Chapter 4: Emergency wedding, Missing bride.

Everything went according to plan afterward. Liam successfully convinced the judge to believe in his direction. After two weeks of being detained in the police station's temporary cell, Ethan was finally released when Mila changed her testimony and withdrew the lawsuit as per the mutual agreement between her and Liam. That's great for Ethan, but it's something his enemies hate and despise. Although pronounced innocent, everything wasn't entirely back to normal for both Ethan and Mila. Both of them were fined a significant amount for disturbing the peace with the law. Additionally, Ethan had to be under the supervision of Toronto city authorities for six months, meaning he couldn't return to the US or travel anywhere else during that period. Though somewhat disgruntled, Ethan accepted it, knowing that being free was already a positive outcome.

Today, three days after Ethan's release, the fake marriage agreement between Ethan and Mila is supposed to take place. The ceremony is simple, discreet, and purely symbolic, held at a local church. The reason is that everything related to Ethan is kept secret, and the wedding is no exception. That's why none of Ethan's family members are present to congratulate him.

Currently, Ethan Thomas is standing inside the church, facing the altar, with rows of seats behind him where some guests are seated. His eyes are vacant, and his soul is filled with anxiety. Before this contractual marriage, he didn't feel the joy or excitement that a regular person would have before getting married. Instead, he feels tremendous disappointment, overflowing anger, and intense hatred for it all. Immersed in the presence of the crowd, he senses loneliness and desolation within his soul.

The good hour has come, but the bride has not yet appeared. The guests began to lose patience and murmured loudly. This makes Ethan even more uncomfortable and pressured, with the respected judge and police officers present among the seated crowd. Here they are, looking for every opportunity to expose the lies that helped Ethan get off the rape charge. Any small mistake can get Ethan in trouble, and he desperately doesn't want to go back to prison. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Liam quickly offered words of encouragement and asked Ethan to stay calm.

"Don't worry, Ethan. Perhaps the bride is just running a bit late. Let's be patient and wait," Liam reassured. "I will go check and help you."

Ethan nodded, trying to regain his composure, but his mind was still restless.

"What happened to Mila?" Liam sternly asked as he entered the bride's dressing room.

"Mila disappeared. I can't get in touch with her. I'm so worried!" Mila's mother sobbed. Liam could sense the panic in her voice as she lamented her daughter's mysterious disappearance. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed her, making the room feel tight and tense.

"What exactly happened?" Liam anxiously inquired.

Mila's mother explained that Mila was still getting ready in the room before she suddenly vanished. All attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.

"When I arrived here, I found the makeup artist lying unconscious on the floor," Mila's mother added tearfully.

"What happened? Can you tell me more?" Liam gently asked the makeup artist, who was still in shock, sitting helplessly on a chair.

"I'm not sure either, but while I was doing the bride's makeup, a group of strangers barged in," the girl stammered.

"What happened next?" Liam asked impatiently.

"The group of people took the bride away," the bewildered girl replied. "I tried to stop them, but one of them attacked me, making me unconscious."

"Oh, poor Mila, my daughter," the woman sobbed loudly, her husband trying to console her. "Don't worry, we will find Mila."

Ignoring the commotion caused by Mila's parents, Liam started to contemplate the situation. According to his deduction, it was highly possible that Mila had been taken by Ethan's enemies as revenge for her betrayal. Looking at the chaotic scene, it seemed like there had been a scuffle. However, this assumption wasn't entirely accurate. There were still many unknowns, making Liam hesitant to draw a definite conclusion. Moreover, the crucial point now wasn't to clarify everything but to proceed with the wedding. How could they continue the ceremony without the bride? If they delayed, how would Ethan explain it to the judge? Without the wedding, Liam's plan to save Ethan would be compromised. It was extremely challenging to rescue Ethan from prison, and we couldn't afford to let everything fall apart.

"Mila has disappeared, so what do we do now?" Liam asked sternly, drawing the attention of the weeping couple. "This wedding cannot be canceled."

"But how can we proceed?" Mila's mother asked tearfully. "We don't even know if Mila is safe or not."

"I don't care," Liam said coldly. "You have received the money and signed the contract. So, stick to your commitments, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

The couple looked at each other, showing a pitiful expression, begging Liam to reconsider, but he refused to agree.

Just then, a young girl rushed in and anxiously spoke, "Mom, Dad, I've searched all over the church, inside and outside, but I can't find Mila anywhere."

The appearance of the young girl caught everyone's attention in the room. Liam fixed his gaze on her, and Mila's father suddenly came up with a bold proposal.

"How about this? Let Ula stand in for Mila at the wedding. What do you think?"

"That's right," Mila's mother immediately responded, agreeing to the idea.

"Who is she?" Liam looked at the simple-dressed girl with suspicion.

"She's our eldest daughter. Ula," Mila's father introduced. "I think Ula can replace Mila."

"We can't deceive Ethan," Liam asserted. "He despises deceit the most."

"No one will ever find out about this," Mila's father reassured confidently. "As long as none of us reveals the truth, Ethan will never know."

"That's right," Mila's mother chimed in. "Besides, from what I know, Ethan hasn't seen Mila's face yet; they only met once at the bar but didn't talk to each other, so it should be fine."

"Let's do it this way until we find Mila," Mila's father suggested, anxiously waiting for Liam's response.

Seeing Liam silent and deep in thought, fearing that things might not go as planned, Mila's mother resorted to using emotional manipulation to sway Liam's decision.

"Now that we can't find Mila, we don't know what to do. We can refund your money, but doesn't that mean Ethan will end up in jail? Please, I beg you, please agree to this unavoidable plan," she pleaded, kneeling down and hugging Liam's legs.

"It seems there's no other way," Liam finally said after careful consideration. "Just go ahead with it." Liam wanted to outsmart the police and the judge for now, ensuring Ethan's safety first. The rest could be dealt with later.

"Thank you," Mila's mother said sincerely. Then she turned to the young girl, who had been listening to the conversation but still didn't understand anything.

"Ula, please quickly put on the wedding dress and get ready. The wedding is already a few minutes late."

"Please help my daughter," she said to the makeup artist. "Keep it simple; there's no need to be too fussy."

The makeup artist nodded and approached Ula, making a suggestion:

"Ula, let me help you. Please sit down here." The makeup artist pointed to the chair opposite the dressing table and waited for Ula to come over. However, instead of obeying, Ula made a different decision.