Chapter 4The Black Gold Princess

The next morning, as I woke and got ready, I was surprised to find that my gala gown hadn't arrived. My phone suddenly rang. I answered, and the frantic voice of the boutique assistant came through. "Miss Hayes, the custom gown you ordered was picked up by Mr. Reynolds earlier." "Mr. Reynolds said he was your fiancé, so we didn't stop him." I hung up, then walked back towards Aiden's room.

This gown was something my father had commissioned a French designer for, starting from my eighteenth birthday, specifically for my grand entrance at my twentieth birthday gala today. The moment I pushed open Aiden's door, I saw Skylar standing before the full-length mirror, admiring herself, wearing my gown.

I immediately roared at her, "Who gave you permission to wear that?!" Skylar instantly flinched, shrinking into Aiden's embrace. Aiden, in turn, said coldly, "It's just a dress, isn't it? Is it really worth all this fuss?" I scoffed at both of them. "It was custom-crafted by French artisans over two years, my father's gift for my coming-of-age. Does that sound like 'just a dress' to you?" Skylar, hearing this, made a show of trying to take it off, but Aiden stopped her with a hand. "Consider it compensation for how you treated Skylar yesterday. Anyway, you're a germaphobe, so this dress is hers now."

Just as I was about to retort, Aiden's voice hardened again. "If you don't agree, don't blame me if I embarrass you when I'm announced as your fiancé later!" The sheer audacity! He was using my money to pay for his cheap thrills and buy goodwill? How could I swallow such an insult? I grabbed the gown Skylar was wearing, yelling, "Take it off! Now! Get it off!"

In that instant, Aiden's hand lashed out, slapping me across the face as he roared, "You're going too far, Willow!" I was sent sprawling to the floor, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of my mouth. My eyes welled up with tears. No one had ever dared to lay a hand on me, not once in my entire life!

Hearing the commotion, the door was suddenly kicked open. Jax and Caleb rushed in, yelling at me. "It's just a gown, why are you making such a big deal?!" "Willow, you're absolutely evil!"

Skylar, who moments before had been tearful, now flashed a cunning glint in her eyes. She whispered, "If I strip down, will you let me off? And you won't blame Aiden or them anymore?" Then, a theatrical sigh. "Willow, I'm sorry. I'll take it off, I'll take it off right now." As Skylar made to remove the gown, all three men stopped her. Aiden then turned his gaze to me, his voice chilling. "Willow, no matter what, I will not be your fiancé today." Jax and Caleb chimed in in unison, "We won't agree either." Aiden then smiled, a lewd grin spreading across his face. "If you're worried about making a scene, just strip down and apologize to Skylar, and we'll forgive you!" Caleb and Jax also wore playful, mocking expressions. "That's right! Strip down, and we'll agree to be your fiancés!"

I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. All three of them, humiliating me to this extent, for Skylar! Aiden, Caleb, and Jax closed in on me, their eyes filled with malicious anticipation. Behind them, Skylar's eyes gleamed with triumph, as if to say, You're getting what you deserve today, Willow. I even saw her mouth a silent, "You bitch! You deserve it!"

They relentlessly pushed me towards the grand staircase, where the entire gathering in the ballroom was already watching. Aiden leaned close to my ear, his breath a foul whisper. "Losing face in front of everyone—consider it your punishment!" The next moment, Aiden stood on the second-floor landing and shouted down to the crowd, "I hereby publicly announce that I voluntarily withdraw from being Miss Hayes's fiancé!" A collective gasp rippled through the hall. Before anyone could react, Caleb and Jax stood beside me, declaring loudly, "We two also voluntarily withdraw from being Miss Hayes's fiancé!" The ballroom instantly erupted into a clamor. People whispered amongst themselves. "What's going on? Is Mr. Hayes's daughter really so unbearable that all three candidates willingly gave up their spots?" "Now that all three candidates have withdrawn, who will Miss Hayes marry today?!"

At that precise moment, Skylar suddenly burst from the room, intentionally bumping into me. Caught off guard, my heel twisted, and I tumbled backward, hurtling towards the edge of the staircase. The guests in the ballroom gasped in horror. In the most important moment of my life, I was being destroyed by the four people I thought I could trust most. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair, bracing for the inevitable pain, the shouts from below growing louder. Just as I thought I was about to plunge down the stairs, I suddenly fell into a warm, strong embrace. The next second, a man's deep, resonant voice sounded in my ear: "It seems the three of you have some self-awareness. Willow Hayes's fiancé can only be me!"