Chapter 7: Don't Touch My Wife

In the grand ballroom, all the guests were seated except Valentine Anderson, whose eyes were fixed on Mr. Singers and Andrea. Andrea looked stunning in her elegant attire, with perfectly styled hair exuding glamour.

Although not as radiant as she once was before gaining weight, her beauty still shone through.

"Please sit down, Valentine. Everyone is staring at you," Rose Ferguson whispered to him in embarrassment, pulling his arm gently.

Feeling the weight of the collective gaze upon him, Valentine reluctantly took his seat. His discomfort and restlessness grew as he watched Andrea and Mr. Singers together.

As Andrea held onto Mr. Singer's arm, the pair made their way towards the stage. Despite catching Valentine's sudden movement to stand up, she did not spare him a glance.

The guests were taken aback to see Andrea with Mr. Singers; knowing she was Valentine's ex-wife, a hush fell over the bouquet hall as they refrained from speaking out due to Mr. Singers' prominent status.

Guiding Andrea to a seat on the podium, Mr. Singers stepped forward, seizing the microphone. "I am grateful for your presence here tonight. Allow me to introduce someone of immense significance to me—my world, my life, the reason I journeyed to Vegas—my daughter, my wife, my sole family, Andrea Singers."

As Mr. Singers concluded his introduction, a resounding round of applause filled the bouquet hall.

Valentine Anderson sat grim-faced as the crowd erupted in applause. Ignoring the celebratory atmosphere, he reached for a glass of liquor and downed it in one go. Pouring another drink, he raised it to his lips, only to have it snatched away by Rose Ferguson.

"Valentine, what are you thinking? Drowning your sorrows because your ex-wife is with a man old enough to be her father? Do you still love her?" Rose scolded, her voice filled with concern.

Valentine paused, unsure of his own feelings for Andrea. The sight of her with another man ignited a fierce jealousy within him, making it impossible to stay and watch any longer. Without a word, he rose from his seat and made his way towards the exit.

"Valentine Anderson!" Rose called after him, her voice tinged with frustration and disappointment.

When Valentine Anderson continued to walk out of the bouquet hall without stopping, she pursued him in her high heels. The ensuing commotion between them interrupted Andrea's speech and diverted the guests' attention.

Outside the hall, Valentine Anderson paced anxiously, his brows deeply furrowed. Rose grabbed his arm, turning him to face her before delivering a resounding slap to his cheek. "Valentine Anderson, why did you leave the hall just because you saw your unattractive ex-wife with someone much older? What do you think of me, Valentine Anderson?" Rose Ferguson demanded, her jaw clenched and face flushed with anger.

Valentine Anderson fell silent, grappling with his emotions. "Rose, I can't continue like this; my heart still belongs to Andrea," he confessed, leaving Rose stunned. With that, he turned away, got into his car, and drove away from the Singers' mansion.

After circling the city for some time, Valentine Anderson eventually parked his car in a secluded corner. He closed his eyes, furrowing his brow as lines etched across his forehead.

"Was Andrea telling the truth about being pregnant with my child?" he whispered to himself, his inner turmoil evident. "I still love her; I can't lose her."

With a newfound resolve, Valentine started the engine and headed back to the Singers' mansion. Upon his return to the bouquet hall, the announcements had already been made, and guests mingled in small groups, engaged in light conversations.

Scanning the room, Valentine's eyes settled on Andrea, who sat alone in a corner. As Mr. Singers excused himself to attend to other guests, Valentine seized the moment. He strode purposefully towards Andrea, gripping her arm firmly and leading her towards his waiting car.

Andrea, snapping out of her shock, yelled at Valentine Anderson in a fit of anger, "Let go of me!" She fought and managed to free her arm from his grasp. Valentine ran his fingers through his hair, visibly frustrated, as he stared at Andrea.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. I don't know what came over me. I still love you. Please come back home with me. I haven't filed for divorce; we're still husband and wife," pleaded Valentine, trying to reach for Andrea's arms.

But Andrea stepped back, evading his outstretched arms. She gazed at him with disbelief, realizing that Valentine was only acting this way because he saw that she had moved on happily.

"Do you think you can just discard me like a piece of property and pick me up whenever you please?" Andrea asked, her voice laced with anger.

"I'm sorry. Please, let's go home together," Valentine responded anxiously.

Andrea's heart ached as memories of Valentine Anderson's disdainful treatment flooded back, breaking her heart without a second thought. As she turned to walk away, Valentine grabbed her arm, insisting, "You belong to me, Andrea. You're my wife, and I won't let you go. You're coming home with me."

Mr. Singers intervened, his voice stern as he commanded, "Release her this instant, Valentine."

Valentine's grip tightened as he glared at Mr Singers, claiming, "She carries my child. She'll never love you. She loves me. She's my wife, and she's coming back with me."

When Rose Ferguson witnessed the scene, a mix of embarrassment and rage surged through her. She rushed forward, her voice filled with hysteria, "Andrea, you shameless seductress! How dare you try to steal my fiance, after seducing a man old enough to be your father!"

Valentine Anderson swiftly stepped in, preventing Rose from reaching Andrea, and issued a stern warning, "Do not lay a hand on my wife."

Rose stood in shock at Valentine Anderson's words. In a moment of anger, she swiftly smacked him across the face and shouted, "You ungrateful scum! I was the one who helped shape who you are today, Valentine. Remember, I have the power to both elevate and destroy you. I can retract my support for the waterfall project and halt all the investments my father planned for your company."

With that, Rose turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Valentine torn between Andrea Singers who he is in love with and Rose Ferguson who could profoundly impact the future of his company.

Realizing his earlier actions were driven by impulse, Valentine watched Rose's retreating figure and felt a pang of hesitation before finally deciding to chase after her.

Tears welled up in Andrea's eyes as she watched the scene unfold.