From Jilted Bride To First Lady

Chapter 1 The Unexpected Encounter

It was ten o'clock in the morning and everyone gathered at Sophie Castle because Natalie Linney and Brian Sherman, who were both from prominent families, were getting married today.

The entire hall looked splendid in the light of the crystal chandelier. The waiters shuttled among the guests with champagne and red wine, and the floor was covered with a red carpet.

The castle was full of guests drinking wine. All the famous and rich people in Gobis were there, including the mayor, Hank Johnson.

It was going to be a luxurious banquet.

But despite the fun, something just wasn't right. The groom, Brian, hadn't shown up even though the wedding had started.

The same jazz song had been played three times and even the experienced host didn't know what to do.

The guests became agitated.

"Where's the groom? Did something happen to him?"

"I don't think he'll come."

"Why?" someone wondered.

"Didn't you see the news? Jennifer Linney ran away from home early this morning when her sibling Natalie Linney was going to marry Brian Sherman. Someone caught Brian rushing to the airport to get her back. I'm afraid that he won't be able to make it to the wedding!"

One of the guests sighed, "Natalie was missing when she was a child and she wasn't reunited with her parents until seven years ago. Therefore, Jennifer was the one who grew up with Brian and they loved each other. If it weren't for Natalie's sudden return, she wouldn't have got to marry Brian. She took him away from Jennifer."

"I don't think so. The Sherman family has always wanted Brian to marry Gordon Linney's biological daughter, so it has to be Natalie!"

Someone shook his head and said, "Frank Linney, the girls' grandpa, has two sons. The older one is Gordon Linney, Natalie's father, and the younger one is Eric Linney, Jennifer's father. Although Eric is just Frank's adopted son, he left Jennifer to Gordon to help Gordon get over the loss of Natalie. Now it's been ten years, and even though Natalie came back, she couldn't replace Jennifer in Gordon's mind."

"Gordon sees Jennifer as his own. She's practically next in line to run Linney Corp."

"Exactly! Gordon has raised her for over ten years and nothing's gonna change that."

"Yeah. Although Natalie is Gordon's biological daughter, she's not as close to him as Jennifer is."

Someone even snorted, "I heard that Natalie is just a bumpkin, weak, ugly and uneducated. Even Gordon and his wife, Evelyn, refused to believe that she was their missing daughter. You know what? I would choose Jennifer too if I were Brian."

"It seems that Brian abandoned her on their wedding day. If I were her, I'd be crushed."

"I feel sorry for Natalie. She has a wealthy family and a perfect fiancé, but she doesn't end up having them!"

The guests all burst into laughter.

*****

Natalie looked at herself in the mirror in the dressing room upstairs. She had a perfect little face, and her moist eyes were full of tenderness. She looked peaceful, not seeming to pay any attention to the noise outside.

Suddenly, someone pushed the door open.

Her best friend, Elizabeth Scott, rushed in and said in anger, "That's ridiculous! How could Brian be late for his wedding? Does he know what the guests say?"

Natalie said calmly, "He's not going to show up."

Elizabeth widened her eyes in shock and gasped, "What do you mean? Is he running away?"

Natalie didn't say anything. Instead, she took the eyebrow pencil and began to do her eyebrows. She had arched eyebrows and they gave her a look of refined elegance.

Her phone on the table was still on. Two minutes ago, Brian sent her a message: [I'm sorry, Natalie. Jennifer cut her wrist and it's badly injured. I can't get back in time. Can we postpone the wedding?]

After a while, Natalie put down her eyebrow pencil and asked, "Where are my parents?"

Elizabeth pursed her lips and said in a low voice for fear that Natalie would be sad, "They... They went to look for Jennifer."

Natalie froze. Then she thought, 'Wow. I didn't expect that my parents, my fiancé, and my brother were all absent from my wedding.'

Elizabeth said indignantly, "I just don't get the Linney family! Why do they value such a bitch so much? Don't they know who their biological daughter is? And Brian. I should have known that he can't be trusted!"

Natalie raised her head and found that the noise outside seemed to be louder. "Ease the guests for me, will you, Lizzy?"

