Chapter 4

Jennie Orlando

'Mathew will pick you up in a few minutes.' My husband, Maverick.

While we were registering our marriage at the city hall early this morning, Justin and Ciara were also in another registry, getting their marriage registered.

'Alright. I'll be waiting.'

A throaty chuckle escaped my lips as I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection with a smile on my face. It was Justin's wedding eve. I just couldn't wait to see the expression he would have on his face when he realised that I was now his stepmom. Wouldn't it be that sweet?

My marriage certificate lay beautifully in my drawer as I pulled it open. With a smile dancing on my lips, I picked it up, running my thumb through it.

While this was fun, one thing I knew was that Maverick had something hidden under his sleeve. A popular billionaire wouldn't have proposed marriage to me just like that without a reason, but that didn't matter.

It was a win-win for us.

Mathew came to pick me up a few minutes later, and the ride to the villa began.

I closed my eyes, head resting on the headrest as the car zoomed past the city, my heart pounding in my chest. No matter how confident you were, it was still normal to be nervous, right?

Twenty minutes on the dot, and Mathew pulled over at the parking lot of the villa.

I was still taking calming breaths when Matthew led me into the gathering inside the Villa. There, I spotted my husband in the crowd, talking to a few people I assumed were his friends or business partners.

"Ma..." I paused, slowly bringing down my hand which I had raised to wave at him, recalling that our marriage was still a secret. I didn't want to garner attention to myself, knowing that he was a public figure. Perhaps he didn't want it to be public.

If I had been anyone else, if this was my first time being at a gathering of billionaires, I would've felt intimidated, seeing how clean and wealthy everyone looked. Each guest was richer than the next, jewels adorning their necks and their wrists boasting the most expensive watches in the world.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips when my eyes finally landed on Justin and his lovely wife-to-be, clinging to each other with excitement written all over them as they talked with people.

And just then, my eyes met with Ciara's. Her eyes flickered with shock for a second, before she tugged at Justin's arm, calling his attention to me.

They shamelessly walked up to me.

"Hey, cousin. I didn't think you were going to attend our wedding eve. I thought you were still mad at me," Ciara pouted her lips, resting her head on Justin's arm while clinging to him possessively. She was doing it deliberately to make me jealous, but it only made her look dumb. She was fighting over something nobody else wanted.

"How could I not attend my cousin's wedding, especially when she keeps sending reminders to my inbox every passing day? I knew it would bruise your ego if I didn't show up," I smiled at her, and I saw anger flicker in her eyes. She had probably been expecting me to break down.

"Thank you for attending," she managed to smile at me.

Just then, I got a text from Maverick.

'Where are you?'

I looked around the place again, and spotted him standing alone, holding a glass of wine, his phone in another hand, his eyes glued to it. Was he waiting for my reply?

"Excuse me," I smirked at Ciara before walking out on them.

"Where did you go? You were supposed to come straight to me," Maverick inquired calmly as I finally stood in front of him.

"I was...looking around," I could barely hold eye contact with him for five seconds. He was looking too hot for me to handle. His choice of expensive black suit that stood out amongst every other persons, screaming luxury. Damn it!

My heart fluttered, and a spark coursed through my body as Maverick reached for my hand. Just like that night, I melted under his grasp.

"Come with me."

He whispered, and led me away.

"Dad..." I paused, my lips curling up in a smirk as Justin's voice sounded behind us. Bingo! Things were about to get dirty.

"Son... I was going to look for you," Maverick spoke as we both turned to face Justin and Ciara.

His eyes shifted to me, and when they met my gaze, I could see confusion creeping up his face. Oh, sweet revenge.

"Dad... do you two..." Justin shook his index finger between me and his father, his voice trailing off.

"I was going to surprise you with it today, son..." Maverick paused, his grip around my hand tightening as a smile settled on his lips. "Meet my wife, Jennie... Jennie, my son, Justin."

Justin froze, his face went pale with shock and confusion. He stood there, staring at me for a moment, maybe trying to process this.

"What! Wife?" Justin's voice cracked, his eyes widened, and his grip on Ciara loosened immediately.

"Jennie!" Ciara whispered, drawing my attention to herself, and I scoffed silently.

"Yes, son. Jennie is my wife. Your stepmom. You've been begging me for years to get married again, and I finally did now. Isn't she beautiful?" Maverick wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to himself.

I stared straight at Justin, my lips curled up in a smirk. I had never been so satisfied in my entire life, seeing the shock and terror in his eyes. The nightmare he seemed to be having at that moment. He probably had expected that I would get my revenge, but not like this.

"It's nice to meet you, Justin. I hope we get along well. I'll be good to you." I crooned.

Justin took a step back, leaving my hand hanging in the air.

"Oh... I guess my stepson doesn't like shaking hands with other women..." I paused, averting my gaze to Ciara, a smirk lacing up my lips.

"Hi, daughter-in-law. I hope we get along well in the future," I turned my hand to Ciara for a handshake, and her jaw dropped in disbelief.

Wasn't this the most beautiful comeback ever?