He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 151

Juniper Lane had no idea her parents had arrived in the city.

She had spent the last few days buried in her work at the studio, and ever since the online scandal died down, several friends had reached out with their congratulations.

Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.

That was until Zara Zimmer called, asking if she planned to attend the wedding.

Juniper's line of work naturally required her to network, and while the Sterling family's elite circle felt entirely out of her league right now, there was always a chance they could become future clients.

She agreed without a second thought.

Zara registered her under the title of a bride's friend and even sent her a formal, physical invitation.

Given Julian Sterling's endless stream of tabloid scandals, the Sterlings had opted out of a lavish public spectacle, simply renting out a hotel for a streamlined, private ceremony.

Julian wore a pristine white suit that day, and despite his notoriously rotten reputation, the tailored fit undeniably gave him an air of aristocratic elegance.

Juniper slipped into the venue about an hour after the ceremony began, blending quietly into the crowd.

Up on the stage, Julian slid the ring onto Zara's finger with a numb, mechanical indifference that made it painfully obvious his heart wasn't in it.

Zara picked up the men's band, but just as she was about to place it on his hand, a girl's piercing scream echoed from the back of the room.

The young woman was crying hysterically, glaring up at Julian. "Are you really going to marry this kind of woman? What happened to all the promises you made me, Julian? Did they mean nothing?!"

As if on cue, a massive banner unfurled from the ceiling, bearing bold letters: *This marriage will last six months, max.*

Dropping such an eye-catching, blatant banner on a wedding day was nothing short of a public humiliation for the bride.

Everyone in attendance knew the bride lacked any aristocratic background; she had been handpicked by the Sterling family purely for her outstanding professional competence.

It was also an open secret that the family favored their eldest son, Sebastian Sterling, treating their youngest son, Julian, like a lost cause.

The Sterling matriarch was ruthlessly biased toward Sebastian, constantly on guard in case Julian ever wised up and tried to fight for his share of the inheritance, which was exactly why she had arranged for him to marry a woman with zero power or influence—to permanently sever his path to succession.

The elite circle understood the game, and so did Julian.

He knew his very existence made his mother paranoid.

He had accepted this arranged marriage, but he had zero intention of offering Zara any dignity in the process.

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