Elizabeth nodded and replied, "You bet."

The room went silent till Natalie's phone rang. It was another call from Brian, but she ignored it.

She put her bun down, and her hair cascaded down her shoulder immediately. She looked at the calm and tender girl in the mirror. Sadly, nobody seemed to care about her broken heart hiding under her flawless exterior.

The dressing room was quite big, but she just felt suffocated as if she were drowning. After a while, she ignored the still vibrating phone and left the room.

The roads were empty outside Sophie Castle, probably because of the marriage preparations. At this moment, a black Lincoln Stretch Limousine was approaching from not far away.

Martin Evans, the Secretary-General in the passenger seat, was briefing the man in the back seat about an evening appointment. "Mr. President, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister of Yelta is arriving at 9 p.m. You will greet him in the hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs..."

The man, Josh Franco, nodded and said nothing.

He exuded a cold, imposing aura as he sat upright, casting an atmosphere of oppression that left those around him feeling uneasy. His deep eyes showed a bit of coldness and sharpness, which made him look both calm and mature, and he had a vibe that kept people at a distance. Just one look from him was enough to make one shiver. Even seated, his presence captivated those around him.

Suddenly, Josh looked out of the window and noticed Sophie Castle. He asked the driver to stop.

Owen Nelson, the driver, braked at once.

Martin asked cautiously, "What's wrong, Mr. President?"

"What is this place?"

Martin glanced at the castle and said, "It's Sophie Castle. Sophie Castle is known as the castle of love for its beautiful stories. The two prominent families in Gobis, the Linney family and the Sherman family were having a wedding today, and it's said that even the mayor, Mr. Johnson, is here. Do you want to go in?"

Josh looked at the castle for several seconds as he stroked the dark rosary bracelet on his wrist with deep, unreadable eyes.

"No," he withdrew his gaze and said in a cold tone, "Let's go."

"OK," said Martin.

Just as Owen was about to start the limo, Josh suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked coldly at someone in front of the car. In the distance, a woman in a wedding dress had just walked out of the back door of the castle. She was well made up but looked a little out of sorts.

It was Natalie. She glanced at Josh's car and her bright, pure eyes looked hurt. She was wearing a wedding dress, but her long hair was loose, without a veil. Her white dress trailed on the ground and she was painfully thin. The warm light made her shadow long, making her look lost.

"Wait," Josh said suddenly.

Confused, Martin followed Josh's gaze and was shocked. 'Is it Ms. Linney? Isn't she supposed to be at the wedding?'

Martin said with a surprised look, "All the entertainment and business news in Solterra today is about Brian Sherman running away from his wedding. It seems that the news is true..."

Hearing this, Josh's expression changed and ordered, "Hit her."

Both Martin and Owen were shocked, wondering whether they had heard it right.Owen observed Josh's face in the rearview mirror, and Martin couldn't help but look back at him.

Josh stopped twiddling his rosary bracelet and gave them a cold look. He meant it.

Martin, who had always look composed, looked a little dumbfounded.

Owen held the steering wheel tight, stepped on the accelerator, and rushed over with his eyes closed. However, he didn't dare to drive too fast because he was a little afraid.

Natalie seemed to hear some noise from the car behind her. She looked back and saw it coming at her. It was too late for her to run.

Bang! She was hit by the car and fell backward. Her legs rubbed against the rough ground, making her pale in pain.

The car stopped. Before Owen could react, the door of the back seat opened. Josh got out of the car and slowly walked towards Natalie.

Lying on the ground, Natalie was too painful to stand up. Suddenly, she saw a man stop in front of her and extend his hand.

Josh had a poised and serious demeanor with his beautiful wrist adorned by a dark rosary bracelet.

"Miss, do you need help?" he asked.

Natalie raised her head and looked him in the eye. His gaze, deep and commanding, made her too stunned to respond.

The sun overhead was a little dazzling and Josh stood in front of her like a god. He appeared noble and indifferent, like a medieval emperor, taking her breath away.

Josh smiled secretly as if he knew what she was thinking about. He asked again, "Do you need help, Miss?"

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