Chapter 73: Chapter 73

Chapter 73- Finally caught To evade the police and avoid going to jail, a once-successful man faked his death. Using his great tech skills, he could easily get himself in and out of a hotel. He was able to avoid getting caught and he survived by hacking into banking systems to gain access to funds.

He went through all this trouble to one day get back at the people who ruined him. This man was none other than Harry Winston, Serena’s brother.

Indeed, he was the one who sent Tessa creepy text messages. He also sabotaged Aaron’s ships and almost made him lose billions of dollars. He later stopped sending Tessa the messages to let them drop their guard so that he could surprise them when he makes his move.

Knowing it was Tessa and Aaron’s wedding day, Harry decided to show himself and kidnap the bride. To him, Aaron losing the woman he loves twice was the best punishment he could inflict on him.

He laughed inwardly when he reached the Adams’ residence. “They must be so excited about the wedding that they forgot to bring their security.”

The place was quiet save for a few guards who stood at the entrance. Harry thought it would be too easy to get in and out with the woman of his dreams.

He climbed up the window and quietly entered Michelle’s bedroom. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Tessa’s back view.

She looked like a goddess in that beautiful ball gown she wore. For a moment, he pictured how she would look walking down the aisle to meet him as the husband-to-be at the altar.

As if sensing that someone was behind her, Tessa was about to whip around. However, Harry acted fast. He moved forward and covered her mouth with his palm. He lowered his head and whispered in her ears, “Hello, Tessa. Missed me?”

Tessa, on the other hand, felt her heart jump to her throat when she recognised his voice. Her stomach twisted as fear crept into her.

‘Harry?’ She asked inwardly, her eyes growing into saucers.

She had totally forgotten about him!

“How nice of you to get married so soon after my death. Couldn’t you mourn me a little? Was I really nothing to you?” Harry questioned, his voice laced with anger.

Since Tessa couldn’t reply, she could only shake her head. She wanted to say she took him as a friend but he ruined everything by kidnapping her kids.

“You’re such an ungrateful bitch. My sister was right. I shouldn’t have been nice to you. Look at you marrying the man who once broke you. Tell me, Tessa. Do women really love bad boys? I’m bad now, will you love me?” Harry continued as he took out a pistol from the band of his pants.

He pressed it on Tessa’s lower back and said, “Move or I’ll kill you. If you resist, I’ll kill one of your kids. I must leave with you today, I don’t care who will die in the process.”

Tessa’s heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest. It was her wedding day! How could this happen?

She could feel the gun digging into her back and it scared her out of her wits. She wanted to bite his hand and scream for help but what if he hurt her kids? Harry had nothing to lose... what if he killed everyone in his path just to get his way?

She couldn’t act impulsively, so she let him lead her away.

When Harry managed to take Tessa outside the mansion, he gloated. “So much for keeping you safe. Taking you away is so easy-”

“I don’t think so. Drop your gun and put your hands where I can see them.”

A male voice came and Harry looked around, his eyes widening.

He was suddenly surrounded by the police and the military. Their helicopters were swirling above them with soldiers pointing guns at Harry.

“Stay back! Or I’ll kill her,” Harry threatened, pointing the gun at the side of Tessa’s head.

A man in a military ceremonial dress suit stepped out of the crowd surrounding Harry and Tessa. It was none other than Graham Thompson, the military general.

His eyebrows were furrowed and he was in his serious soldier mode.

“Harry Winston! Let go of my friend’s bride while I’m asking nicely. You won’t like me when I get angry,” Graham ordered in his deep baritone voice.

He was built like a tank and this was when his full power was seen. The aura oozing from him was too powerful, it could bring the world to its knees.

Just then, Michelle and Celia came out. They gasped at the scene they found. When they went to the bride’s room after dressing the kids, they found that she had disappeared.

Who knew Harry would show up and try to kidnap the bride?

Harry laughed maniacally. He looked around at the many soldiers and police officers that stood in his way. There was no escaping for him this time.

He glanced at Tessa and pushed her away, saying, “Whatever. Since I’m doomed anyway... I would rather kill myself than spend my life in prison.”

He aimed the gun at his head and was about to pull the trigger when Tessa screamed, “No!”

A gun went off and Harry dropped to the ground. Tessa’s eyes widened. She was horrified. She was about to scream but Graham’s words stopped her.

“He’s fine. I shot him with a tranquillizer. We are not going to let him off that easily.”

Tessa released a sigh of relief. She said, “Thank God. I thought someone would die on my wedding day. That would be bad luck.”

Graham looked at the police officers and instructed, “Arrest him and lock him up. He’s a flight risk so he shouldn’t be granted bail.”

The police officers saluted at him, saying in unison, “Yes, sir!”

Suddenly, Aaron showed up. He was walking in large strides but he was being guided by Tony because he had a black blindfold over his eyes.

Tessa frowned when she saw this. She waited for him to get closer but before she could ask anything, he pulled her into a tight hug, saying, “Thank God, you’re safe. I was so scared. Are you ok?”

