Chapter 3

Alana’s POV. I glanced over at my parents, who subtly nodded in encouragement, and took a deep breath. It was time to face the music, to dive headfirst into the whirlwind of scrutiny from the media. I couldn't help but think of them as a pack of piranhas, ready to tear into any morsel of information they could get. "Alana, are you not a Preston? Is your real father Jordan? What's the story behind all of that?" One of the women began to fire questions at me. I vaguely recognized her as a famous influencer, one of those social media accounts that incessantly dished out celebrity news. "Wasn't this wedding supposed to be between you and Daniel? What happened? Does this have to do with Daniel being spotted with Suzanne?" The reporter from Devine Margot chimed in, her excitement was palpable. I silently celebrated as the questions veered precisely where I had hoped. Inadvertently, I squeezed Alec's hand, but he didn't seem to mind, chuckling softly and pulling me closer to him. "Is this your attempt to get payback?" A man threw a scandalous inquiry our way, his expression laden with intrigue. It took some effort not to roll my eyes at him. "First of all, Richard Jordan is indeed my father and Nina Jordan is my mother. They are my birth parents and the only parents I've known," I began to explain, my gaze briefly flicking to my parents. All my life, I had yearned for this moment, the day when I could openly acknowledge them as my family. "You see, they've done an incredible job keeping me out of the public eye. For my safety, I had to adopt the identity of Alana Preston. Now, the time has come, I can be myself, I can be Alana Jordan." Growing up with such famous parents had never been easy. That's why they had chosen to guard my privacy so zealously, even to the extent of having me pretend they weren't my parents. I had only been photographed with them four times in my entire life, and my father's PR team had ensured those pictures never saw the light of day. It had kept me safe, but it had also left me feeling excluded from my own family. "So, all these years, you fooled everyone? Is that why Daniel broke up with you?" A blonde queried. "Daniel didn't break up with me," I clarified firmly. "We ended our relationship because, as the wedding date approached, it became clear that he was falling out of love. I realized he wasn't the one for me. I wanted someone who would wholeheartedly commit to me, and that's when I met—" I began, glancing at Alec. Alec smoothly took the lead, wearing a faux-loving gaze as he focused on me. "Then we came across each other. We attended high school together and stuck by each other throughout university. I'd always loved Alana, but the timing wasn't right." "Two weeks ago, during a break Daniel and I decided to take, we met again," I continued our fabricated story, my words flowing effortlessly as if they were the gospel truth. "With everything happening so quickly, Alec proposed, and it just felt right." "So, the wedding of the century, meant to star Daniel Ray, instead featured Alana Jordan, the only daughter and heir to the Jordan empire," Miss Devine Margot observed. "That's about it," I replied with a wry smile. "But we did notice that Daniel's name was still on some things," another man chimed in. Daniel's name had been plastered all over the original decorations and despite our efforts to replace them with new, improvised pieces, remnants of his presence still lingered. "We're not quite sure how that happened," I replied smoothly. "We made changes to our orders, but somehow, Daniel's name still crept in. But it's not a big deal; those things are just decorative. We'll crumple them up and toss them out," I said, weaving my web of lies. "What a touching story," the woman from Devine Margot sighed, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm. "We'd love to feature you in a story." "I'd absolutely love that!" I responded eagerly, grateful that my plan was falling into place. "I'll set up a meeting, then," she suggested. "Just keep in mind that our honeymoon is a week-long," Alec interjected with a cheeky grin, attracting the attention of the women around us. I couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance – hadn't they noticed the recently added ring on his finger? "Of course, Mr. Fisher," the lady replied before furrowing her brow. "You must be thrilled to be reunited with your high school sweetheart. Would you like to join the interview, too?" Before I could object, Alec jumped in, "That sounds wonderful. Thank you for the invitation." We continued to field questions, and I noticed a distinct shift in the way people treated me once they learned of my true identity as a Jordan. Their previous hostility morphed into a facade of politeness that made my skin crawl. "What on earth were you thinking, inviting yourself to that interview?" I scolded Alec in a hushed tone, shooting him a stern glare. "If we have to counter Daniel Ray's statement, having Devine Margot on our side is our best bet," Alec replied confidently, brushing my curls away from my face as he challenged me. "Unless, of course, you want to gamble and see if Daniel will accept the lie you just spun. Luckily, I happened to be in town for the period you mentioned." "You act as if someone's going to recognize you. You're just a nobody," I retorted, though I couldn't deny the logic behind his words. "And I assume you married me just to become somebody." "Regardless of how we got here, you're stuck with me now, and we'll put on a convincing show to persuade the public that I'm your husband and not some substitute," Alec whispered in my ear, his voice laced with determination. I huffed in frustration. "I hate you, Alec." "I love you, wifey. Now let's go enjoy our wedding," he teased, taking my hand and leading the way. We all gathered in the beautifully decorated dinner hall, bathed in the soft glow of sparkling lights hanging above us as we made our way to the buffet tables. My mother had taken charge of the catering, given that I had been too preoccupied with other matters, and she had done an outstanding job. I wished the dinner could stretch on forever, partly because I dreaded what lay ahead: the much-anticipated father-daughter dance. My father had never once danced with me in private. Any display of affection between us was a calculated public stunt to create the illusion of a close-knit father-daughter relationship. In reality, our bond was far from that, but no one would ever suspect it. And now, I found myself standing in the middle of the ballroom, facing my father, with the looming dance impending. "Remember, Alana, you need to hold this marriage together for a full year and demonstrate that your industry will flourish. Only then can I consider handing the Jordan Empire over to you," my father reminded me, his words a stark contrast to the celebratory atmosphere. "I know, Dad," I replied, trying to hide my irritation. "I need someone worthy of this legacy. Prove to me that you're worthy, Alana," he continued, his impatience and frustration apparent. "I will," I replied more firmly this time, my gaze shifting to my mother for some support. "Good. As a wedding present, I've arranged for you and Alec to have a house. Alec was recently informed, and I've just told you, but don't worry, I've had your belongings moved for you, so you won't have much to do," my father added, and I couldn't help but frown at the unexpected gift. "Uh, okay?" I said hesitantly. "No 'thank you'?" he huffed. "Thank you, Dad. I appreciate everything you've done for me," I replied sincerely, even though a little more genuine love and support from him would have been welcome. After the first dance, a sumptuous dinner, and cutting the wedding cake, it was time to call it a night. The entire experience had been surreal, to say the least. My first wedding felt like it might not be my last, given that Alec was undoubtedly not the one. I had one year to endure with him, just one, and then I'd have everything I'd worked for all my life. "Ready to head home, wifey?" Alec extended his hand to me. I stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, then glanced at our guests, my parents, and everyone who believed he was my husband. I decided to keep up the charade, especially since my phone showed numerous missed calls from Daniel. I couldn't wait to hear his reaction when he found out.