Alexander Sterling let out a hearty laugh.
Evelyn blushed for a long moment before she finally caught on. She had been played.
"That's so mean!" she mumbled, burying her face in the quilt.
Alexander left the bedroom to change his clothes.
After a long while, Evelyn finally got up.
It was already past three o'clock. She had to leave at four. By the time she washed up and changed, it would be almost time.
Sure enough, just as she finished getting ready, Lily Thompson came upstairs to call her.
During the process of greeting guests, entering the hall, and entertaining, Evelyn had to change into different dresses and adopt different looks.
This was a skill Evelyn had discovered she possessed—the ability to transform eighteen times in one day.
Without any styling, she felt like a completely different person.
She didn't even recognize herself, let alone anyone else.
So, by the time the wedding banquet was over, Evelyn had one overwhelming feeling: marriage was not only exhausting but also incredibly tiring.
Fortunately, at the banquet, Evelyn didn't have to drink alcohol. She just drank mineral water instead of wine and followed Alexander to toast the guests.
Otherwise, with so many guests, she would have been drunk in no time.
But even mineral water could fill you up.
After the first round of toasts, Evelyn, accompanied by the bridesmaid, went to change into another dress and create a new look.
During this time, she could eat in the lounge and take a short rest.
The second round of toasts was about to begin. Evelyn and the bridesmaid walked out of the lounge. Suddenly, the bridesmaid remembered she had forgotten to bring Evelyn's handbag.
So, she told Evelyn to wait for her, and the bridesmaid rushed back to the lounge to get it.
Evelyn stood in the corridor, waiting.
"Hello—"
Evelyn looked up and saw a beautiful woman in a suit. She must be the hotel's lobby manager.
"Hello!" Evelyn replied.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked politely.
"Oh, no, thank you! I'm waiting for someone!"
The woman smiled and continued, "You look beautiful!"
"Thank you. You're beautiful too!"
The woman was about to say something else when she heard someone calling Evelyn from behind. She smiled at Evelyn and walked away.
Owen Clarke came over and looked at the retreating figure. He was stunned for a moment. Only when the woman disappeared around the corner did he turn back to Evelyn and ask, "Why are you standing here?"
"I'm waiting for Charlotte. She went to get something!" Evelyn explained.
"What did that woman say to you just now?"
"Who?"
"The woman who just walked away!"
"Oh, she's the hotel's lobby manager. She just said hello to me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Let's go. Alexander is waiting for you!" Owen didn't ask any further.
"Okay!"
Following Owen into the banquet hall, Evelyn stole a glance at him.
He was the best man today, wearing a very formal three-piece suit.
Because of the alcohol, his face was redder than usual. He seemed lost in thought, his head hanging low.
Evelyn thought Owen must be very sad today.
The person you love marries someone else, and you have to be the best man. That's just too heartbreaking.
Owen turned his head and looked at Evelyn, meeting her sympathetic gaze. His eyebrows furrowed. "What kind of look is that, Evelyn?"
"Nothing!" Evelyn replied awkwardly.
After a moment, she couldn't help but say, "Don't be too sad!"
"What am I sad about?" Owen said, half laughing, half crying. "It's all in the past!"
"Actually, it's not really in the past. It's still the same as before!"
Owen frowned, looked at Evelyn, and asked in confusion, "Do you mind?"
"Mind what? I knew about it from the very beginning!"
"Alexander told you that?" Owen was a little incredulous.
Just then, the bridesmaid, Charlotte, had already grabbed the things and rushed over.
Evelyn and Owen said nothing more.
In fact, the two of them were talking about completely different things.
Evelyn was talking about Owen and Alexander, while Owen was talking about Alexander and Grace O'Sullivan.
They weren't even on the same topic, yet they managed to have a conversation.
After a new round of toasts, Evelyn felt not only full of mineral water but also soreness in her feet.
To match Alexander's height, this dress came with a pair of eight-centimeter heels.
Evelyn, who wasn't used to wearing high heels, felt like she was walking on stilts. Alexander might have noticed the problem. He always held her hand as they went from table to table to toast the guests.
Those who didn't know them thought they were deeply in love, but Evelyn knew it was to avoid a repeat of the afternoon's mishap.
After two rounds of toasts, Evelyn could rest for a while. When the banquet was coming to an end, she changed into a new dress and went with Alexander to see the guests off.
After the wedding banquet, Evelyn and Alexander returned to Sterling Manor first. Naturally, a special person would be responsible for the aftermath of the banquet.
Sitting in the back seat, Alexander didn't speak. He just leaned back and closed his eyes.
Evelyn didn't know if he had drunk too much or wasn't feeling well. She didn't dare to disturb him.
Back at Sterling Manor, Evelyn changed her dress, removed her makeup, and washed up thoroughly. When she walked out of the bathroom, she saw Alexander sitting on the sofa. His jacket had been taken off, his bow tie was gone, and two buttons of his shirt were undone.
He looked a little decadent, but undeniably sexy.
"Alexander? Alexander?" Evelyn called softly.
Alexander opened his eyes and looked at Evelyn. His gaze was a little dazed. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache," Alexander said.
"Can I give you a massage?" Evelyn asked again.
Alexander looked at Evelyn, who was a little embarrassed. She was about to say, "I'll get you a glass of water," when she heard Alexander say, "Okay!"
So Evelyn walked around to the back of the sofa and stood there to massage Alexander's head.
In the past, whenever her mother came back from playing mahjong with a headache, she would ask Evelyn to massage her. Over time, Evelyn had learned a little bit about it.
"Evelyn, marrying me... I've wronged you."
"No, you haven't!" Evelyn replied calmly.
Alexander didn't say anything else, and Evelyn didn't either. She just continued to massage his head.
After a while, Alexander told Evelyn to rest. Then he got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.
"Can you manage on your own?" Evelyn asked uneasily.
"Or do you want to wash me?" Alexander turned back and asked Evelyn.
Evelyn was immediately stunned by Alexander's question. She nodded, then shook her head, her face turning red.
"I'm fine!" Alexander laughed and stopped teasing his little wife.
Evelyn pursed her lips, sat down on the sofa, propped her chin on her hand, and thought about whether she should take the agreement to Alexander to sign tonight.
She had drafted the agreement a long time ago, but she hadn't had the courage to show it to Alexander. Now that the wedding was over, when should she bring it up again?
After hesitating for a while, Evelyn got up and walked out of the bedroom.
When Evelyn returned to the bedroom, Alexander had already finished his bath and was sitting on the sofa in a home suit.
Evelyn's hands instinctively went behind her back, holding the marriage agreement she had painstakingly drafted. She walked over to Alexander, still hesitating about how to start.
After all, they had just had their wedding today!
But some things would be even harder to say if she didn't say them tonight!
Alexander looked up at Evelyn and said, "What's wrong?"
What's wrong?