The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1776

“That guy’s luckier than I am,” he muttered. At least he gets to marry the woman he loves.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Allanson’s sports car, glinting in the sunlight, slipped out of the parking lot and cruised back toward the hotel, guided by staff waving them on.

Outside that same hotel, Newell sat quietly in the backseat of a car. He looked sharp in a suit, the kind of quiet confidence that made people look twice. His eyes, dark and unreadable, never left the laptop screen on his lap. The blur of the wedding, projected in real time, played out in front of him.

On-screen, Charlotte tossed the bouquet over her shoulder then flopped onto a chair, smiling as she watched the others laugh and play around. Anthony knelt at her feet, his fingers carefully sweeping up the hem of her dress so he could gently work the tiredness from her arches.

A small, private moment. Charlotte said something, hooking her finger under Anthony’s chin and pulling him closer. Whatever she whispered, it made Anthony bite back a smile. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss, soft and lingering—one of those kisses where the rest of the world just falls away.

Newell’s hand curled into a fist. His face, already pale, went paper white.

In the front seat, Cedric shot his boss a worried look, but he kept quiet. Newell had refused to show up at the wedding, not wanting Charlotte to spot him in the crowd. Watching from afar hurt, but being there in person… that would have been unbearable.

Eventually, as the ceremony began to wind down, Newell pulled out his phone.

He typed, “Congratulations, Charlotte. Wishing you a happy marriage, free of sorrow.” He hit send, then dropped the phone into his lap, not waiting for a reply.

He turned to Cedric, voice low. “Airport?”

“Now?” Cedric hesitated. “They’re not done inside.”

Newell didn’t look at him. He watched the sunlight flicker through the car window, a bitter smile barely touching his lips. “I saw her happy. That’s enough for me.”

At least now, someone better would be there for her, someone who would love her right.

Cedric nodded, caught the emotional undertow in Newell’s voice and didn’t push back. He turned the key and the engine jumped to life.

They didn’t get far. Suddenly, a man in a black uniform stepped in front of the car.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify