My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey)

Audrey finally shoved her suitcase into the guest bedroom. She tucked it into the corner and was about to hunt down some pajamas for a shower when the phone rang. It was Emily Norris, her assistant.

"Hey, Ms. Rhodes! Happy wedding! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Emily's smooth voice came through the receiver, completely sincere since she didn't know about the chaos surrounding Audrey's wedding day. "Nope." Audrey let her gaze drop, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "What's up?" Emily never called at this hour unless it was important.

"Well, here's the thing, Ms. Rhodes. I thought you were tied up with wedding stuff, and I wasn't sure if this got you okay. Did you really agree to give Eliza the Vice Manager position?"

Audrey was taken aback, her mind going blank for a moment. "I had no idea about that."

Emily sounded firm, almost agitated. "Then it must have been Mr. Rhodes' idea. He personally called HR to appoint Eliza as Vice Manager, and he wants to take the resources for the Brightview Group project that you've been working on."

Emily felt a wave of sympathy for Audrey. Eliza didn't have a clue what she was doing and suddenly got such a big role. It was pretty obvious she was trying to push Audrey aside.

Audrey couldn't even describe how disappointed or hurt she felt. Truth was, she had kinda seen this coming. Albert Rhodes, her adoptive father, had always despised her. It was clear he was doing everything he could to pave the way for Eliza with the Brightview Group project.

But Audrey had poured her heart and soul into that project-countless dinners, so much trial and error, and it was finally about to be signed. She wasn't about to be used as a pawn.

Once she gathered her thoughts, Audrey replied calmly, "I'll head into the office tomorrow. If anyone reaches out to you for project info, go ahead and give it to them first."noveldrama

She didn't want to make things tough for Emily. The information could go out, but Audrey wasn't letting go of that project without a fight.

*****

Alistair pulled up to the swankiest part of Riverdale, the kind of neighborhood that practically screams exclusivity.

While both sides of the river boasted wealth, this area was on another level entirely. The Rhodes family across the water couldn't hold a candle to this elite gathering of the super-rich.

After Alistair parked his car in front of a stunning cream-colored manor that screamed elegance, a young guy in a black jacket emerged. He had striking features, his light blonde hair styled in a carefree, slightly rebellious way.

The moment Logan Barrett spotted Alistair, a smirk spread across his face. "Hey, look who's back! Mr. Hayes, back from his wedding and playing it poor? What's next? Are you going to tell me you got kicked out?"

Logan had a pretty good read on the snobs from Dominic's family. Seeing Alistair roll up in a car worth around dozens grand, they probably thought Alistair was a nobody now, just waiting to be mocked.

But Alistair didn't seem to care much about Logan's teasing. He wore a relaxed smile, eyebrows raised, and replied, "Let's grab a drink."

Logan paused, surprised. 'Is Alistair really drowning his sorrows? Had he actually been booted out?'

Before Logan could dig deeper into the drama, Alistair strolled into the manor, effortlessly grabbed a bottle of wine from the cabinet, and pulled out two highball glasses.

"You've got that look like you've got something to celebrate. You're not getting too angry, are you?" Logan shot back with a mischievous grin.

He continued, "But seriously, what's the deal with Dominic and his family? They're barely a footnote compared to yours.

"You traveled all this way for their son's wedding, and they don't even bother to acknowledge you? That's just cold. Honestly, if they keep this up, their family might as well be headed for bankruptcy."

Alistair stood there, looking completely expressionless, and said with a hint of gloom, "I'm not here to attend the wedding. I'm here to crash it. I was gonna take the bride away."

Even if he was bold enough to snatch the bride away, Dominic and his family wouldn't dare to challenge him.

Logan blinked in disbelief, rubbing his ears as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "What? No way. Am I really hearing this? Did you just say you're here to crash the wedding?"

Before Alistair could answer, Logan continued, stumbling over his words. "Hold on-do you even know who the bride is? You traveled all this way just to swipe your distant nephew's fiancée? Anyone who believes that must be nuts!" Alistair replied coolly, "Dominic ditched the wedding-now she's my wife."

"Wife?" Logan's jaw nearly hit the floor. 'No way. Did he really manage to pull off a marriage heist?' Logan thought in disbelief. Everyone in Riverdale knew Audrey was head over heels for Dominic.

"Well, we just got a certificate. We're officially married now," Alistair said, nonchalantly pushing the highball glass across the table. His tone was laid-back, but he had that proud vibe going on. "Don't forget to call her Mrs. Hayes next time you see her." Logan was speechless.