“I’m ok. I was just afraid of what he might do. How did you get here so fast? And why do you have a blindfold over your eyes?”

Tessa asked, returning the hug.

Aaron was in his elegant three-piece navy suit and brown oxford shoes. His hair was slicked back as usual and his beard was trimmed. He looked smart and charming, ready for their wedding.

“I had always been on the lookout for the stalker. We finally got some news about his location an hour ago. When we rushed there, we realised it was a decoy, and that he intentionally released the information to fool us.

When I called Josh, it was too late. He had already gotten to you and they didn’t want to alarm him by attacking him in case you got hurt in the process. Luckily, we got here on time before he could succeed,” Aaron answered.

Tessa nodded and said, “You still haven’t explained why you’ve blindfolded yourself.”

Aaron chuckled and the tips of his ears burned. He replied, “I’m just following Celia’s rules. She said it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and I don’t want any bad luck associated with our marriage. I was worried about you and had to be here. But since I can’t see you, I haven’t broken the rules.”

Tessa laughed out loud and shook her head. She glanced up at him and remarked, “I didn’t take you for the superstitious type.”

“I’m not superstitious. But I’m not taking any chances,” Aaron announced. He then lowered his voice and asked, “Can I get a kiss, though? I’m dying to taste your lips. It feels like a thousand years have passed since I kissed you.”

Tessa giggled, she was about to stand on her toes and kiss his lips when she was suddenly pulled away from him.

“No kissing! Aaron, your job is done here. Go away, shoo! No boys allowed!” Celia chided her brother.

“Not fair. Isn’t Reagan a boy? Why is he here?” Aaron complained.

“He’s a cute boy so he’s an exception. As for you and your buddies, see you at the church!” Celia grabbed Tessa’s hand and led her back into the mansion.

At the same time, Michelle raked her eyes along Graham’s body. She thought he looked hot in the military ceremonial suit. She was busy ogling at him when Graham’s eyes met hers. He suddenly winked at her and her heart skipped a beat.

She quickly whipped around and ran into the mansion, her stomach fluttering with butterflies.

When the ladies returned inside, Aaron took out his blindfold and sighed. He looked longingly at the door...

“Come on, man. She will be your wife in an hour,” Tony said.

“I know... I can’t wait.” He gave the closed door one last glance and turned to leave.

The groom and the groomsmen were using a convoy of sleek black rolls-royce cars. They were about five of them. Aaron and his friends were in the second one. Their parents were in the last three while the first one had four bodyguards.

Meanwhile, when the men left, Tessa was finally led out by her bridesmaids. The bride’s family and friends were going to be transported in a convoy of luxurious 2023 Mercedes-Benz white G wagons. They were ten cars in total. The bride sat with her bridesmaids while the kids. sat with Elena. Michelle’s parents got into one car and the few female friends who they had invited to the bachelorette party joined them in the other free cars.

It was a sight to behold. The expensive cars drove through the City slowly as the SBC local media covered the whole process. It was the only media company that was allowed to do an exclusive on the City’s most powerful man’s wedding.

When the bride and groom arrived at the church, they both went to wait in separate waiting rooms. As they waited for the ceremony to begin, Natalie Jones, a reporter from SBC was called to Aaron’s waiting room because he wanted to have an interview before entering the cathedral.

She was led into the room with her team of videographers. Her mouth almost dropped to the floor when she found four sexy men in the room.

Aaron was exceptionally handsome and had an imposing presence. But so were his friends. Natalie’s face flushed and she secretly fanned herself.

These men were smouldering. Luckily, she was a professional and knew not to provoke the rich men so she went straight to business.

Aaron was seated on a one-seat leather couch. One of his legs was crossed over the other and he looked like a king sitting on his throne.

Natalie approached him and while holding a microphone, she said, “Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to speak with you, Mr Wentworth. Firstly, let me start by congratulating you on your marriage. We as the SBC team wish you happiness.”

Aaron nodded and replied with a face void of any emotion, “Thank you.”

Taking out the paper of questions she was given beforehand, Natalie read the questions, “Can you tell us how you and Miss Tessa met? What made you fall in love with her?”

Glancing at the camera, Aaron smiled at the thought of his wife-to-be. He said, “She probably doesn’t remember this, but we met at a convenience store many years ago. There was this little girl who kept looking hungrily at a bar of chocolate on the shelf but she couldn’t buy it.’

Aaron chuckled at the memory and continued, “I was about ten then. She seemed to be five or six. I was about to pay for the snacks I had bought when she pulled at my shorts and ordered me to buy her the chocolate. I can still remember her green eyes as she stared at me, trying to look as intimidating as possible...”

At the same time, Tessa was seated in the waiting room when Michelle handed her a phone and showed her the live video of Aaron’s interview.

Her eyes blurred with tears as she watched him. She had gaps in her memory but she remembered thinking she had bullied a boy into buying her a bar of chocolate.

Aaron looked into the camera and declared, “We met first, love. You were my first and only love after all.”