The Billionaire's Unexpected Bride

I looked at the small gift bag in my hand and smiled. It had taken me three months to save enough money for the watch inside.

It wasn't the most expensive gift, but I knew Nolan would like it because he once told me he wanted a watch just like this.

Tomorrow was my sister's wedding, so everyone in my family had been busy all week.

Nolan had also been busy helping with a few things, and we hadn't seen each other for days. That was why I wanted to surprise him tonight instead of waiting until after the wedding.

I stepped out of the taxi and looked at the restaurant in front of me. The place was filled with people dressed in nice clothes, and soft music floated through the open entrance.

I took a deep breath, fixed my hair with one hand, and walked inside with a smile.

I took out my phone and called Nolan again. The call rang for a while before it stopped, just like the other two times I had called him.

I shook my head and smiled to myself, thinking he was probably too busy to hear his phone.

A young woman wearing the restaurant's uniform greeted me with a polite smile. I walked over to her and asked, "Excuse me, have you seen Nolan Pierce?"

She checked something on the computer in front of her before looking back at me. "Yes, he's in one of our private rooms. It's the last room at the end of the hallway."

"Thank you," I replied.

I held the gift bag close to my chest and walked toward the hallway. My heart felt light because I couldn't wait to see the surprise on Nolan's face.

I had already imagined him smiling, hugging me, and asking why I hadn't told him I was coming.

When I reached the last room, I slowed down. The door wasn't completely closed, and voices drifted through the small opening. I smiled because one of the voices belonged to Nolan.

"I've been waiting for tomorrow," he said.

Another voice answered him almost immediately.

"So have I."

I stopped walking mid-step, frozen in place.

That voice sounded so familiar that I couldn't ignore it. I frowned and took one careful step toward the door.

No, It couldn't be. I gently looked through the small opening. The smile on my face disappeared.

Nolan wasn't alone. He was sitting beside my sister, Noelle.

For a few seconds, I couldn't understand what I was seeing. My mind searched for a reason they would be together, but nothing made sense. Tomorrow was Noelle's wedding, so why was she having dinner alone with my boyfriend?

I stayed where I was without making a sound. My hands tightened around the gift bag as I watched them.

Noelle smiled at Nolan across the table.

"After tomorrow, we won't have to hide anymore."

Nolan smiled back. "I've been waiting to hear you say that."

Before I could make sense of those words, Nolan reached for her hand. He looked into her eyes the same way he always looked at me. Then he leaned closer and kissed her.

My fingers became numb, and I couldn't feel them.

The gift bag almost slipped from my hand, but I quickly held onto it. I wanted to believe my eyes were playing tricks on me, yet they weren't.

The kiss ended slowly, and both of them laughed quietly.

"I can't believe we made it this far," Noelle said.

Nolan nodded. "It wasn't hard."

Noelle tilted her head slightly and looked at him.

"What about Brenna?"

He laughed softly under his breath.

"What about her?"

"Won't she be hurt?"

Nolan shrugged carelessly.

"She'll get over it."

I felt my chest tighten painfully.

He spoke so casually, as if I meant nothing to him.

As if everything we had shared together could be thrown away without a second thought.

Noelle smiled quietly.

"I still can't believe she never found out."

"That's because she trusts people too easily," Nolan replied. "She never questioned me once."

They both laughed again, softly this time.

I lowered my head for a moment, trying to calm myself. My hands were shaking, and I could barely feel my fingers. Part of me wanted to walk away, but another part wanted to hear everything.

Noelle leaned back comfortably in her chair.

"So, tomorrow is finally the day."

Nolan nodded slowly.

"Yes. By tomorrow night, we'll be far away from here."

She smiled a little.

"Poor Ronan Princeton."

Nolan laughed out loud.

"He'll be standing at the wedding, waiting for a bride who isn't coming."

Noelle laughed along with him.

"I almost feel sorry for him."

"You don't look sorry."

"I'm not."

She gently rested her hand on Nolan's arm.

"I've never wanted to marry him. I only agreed because my parents wouldn't stop talking about the business deal."

"So, what's the plan?" Nolan asked.

Noelle looked around the room carefully before lowering her voice.

"I'll leave before the wedding starts. By the time anyone realizes I'm gone, we'll already be on our flight."

Nolan smiled at that.

"And then we can finally live the life we've been planning."

"Together."

He reached across the table again and held her hand.

"Together."

I couldn't bring myself to listen anymore.

Everything I once believed about my relationship with Nolan disappeared in those few minutes.

The man I loved and trusted had been lying to me all along.

The sister I trusted the most had been meeting him behind my back.

Neither of them looked even the slightest bit guilty.

Neither of them even once mentioned me with any kindness.

Instead, Nolan simply laughed again.

"Brenna was the easy sister."

Noelle smiled.

"I told you she'd never suspect us."

"I never loved her," Nolan replied without hesitation. "Being with Brenna only made it easier to stay close to you."

Those words stayed stuck in my mind long after.

I slowly stepped away from the door before either of them noticed me. Every step felt heavy, but I forced myself to keep walking until I reached the entrance of the restaurant.

The evening air hit my face, but it didn't help me think clearly. I stood outside for a long moment, staring at the cars passing by without really seeing them.

I looked down slowly at the gift bag still in my hand.

Just an hour ago, I couldn't wait to give it to Nolan myself.

Now, I didn't even want to hear his name spoken again.

Before I could decide what to do next, my phone suddenly started ringing.

I looked down at the screen.

Dad.

I answered the call right away.

"Brenna, where are you?" my father asked.

"I'm outside."

"Come home immediately."

His voice sounded rushed, and I could hear people talking loudly behind him.

"Why? What happened?"

There was a short, heavy silence.

Then he said the very last thing I expected to hear.

"Your sister is missing."

My father's words kept repeating in my head as I rushed toward the road to stop another taxi.

"Your sister is missing."

If I hadn't seen Noelle with my own eyes less than twenty minutes ago, I would have believed she was in danger. But I knew exactly where she had been and who she had been with. She wasn't missing. She had chosen to disappear.

The ride home felt longer than it should have. I kept looking at my phone, hoping Noelle would suddenly call and tell everyone the truth. She never did.

When the taxi stopped in front of the Hartwell mansion, I saw several expensive cars parked outside. The front door was wide open, and people were walking in and out of the house. Even before I stepped inside, I could hear raised voices.

The whole house was in chaos.

I walked into the living room and found my parents surrounded by family friends, staff members, and a few people I recognized from our company. Everyone looked worried. My father was pacing acro