Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the Mechanic
Chapter 2: The Truth Behind the Mechanic
The church fell into complete silence.
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
Ethan stared at the gold seal on the document as if it might suddenly disappear.
"It... that's impossible," he whispered.
The older mechanic calmly closed the leather binder.
"My name isn't Walter Hayes, the mechanic," he said evenly. "I'm Walter Hayes, senior legal counsel to the Whitmore family."
A ripple of shocked whispers swept through the church.
The Other Woman's confident smile vanished.
Walter turned toward Sophie.
"For twenty-four years, Miss Reed chose to live an ordinary life because your father wanted her loved for who she was—not for what she owned."
Sophie slowly lowered her bouquet.
Tears still shimmered in her eyes, but they never fell.
She simply nodded.
Walter continued.
"Three months ago, Jonathan Whitmore passed away."
The guests gasped.
"The estate was placed under my protection until today... the day Sophie married."
He paused.
"She was never marrying for money."
His gaze shifted toward Ethan.
"She was marrying for love."
Ethan's knees nearly gave out.
Every cruel word he had spoken echoed in his mind.
Every assumption.
Every insult.
Every selfish choice.
The fortune he had chased stood only a few feet away...
And he had willingly thrown it away.
For the first time in his life...
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Ethan realized that losing the money wasn't the worst part.
Losing Sophie was.
