Curious whispers mixed with thinly veiled disdain.
"Will he take her last name?"
"Well, he's fortunate. Miss Starla is the only surviving member of the Morrison Family, and that house has been declining for years."
"I agree. If her father, Shawn Morrison, were still alive, he would never have allowed this marriage."
"Wasn't she once engaged to Gabriel Hawk?"
"Yes. Shawn Morrison sought an alliance with the Hawk Family through that engagement… but it was eventually called off."
The ceremony and the proposal quickly became the hottest headlines of the day.
News of it spread everywhere—across networks, news feeds, and private circles of gossip. People reacted with celebration, curiosity, and quiet criticism.
But among all those reactions, there was one person who felt nothing but devastation.
Jade.
The moment he saw the news online, he froze. For a few seconds he simply stared at the screen of the burner phone in his hand—until the reality finally sank in.
