out just in time, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her back. The voice sounded oddly familiar.

Audrey glanced over her shoulder, surprise flashing in her eyes. "What are you doing back?" She thought he had left to take care of something. Alistair met her gaze with a serious look, saying, "I remembered there's something more important I need to do."

Audrey raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's that?"

Instead of answering right away, Alistair grabbed her bags, tossed them in the trunk with one hand, and then opened the passenger door, motioning for her to hop in. "Get in." "Where to?"

"To get our marrisge license," he replied.

Audrey's expression froze, her eyes widening. The marriage thing had only been a temporary fix. The plan was to get to know each other first and see if things clicked before making any big decisions. She didn't expect him to be in such a rush. Noticing her hesitation, Alistair added with a warm tone, "Just get in the car for now."

With the exit from the villa area crowded and everyone around, Audrey didn't want to stand there playing the fool, so she slid into the car.

As Alistair drove, he stole a glance at Audrey, who was clearly nervous in the passenger seat. "Why aren't you excited about getting registered?"

Audrey was speechless. It kind of made her the bad guy in this situation.

"Well, it's not that," she replied, sitting up straighter and clenching her hands in her lap, feeling a bit defensive. "I just didn't think it would happen this soon."

Before Alistair could respond, Audrey blurted out her confusion, "But why the rush? Do you...?" As she spoke, her beautiful eyes slowly moved to Alistair's lower half, which was wrapped up by the suit pants.

It was kind of crazy to think that someone so good-looking might have a hard time finding a girlfriend, making Audrey wonder if there was some unspeakable issue down there.