Jason saw me halfway through his vows. I watched the exact second his expression changed—confidence cracking like thin ice. He excused himself mid-sentence and walked toward me, smile still glued to his face for the audience.
When he reached me, his voice dropped.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed.
I kept my tone steady. “Finishing something you started.”
His eyes flicked to the envelope in my hand. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“No,” I said quietly. “You did that.”
Behind him, Emily’s smile faltered. “Jason?” she called softly.
He ignored her and reached for the envelope. His fingers trembled just slightly as he opened it.
At that exact moment, Liam stirred and let out a small, sleepy cry.
Jason flinched.
“Not now,” he muttered, not even glancing at his son.
And that was the moment I knew I was done being afraid of him.
Susan stepped forward from the side of the room, calm and composed.
“Good evening,” she said clearly. “Before security gets involved, I’d like to clarify that my client has a valid restraining order preventing Jason Miller from approaching her.”
The music stopped.
The ballroom went still.
Jason straightened. “This is ridiculous. She’s unstable.”