Chapter 24

Silence fell across the entire venue. Clifford stood in a spot where light and shadow intersected. There were still coffee stains in the creases of his suit from his plane ride earlier, and his usually meticulously styled hair now messily hung over his forehead. Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Are you here to steal my bride away, Mr. Sinclair?" Clifford ignored him. Instead, he made a beeline for Lilibeth and knelt down in front of her. "I know I deserve death," he said in a voice as coarse as sandpaper. "But please spare me a glance…" The guests were in an uproar at the sight of the head of the Sinclair family—the cold, dignified priest—kneeling. Lilibeth took half a step backward. "Stop this, Clifford." "I wrote 300 love letters for you, detailing events from when we first met to when we got married, and…" He trailed off and swallowed. "Up until the day I fell in love with you but didn't have the guts to admit it." He opened the box with trembling fingers, whereupon snow-white lett