Chapter 124: Meeting Aeri
The taxi rolled to a stop in front of a grand building, it is glowing under strings of fairy lights that twinkled against the evening sky. I glanced at my phone, pulling up the picture Aeri had sent of the wedding venue—a sprawling hall with tall columns and arched windows. I looked up, and there it was, exactly as pictured, all lit up like something out of a movie.
"Yup, this is it," I muttered, double-checking the address before tapping through the payment on my phone. The driver gave a quick nod as I opened the door with a soft *clack* and stepped out onto the curb.
The place was alive. People were walking toward the entrance—guys in sharp suits, women in glittery dresses that caught the light with every step. The women especially stood out, their heels clicking on the pavement, jewelry sparkling
"Damn, this place is all shiny," I thought, adjusting my grey shirt and smoothing a hand over my jeans. The white shoes Sara had insisted, they fit the vibe of the crowd.
A waiter in a crisp black vest greeted me just inside the entrance, balancing a tray of sparkling wine flutes. "Drink, sir?" he offered, holding one out with a polite smile.
"Nah, I’m good," I said, waving him off. After last night, I was done with anything that could blur my head. The nap and shower had left me feeling fresh for the first time in what felt like forever, and I wanted to keep it that way.
The lobby was packed with people mingling, their voices blending into a low hum of laughter and chatter. Men and women stood in small clusters, holding wine glasses and little plates of fancy snacks—mini quiches, shrimp skewers, stuff that looked too pretty to eat.
I overheard conversation as I walked through the crowd: "Oh, I’ve known Sara since college," one woman said, her earrings glinting as she tossed her head. "She was always the life of the party," a guy chimed in, raising his glass. I smirked to myself, knowing a side of Sara they probably didn’t.
"Where’s Aeri?" I muttered, scanning the sea of faces as I climbed the staircase leading to the main hall.