“I just need to speak with her as soon as possible,” the man said with a clipped tone. “Please let your boss know.”
“I will. Anything else?”
“My air conditioning isn't working. Room 332.”
“I will have maintenance look at it right away,” Ella promised. “And I'll get Delores your card.”
The man nodded and continued down the hallway with large, assured steps.
Delores's office was on her way to the reception hall. Ella considered taking the long way around to avoid running into her stepmother, but it would take extra time and she should give the IRS man's card to her. Delores was the last person Ella wanted to see today. Today was stressful enough without Delores looming over her, but Ella was in a hurry, so she was going to risk running past the office. If she was there, she could give the card. Or just wait until later.
The door was cracked open. Delores needed to get that fixed. The damn thing was always opening up when it was supposed to be closed. Ella glanced inside, hoping to see Delores hard at work. Instead she saw something entirely else.
Jace. With Allison's lips planted firmly on his cheek.
Ella gasped, ducking quickly around the corner. Her cheeks heated and her clothes suddenly felt too tight. She must not have seen what was going on properly. No, not Jace. Not on his wedding day. He wouldn't cheat on Madelyn with Allison. Not today. Not him.
The level of hurt coursing through her veins surprised her. It wasn't just that he wasn't Ella's. It was that he apparently wasn't Madelyn's either. He wasn't who she thought he was at all. He was a man who would cheat on his wedding day.
The office door squeaked as it opened completely. Jace strode out, re-tucking his shirt into his pants and smiling. A huge red lipstick kiss stood out like a brand on his cheek. Ella stared after him as he walked away, nearly missing that Allison followed him out. Her clothes were in an even greater disarray than Jace's.
Ella's heart sunk through the floor. There was no way that it wasn't exactly what it looked like. Jace had cheated on Madelyn with Allison.
A small chuckle caught her attention. Ella looked up to see Delores' smirking at her, green eyes gleaming. The smug smile that spread across the older woman's face made Ella's skin crawl. Ella looked away, her stomach feeling like it might come up at any moment and luckily when she looked back up, the older woman was gone. Most likely off fol
lowing her daughter and making sure Allison had pleased the groom.
Ella's nostril's flared. Of course Delores had something to do with this. It was Delores that had seduced and ensnared Jace, not Allison. Allison was just the puppet that Delores used to get her way. The old crone was looking for a way to snag a billionaire, and was willing to do so at any cost.
Ella checked her watch. She didn't have time to check the chairs or the florists now. She was due up at the bridal suite to check on the bride.
The bride.
A cold sweat broke out over Ella's forehead. What the hell was she going to tell Madelyn? Ella's steps were slow as she made her way, feeling more like she was heading to a funeral than to greet a bride.
She had just seen the groom cheating. How was she supposed to tell Madelyn? Should she even say anything? Telling her would ruin the entire day and it wouldn't be that difficult to just stay quiet and let Madelyn have her fairy tale wedding. She would find out the truth about her husband soon enough. Maybe it was just a one-time, last-minute, cold-feet kind of thing...
“No,” Ella whispered as she came to the bridal door. “I have to tell her. I'd want to know if it was me. A marriage shouldn't start this way.”
Ella paused in front of the big white doors. Inside was a perfectly happy bride. A woman about to marry the man she loved. A man who didn't deserve her. And Ella was going to have to be the one to tell her.
“Is something wrong?”
Ella spun at the deep voice. Staring at her with kind, brown eyes was a tall man in a tuxedo matching Jace's. He wasn't as striking as Jace, but he was still very attractive.
“I, uh....” Ella stumbled over her words. She couldn't just blurt out the bad news to everyone she met. She quickly plastered the hotel industry smile on her face. “It's nothing. Can I help you?”
“I hope so.” The man smiled nervously and held out a small box with a pink bow. “My fiancee is in there. I have something I'd like to give her, but it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. Any luck you could give it to her?”
“Your fiancee?” Ella stumbled over the word. Perhaps he was engaged to one of the bridesmaids...
He nodded. “Yes, Madelyn. I've been waiting for someone to come out, but I think they're all busy in there getting ready.”
“Madelyn is your fiancee.” Ella knew she sounded like an idiot, but she couldn't help it. “You must be Jason, then. They don't call you Jace, do they?”
The man laughed and Ella could see why Madelyn found him so appealing. The guy had a great laugh. “No, Jace is Madelyn's brother. If anything, they call me Jay.”
Ella had to stifle her own maniacal happy laugh. The groom wasn't cheating on anyone. There was no bad news to deliver to Madelyn. Ella didn't have to ruin the wedding. Everything was fine.