Once the ceremony concluded, it was time for the wedding toast. Heather had changed into her wedding reception dress.
“Congratulations, Mr. Russell. You’ve finally won the heart of your beloved,” Morgan said, his voice tinged with a mix of sarcasm and sincerity. He raised his wine glass, his face clearly displaying more joy than mockery.
Dexter looked at him without anger, clinked glasses with him, and replied, “Thank you.”
Morgan gazed deeply into Heather’s eyes. “Congratulations, Ms. Olsen…. He paused for a moment. “I should be calling you Mrs. Russell now. Congratulations on achieving your wish.”
Heather maintained a composed smile, though her palms were drenched in sweat. The man before her had spoken with a beaming smile, but only she knew the malice he concealed beneath his facade.
“May you also achieve what you desire, Mr. Bastille.”
Only the two of them could discern the subtle nuances within those words.
Matthew watched from the corner, his hands pressing down on the table. He gritted his teeth as he exclaimed, “I knew it when Jo married him years ago. This man is not trustworthy!”
He was too conspicuous, his plans too intricate, to the point that even Heather, who stood beside him at that moment, might not fully comprehend them.
Mallory’s expression remained calm. She absentmindedly swirled the wine glass in her hand. “Dr. Sander, did Josie inform you of the reason for bringing the plastic surgeon here?”
Matthew was taken aback. “She only asked me to do this. She didn’t tell me why.”
Now that Josie had disappeared, he had no way of knowing the reason.
“Do you have any news of Josie? I’m genuinely concerned about her. She hardly has anyone she can trust in Wavery,” Matthew anxiously inquired.
Ignoring the persistent, burning gaze that she couldn’t shake off, Mallory deliberately moved closer to Matthew. She whispered in his ear, “I don’t know either.”
Matthew’s ears burned.
Mallory resumed her proper position and said, “Let’s observe for a while.”
Meanwhile, as Dexter and Heather toasted the Olsens, the elders had nothing but words of praise and blessings to offer until they reached Nathan.
He rose leisurely. “Dexter, it’s been many years since I last saw you.”
Dexter furrowed his brows slightly, studying the man for a few seconds before recognizing him. “Mr. Nathan, you’ve returned.”
Nathan had gone abroad after Liana went missing. In the blink of an eye, more than a decade had passed.
Nathan nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Heather. Seeing her surprised expression, he said, “Leanne, I wouldn’t mind if Dexter forgot about me, but how could you also not remember? When you were little, I often took you out to play. Have you forgotten?”
Nathan had appeared out of nowhere, and no one had informed Heather about him. Judging by Dexter’s demeanor, she assumed he was a person of some importance. She paused for a moment, then quickly greeted him with a smile, “Uncle Nathan, it’s been a long time.”
Nathan’s eyes unwaveringly followed the shifts in her expression as he attempted to discern any clues from them.
He responded with a smile, “It’s good to have you back. I missed you dearly all those years you were lost.”
Heather was figuring out how to respond when an attendant rushed over from behind her and whispered in her ear, “Can we start playing the music video now?”
Feeling relieved and delighted, she replied, “Go ahead.”
The wedding had progressed to the dining segment, and according to the schedule, it was time to play the wedding video.
Dexter was unaware, but over the past month, Heather had collected numerous photos of them together from the media. She had meticulously created a video, all in an effort to convey her sincerity.
Soon, the venue was filled with melodious background music. Heather’s video appeared on the big screen, capturing everyone’s attention. At that moment, Dexter was called aside by Larry, as there was official business that needed to be attended to.
