“It’s too late to change anything.”
He kept staring at Julian in disbelief.
“You’re Leonard’s son,” he said hoarsely before giving his last name, which happened to be the same as my fiancé’s.
Julian gave a slow nod.
The church exploded with whispers.
Elise quickly stepped between us. “Everyone, please stay seated. We just need a few minutes.”
I grabbed my dad’s hand and practically pulled him into a small office beside the lobby. Julian followed behind us while Elise stood guard outside.
He kept staring at Julian in disbelief.
The second the door closed, I turned toward my fiancé.
“Start talking!”
“My real name is Adrian Julian, and you already know my last name. I started using my middle name years ago.”
“You lied to me?”
“Not about loving you.”
Dad let out a bitter laugh.
“You had no right coming near her.”
“We just need a few minutes.”
Julian ignored him and looked at me instead.
“My family knew your father years ago.”
“Dad?” I asked shakily.
He sat heavily in a chair and rubbed his face.
“Before you were born, I was engaged to a woman named Claire, my first love.”
I frowned.
“Until my father came along,” Julian said.
Dad glared at him. “Leonard stole her from me!”
Then the name finally clicked.
“My family knew your father years ago.”
Leonard had once been one of the wealthiest developers in the state. Hotels, office buildings, and shopping centers — his company owned half the city in the early 2000s.
Dad continued slowly.
“Claire married Leonard. A year later, they had a son with a unique facial birthmark. Adrian.”
He looked at Julian, who had a large red birthmark across his face.
I stared at my fiancé in disbelief.
“A year later, they had a son with a unique facial birthmark.”
“But Dad said you disappeared.”
Julian nodded.
“My mother took me and left Leonard when I was six.”
“Why?”
Julian hesitated.
“Because my father was dangerous.”
Dad scoffed immediately.
Julian looked angry. “You have no idea what my father was like.”
The tension between them felt ancient.
“But Dad said you disappeared.”
I looked between the two men, trying desperately to understand how my wedding day had become this nightmare.
“So why are you here?” I asked Julian. “Why meet me? Why date me?”
His face softened slightly.
“At first, it was because of Daniel.”
Dad stood immediately. “I knew it!”
My fiancé ignored him.
“My mother talked about Daniel for years. She believed he had abandoned her.”
Dad looked away.
“Before she died five years ago, she gave me old letters and documents. She told me to find him.”
“So why are you here?”
“So you tracked me down?” I asked.
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt worse than another lie.
“But that changed when I met you,” Julian said quickly. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with you.”
I laughed bitterly. “Do you realize how insane that sounds?”
“I know.”
Dad looked furious. “You manipulated her!”
“I didn’t plan this.”
“But you hid your identity for four years!” I retorted.
