Signed, Sealed, Scandalous

Chapter 14

The three Kingsley brothers wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Someone must have taken a wrong turn, leading them down a secluded yet picturesque path. After what felt like an eternity, the view suddenly opened up before them.

The estate they had been searching for appeared right in front of their eyes.

Even at night, Rosewood Manor possessed a unique beauty. Through the wrought-iron gates, remnants of wedding decorations still hung, untouched.

Just as Ethan Kingsley's car inched forward to get a closer look, several burly security guards approached.

"Sir, this is private property. Unauthorized entry is prohibited."

Ethan had never cared for rules. If he wanted to go somewhere, no one could stop him. He was about to slam the accelerator when Liam stepped out of the car and stopped him.

"May I ask who owns this estate? We'd like to speak with them. We're here to find someone."

The guards frowned, their expressions clearly questioning how anyone could arrive here without knowing the owner's identity. Still, they answered professionally, "The owner's surname is Pierce. This estate does not welcome outsiders, nor is it the place you're looking for. Please leave."

With that, they gestured for them to go.

"Pierce?"

Liam's expression darkened. The name triggered a memory, his assistant mentioning a Mr. Pierce when Sophia Sterling had purchased her marital home.

The coincidence was too glaring to ignore.

All three brothers realized it at the same time.

Before, Liam had only felt a vague familiarity. But recently, he had been negotiating a crucial business deal, and the legendary Mr. Pierce was the key figure in that collaboration.

Unconsciously, he connected the dots.

His pulse spiked. This had to be the missing piece.

The estate was undeniably grand. Whoever held their wedding here wasn't some paid actor, this was real.

Even with their status, they had never known such a place existed in the heart of the city, let alone Sophia.

She hadn't been lying.

All those times she had spoken of her marriage, they had dismissed it as a joke. But if it were true…

Had she really gotten married today?

Had she truly been someone else's wife for the past two weeks?

The realization struck them like a physical blow. Their faces twisted in disbelief.

Since childhood, they had never imagined Sophia marrying anyone else, let alone a man they had never even met.

Why?

The question burned in their minds.

What had they done wrong to drive her into another man's arms?

Silence stretched between them. None could find an answer.

The wedding was long over.

Tonight was Sophia and Mr. Pierce's wedding night. What was happening inside?

The thought was unbearable.

Without hesitation, Ethan spun the car around, his handsome face rigid, betraying no emotion. But the reckless speed at which he drove spoke volumes.

Liam and Noah followed closely behind.

They all had the same destination, Rosewood Manor.

Running red lights, they finally arrived.

The moon hung high as the three brothers stood outside the illuminated villa, yet none dared to ring the bell.

The curtains of the master bedroom were drawn, but light seeped through.

The glow remained all night, and the rustling of birds in the trees was drowned out by faint, intimate sounds from within.

What was happening inside needed no explanation.

They should have stormed in and stopped her.

But they had no right. No justification.

At the end of the day, they were merely her brothers in name, not even on the same family register. At most, they were neighbors who had watched her grow up.

The man inside that villa was her husband.

The marriage certificate they had torn apart had become the cruelest joke.

Liam let out a bitter laugh. "Sophia gave us the answer long ago. We were the ones too stubborn to believe it. We deceived ourselves."

Ethan remained motionless, staring at the master bedroom as if turned to stone.

Noah's jealousy and fury boiled over.

Never one for restraint, he marched forward and slammed his fist against the doorbell. He turned back, eyes bloodshot, and snarled at his brothers,

"Ethan! Liam! I'm not like you two, cowards!

"Sophia has always been ours! No one gets to take her away!"

He rang the bell, pounded on the door, even kicked it, but no one answered.

His efforts were pitiful.

Yet they stood outside the villa all night, and the door never opened.