"Excuse me, I'll be away for a moment. Peter, please think it over. I am truly sincere."
Schmeichel nodded in agreement, and Ethan followed the security guard out of the hall.
By this time, the night was pitch black, and a mysterious atmosphere permeated the entire castle. Although it was brightly lit, the thick fog made the castle appear even more hazy and enigmatic.
Outside the main gate, reporters were still gathered. Most of them stayed in their cars, staring from a distance at the gate and the castle within the ancient walls. Many had brought specialized ultra-telephoto cameras and camcorders, snapping away at the castle.
From a distance, Ethan saw a young woman in a purple low-cut dress standing in the gate's guardhouse. She held an expensive designer handbag and stood there with reserved yet pretty poise.
When the woman heard footsteps, she turned around gracefully. Upon seeing Ethan, she initially looked embarrassed, but she quickly broke into a smile, walked over, and suddenly threw herself into Ethan's arms.
"Honey, I'm sorry, I'm late!"
Ethan stood there, at a loss. His arms were held out straight, unsure whether he should hug her back.
The security guards in the guardhouse saw the scene and tacitly turned their heads away, even closing the door to the guardhouse.
"Hey, Miss Scarlett Elan, what on earth are you playing at?" Ethan said, somewhat annoyed.
Scarlett took Ethan's arm. "What are you so angry about? Didn't I just let you hug me? I'm the one losing out here!"
"What exactly do you want?"
Despite Scarlett Elan's usual tendency to bicker with Ethan, she had clearly dressed up tonight. Wearing a beautiful dress, she looked even more charming and was undeniably a stunning beauty.
"To attend this wedding of the century, of course. Why else do you think I'm here?"
"But the reporting rights for this wedding have already been sold to a magazine!"
"I know!" Before Ethan could finish, Scarlett made a beautiful interception. "That's why I have to sneak in. My editor-in-chief gave me a direct order: get at least a few photos and some inside scoops, or I'm fired!"
As she spoke, Scarlett put on an innocent expression.
"But you didn't have to pretend to be my girlfriend. I could sue you for defamation, you know?" Ethan sighed.
"Actually, the guards misunderstood on their own. I only told them that I live with you!" Scarlett gave a sly smile.
Watching Ethan walk toward the castle with a look of helplessness, Scarlett, following close behind, wore a triumphant smile. This was the first time she had gained the upper hand in a confrontation with Ethan, and the feeling of turning the tables was quite good!
Since the interior and exterior of the castle were strictly arranged according to English tradition, a wedding coordinator, notified by the security office, was already waiting at the main entrance when the two arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Yu. Your girlfriend cannot go to the main hall. Tonight, that is a man's world. She must go with the female guests. I will take her to Victoria's side. Many of the bride's friends are there now, and they will surely take good care of your girlfriend."
Ethan glanced sideways and saw Scarlett's smile of a successful scheme.
"Well then, let me tell you, Miss Reporter, you'd better not cause trouble or bother my friends. And..."
"Don't cause trouble for me either. Otherwise, I definitely won't let you off this time!"
Scarlett, nodding her head slightly, replied, "Don't worry, honey, I'll take care of myself!"
...
The next morning, the golden sunlight dispersed the damp mist lingering around the castle, making the entire structure look exceptionally noble and grand.
A black Rolls-Royce slowly drove into the castle grounds and arrived at the entrance. A woman in a blue off-the-shoulder gown stepped out. This woman even caught the attention of the wedding's hostess, as Victoria personally came to the door to greet her.
"Eva, you're getting more and more beautiful. No wonder all the media and magazines call you the most beautiful woman in Britain!" Victoria greeted the newcomer affectionately.
"You too, Victoria. Oh, no, perhaps I should call you Mrs. Beckham!" Eva said with a smile.
Victoria smiled happily.
The two walked into the castle arm in arm like sisters.
