Chapter 3 Fragments Of A Broken Heart

• “Miss Nicole, your sister wants the wedding to be held outdoors. She doesn’t want it at a venue,” Sadie—Nicole’s assistant—informed her.
• Nicole exhaled sharply. “She’s being difficult. The weather’s like this, and she insists on an outdoor wedding? Isn’t there another venue option?” Her expression showed irritation. If her stepsister insisted on an outdoor wedding in such bad weather, it would only make things harder for her.
• It had been nine years since Nicole left London—a city she never wanted to live in again. She had only come back at Shania’s request, her stepsister, who wanted Nicole to organize her wedding. Nicole had tried to refuse, but her father kept insisting.
• All this time, Nicole had never had a good relationship with Shania. Since their mother passed away, Nicole had become more withdrawn. The wounds of the past left her suffocated, which was why she had left London.
• Her father’s past affair only deepened the pain in Nicole’s heart. Disappointment and hatred lingered, yet she had to endure—it wasn’t easy. Nicole kept moving forward despite the storm. In her eyes, all men were the same: they only left behind deep wounds.
• Sadie scratched her head, though it wasn’t itchy. “That’s what Miss Shania wants, Miss. She’s set on an outdoor wedding. She said she already has a concept and will discuss it with you later.”
• Nicole rubbed her temples slowly. She’d been a wedding organizer for years, but if her client was her stepsister, she felt extremely reluctant. Shania’s demands were ridiculous. If Nicole didn’t comply, Shania would argue fiercely. But if she did, Nicole would be annoyed all the time.
• “Will Shania be coming with her fiancé?” Nicole asked coldly.
• “Hmm, I think Miss Shania will come with her fiancé, Miss,” Sadie answered politely.
• Nicole closed her eyes briefly and muttered in annoyance, “I hope her fiancé has a sane mind and doesn’t agree to an outdoor wedding in weather like this. But if he thinks the same way as her, then they’re both crazy. No wonder they’re a match.”
• Sadie winced at Nicole’s sarcasm.
• The car carrying Nicole and Sadie pulled into the wedding venue, not far from the city center. Nicole immediately stepped out with her assistant. The beautiful woman walked gracefully into the venue.
• Inside, Nicole didn’t see her stepsister anywhere. She clicked her tongue in frustration. Shania was late again. Nicole had already reminded her about her tight schedule while in London.
• “Sadie, where is Shania? Why is she taking so long?” Nicole asked irritably.
• “Wait a moment, Miss. I’ll try calling her.” Sadie quickly dialed Shania’s number, but there was no answer. The line was active, but Shania didn’t pick up.
• “Well, Sadie? Where is Shania?” Nicole asked, trying to suppress her anger. She hated waiting the most. She had arrived on time. If she’d known Shania would be late, she wouldn’t have come at all.
• “Miss Shania isn’t answering, Miss,” Sadie replied, confused and a little panicked. If Shania couldn’t be reached, Nicole wouldn’t want to wait, and chaos would follow.
• Nicole grunted in displeasure. “Forget it. Let’s go to the hotel. I don’t want to wait. I’m exhausted.”
• “Miss, but your father might be angry if you leave without waiting for Miss Shania,” Sadie tried to stop her.
• Nicole clicked her tongue. “I don’t care what my father says. Don’t stop me. I want to go to the hotel and rest.” She was about to leave the venue when she bumped into Shania, who had just arrived.
• “Nicole, sorry, there was an accident on the highway. Sorry for making you wait,” Shania said, feeling guilty.
• Nicole glared at her, holding back her anger. “I told you not to be late. You could’ve left earlier to avoid traffic!” Nicole hated excuses—in her view, problems always stemmed from carelessness.
• “Yes, sorry. I admit my mistake this time. I wanted to leave earlier, but my fiancé just finished a meeting. That’s why I was late. I won’t be late again,” Shania explained, admitting fault and promising to be punctual.
• “Fine, forget it. I don’t want to argue anymore. Now, where is your fiancé?” Nicole asked, noticing no one beside her stepsister.
• “My fiancé just—” Shania looked toward the door, and as a handsome man appeared, she exclaimed, “There he is, my fiancé.”
• Nicole’s body almost collapsed when she saw Oliver Maxton standing there. She steadied herself to avoid falling. It was as if the earth stopped spinning—her legs felt weak.
• Her eyes reddened as she fought back tears. Her chest tightened unbearably. The pain was sharper than a thousand needles piercing her. The beautiful woman struggled to keep her tears from falling.
• Oliver stood still, staring at Nicole with a meaningful gaze. It had been nine years since he last saw her, and now, seeing her again, she was even more beautiful. Though she had changed, Oliver could never forget the woman before him.
• “Sweetheart, this is Nicole Tristan, my stepsister—the one I told you about. She lives in Switzerland and runs a wedding planning business. She came to London specifically to help with our wedding, darling,” Shania said, hugging Oliver sweetly and introducing Nicole to her fiancé.
• Oliver nodded in response. The handsome man said nothing else but his gaze never left Nicole.