Signed, Sealed, Scandalous

Chapter 13

The three brothers hastily grabbed the phone, their eyes instantly stung by the wedding photo displayed on the screen.

It was a picture from Sophia Sterling's wedding, completely unedited, undeniably real.

A man, just as strikingly handsome as any of them, held her tightly in his arms. The delicate white veil draped over both of them, partially obscuring the view, but one thing was unmistakable: he was kissing her.

The joy in Sophia's eyes was genuine, they knew her well enough to recognize that.

Yet, at some point, she had stopped smiling like that around them.

Ethan Kingsley's grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles whitening under the pressure, as if he could crush the device in his palm. His entire aura turned dangerously oppressive.

"Mom, Dad… you're lying to us, aren't you?" His voice was a low, strained growl. "Where did you find this actor? Sophia… she really went all out, huh?"

Liam Kingsley's face twisted in disbelief, his voice trembling.

"No way. Sophia loved us the most. She would never marry someone else! This has to be fake!"

Even Noah Kingsley, usually composed and aloof, looked shattered and lost.

"I refuse to believe she actually got married. I'm going to find her!"

Before anyone could stop him, he stormed out of the house. Ethan and Liam followed shortly after.

Night fell, the city lights flickering to life.

Their memories were sharp, after just one glance, they had memorized the distinct background of the photo. The three brothers split up, scouring every corner of the city for the estate matching the one in the picture.

"No… Not this one. Not here either!"

They searched for hours, their paths crossing multiple times as the streets emptied. But the estate remained elusive.

Eventually, they regrouped, exhaustion etched into their faces.

Ethan called their mother. "Mom, do you know where Sophia held her wedding?"

The response was icy. "No."

The call ended, leaving them with nothing.

One thing was clear, Sophia was serious this time.

Even now, the house staff hadn't come to inform them of her return.