"Victoria, you have such good taste to have chosen this place." Eva was full of praise for the castle.
"Well, Prince Edward and Princess Sophie's wedding was held here not long ago. I love the elegance and mystery of this place. You know, I fell in love with it almost the moment I saw it."
Eva looked around with a smile, taking in everything about the castle.
"By the way, where is your husband? Why don't I see him?"
"I heard he went to play golf. He must have been drinking late with his friends last night, but he got up early this morning to play!"
Eva was momentarily stunned, but she quickly realized the reason and laughed.
It had to be said that with Eva's rapid rise in Hollywood, she was increasingly developing the aura of a star. This did not mean she was putting on airs or acting superior, but rather that she exuded a noble and elegant temperament from head to toe.
With the release of The Matrix, Eva had become an overnight sensation, becoming one of Hollywood's hottest actresses. Her management agency then struck while the iron was hot, signing her for several advertisements, which made her even more popular.
The two rounded a corner and saw Scarlett approaching from a distance.
"Good morning, Victoria!" After their meeting the previous night, Scarlett and Victoria had spoken a few times and were now acquainted.
"Hello, Scarlett!" Victoria greeted her politely.
"Is this the lead actress of Hollywood's The Matrix, Miss Eva Snow? I really didn't expect to see you here!" Scarlett said with a look of surprise.
In reality, she had already seen Eva from her room, so she had intentionally come out to stage an encounter.
"Hello!" Eva nodded with a smile.
After a few polite pleasantries, the two parties passed each other.
"Is she a friend of yours too? She's very pretty!" Eva praised once Scarlett was out of earshot.
"Oh, no, she's the girlfriend of a good friend of David's. But you're right, she is very beautiful. Ethan is certainly lucky!" Victoria said with a smile.
She had met Ethan a few times, and because Beckham was on good terms with him, the two of them could exchange a few words. However, she had never heard before that Ethan had such a beautiful girlfriend.
"Ethan?" Eva trembled upon hearing the name and stopped in her tracks.
"Yes, a good friend of David's, doing business in America," Victoria explained.
Compared to being the owner of New Manchester United, Ethan's business ventures in America were clearly more prominent.
"Oh," Eva breathed a sigh of relief. She did not even know why, but she thought to herself that it must just be the same name. It could not be him. He was just a coach of a small club!
On the other side, after passing Victoria and Eva, Scarlett felt a surge of excitement. She was not foolish enough to take secret photos inside the castle. In fact, she had sneaked in to get more detailed inside information, which was itself more newsworthy than any photograph.
"I didn't expect to run into Eva here. It seems she's on very good terms with Victoria, coming all the way from America to celebrate her sister's wedding. That's another very newsworthy scoop!"
Scarlett felt gleeful as she walked.
Turning a corner, she saw Ethan and a group of friends entering from the castle corridor. The group included the groom Beckham, Bruce, Walsh, and others. They were walking toward her, chatting and laughing.
Obviously, the corridor was only so wide, and they had already seen her. Avoiding them now would only arouse suspicion.
Scarlett forced a smile and walked toward them.
"Hey, Ethan, your girlfriend!" Beckham teased, nudging Ethan's shoulder with a grin.
"Wow, she's really pretty!"
"Yeah, she's gorgeous. You're so lucky, Ethan!"
One after another, the group greeted Scarlett as they passed her, eventually leaving the two of them alone.
"No way, I'm going to have to charge you for damages to my reputation!" Ethan felt some regret.
He had brought this whole mess upon himself for no reason!
Scarlett quickened her pace, wanting to get back to the female guests' area where she would be safe.
But who would have thought that just as she rounded a corner, walking too fast, she nearly collided head-on with someone?
When Ethan also rounded the corner and saw the two people who had almost collided, he cried out in shock.
"Eva?!"
"Ethan?!"
The two of them called out each other's names in unison, both looking utterly shocked and incredulous!
(To be continued.)